As any true hockey fan knows (maybe not Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer, but we’ll get there), the bro code is one of the fundamental tenets of hockey and, really, any sport. It means that everyone on a team or in a franchise has an unwritten code of conduct that outlines dos and don’ts with regard to how players, coaches, and general managers are meant to behave with each other and with the media pre- and post-games. Among the don’ts, one of the more obvious things to remember is don’t talk trash when you share a stash, i.e., don’t throw anyone from your side under the bus. Easy enough, right?

A good example of the above occurred when Paul Maurice spoke about Tomas Nosek’s puck flip at the end of game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, which led to a penalty in overtime, which in turn led to the Oilers scoring the fourth goal in overtime that won them the game. While Maurice could have blamed it all on this one player, he chose to instead say, “We’re not here without Tomas Nosek. It’s a tough break. We’ll make sure he doesn’t eat alone tonight. He has got lots of people eating at his table and reminding how good he’s been to us,” which was a gracious way to handle the situation, and completely in line with the bro code. 

However, a bad example of the above is when Peter DeBoer, now ex-coach of the Dallas Stars, placed blame on the Stars’ goaltender, Jake Oettinger, for their loss to Edmonton in the Western Conference final. Oettinger, who allowed two goals on two shots early into the first period, didn’t receive any support from his coach, who made a statement soon after wherein he said, “The reality is, if you go back to last year’s playoffs,” the Stars lost 4-2 to the Oilers in the 2024 Conference Finals, “he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton, and we gave up two (goals) on two (shots) in an elimination game,” DeBoer said of Oettinger, completely throwing his goaltender under the bus. A complete rebuke of the bro code and something that Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill didn’t take lightly, coupled with the loss to Edmonton.

While it is unclear how much his critique of Oettinger factored into the decision, Peter DeBoer, who is ranked fourth amongst all NHL coaches and led two different teams to the Stanley Cup finals, was fired soon after the statements with no replacement in sight, and fans seem to think the reason is quite obvious.

Fans discuss the circumstances leading to Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer being fired

Jumping right into it, one fan thought that maybe Peter DeBoer required a quicker sentence, saying, “I’m only amazed it took this long after his post game comments about the franchise goalie.” Considering the final was on May 30th and news of DeBoer’s firing came out today, on the 6th, it doesn’t seem like the longest turnaround, but breaches of the norms that govern coach-player interactions do require rapid action.

Another fan indicated that it was only a given considering the circumstances, writing, “Writing was on the wall after what happened with Otter.” Clearly the consequences that come with publicly calling out your player and breaking an unspoken rule are understood by the Twitter community, just not DeBoer apparently.

Another fan still shaded Peter DeBoer for his blatant blaming of Oettinger, writing, “Throwing your goalie under the bus will do that” It should be noted that soon after DeBoer made the original comments, he tried to clarify them by saying, “No one is a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie. Does that mean he can’t be coached or he doesn’t have growth in him? Absolutely [not], he’s a young goalie.” But this was too little, too late.

Another fan still pointed out the coach’s complete lack of foresight, saying, “What a self inflicted wound by DeBoer. Maybe don’t berate your players in public, crazy I know!” And really, that’s the real lesson amongst it all. Just ask John Tortorella; alienating the locker room isn’t exactly a winning move.

And finally, one fan pointed out the cutting reality of the situation: “They had no choice. It was either DeBoer or Otter they chose Otter,” so while Peter DeBoer didn’t stand by the goalie, at least the team did, and this may be what makes all the difference when the time comes for the Dallas Stars.