Pete DeBoer Returns to Dallas with Islanders, Reflects on Stars Ouster

New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer will make his first return to Dallas to face his former team, the Stars, on Sunday. The visit comes nearly a year after DeBoer's departure from Dallas, which followed a playoff series loss and controversial remarks regarding goaltender Jake Oettinger.

DeBoer, typically understated about his return, acknowledged the personal significance of facing the Stars. "Your first game back's always a little special. Just because a lot of people you spend time with and work with and players," DeBoer said Saturday after the Islanders' practice. "So it was a great chapter in my coaching career. I’m now coaching the Islanders and focused on that."

DeBoer's exit from the Stars organization was marked by a contentious moment in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. After the Stars fell behind 3-1 in the series and conceded two quick goals in Game 5, DeBoer controversially pulled star goaltender Jake Oettinger. The Stars ultimately lost the game and the series.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, DeBoer publicly attributed the decision to a need to "spark our team and wake them up," citing Oettinger's past struggles against the Edmonton Oilers and the team's consistent inability to play with a lead. "The reality is: If you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton," DeBoer stated at the time. "And we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game."

Less than a week later, the Stars relieved DeBoer of his coaching duties. In a September 2025 interview, DeBoer expressed regret for his public comments about Oettinger, stating he "should have redirected the topic to reflect that this wasn’t about [Oettinger], this was about all of us."

When asked if he had encountered Oettinger since the incident, DeBoer confirmed they had spoken. He also noted running into other former players he coached in Dallas, as well as former players from his time with the New Jersey Devils, while attending the Olympic Games in Milan last February.

Since taking over the Islanders with four games remaining in the previous season, DeBoer has found success. The team has been performing well, entering their three-game trip to Dallas with points in five consecutive games. Player Ryan Pulock noted the team's improved structure and detailed play under DeBoer's guidance. "I think what he brings in is his structure, his leadership. Everything that he preaches, guys listen. It’s really starting to show in the way we’re playing," Pulock said. The Islanders' improved play has been evident in their ability to limit opponents' chances and control the neutral zone against skilled, fast teams.