Reaching the Conference Finals is no small feat, regardless of the outcome. But for the Dallas Stars, for whom it’s Cup or bust, simply making the WCF wasn’t going to cut it. Oh and there was also the small matter of DeBoer effectively alienating the locker room by publicly singling out Jake Oettinger post defeat. “After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,” said GM Jim Nill in his statement. And if that isn’t code for locker room issues, then really, what is? “We’d like to thank Pete for everything that he has helped our organization achieve over the past three seasons and wish him nothing but the best moving forward,”  continued Nill’s statement. So, with DeBoer leaving, everyone’s eyes are on a particular someone now.

One of the most talked-about moments in that final game was when DeBoer decided to pull starting goaltender Jake Oettinger just over seven minutes into the first period after he let in two quick goals. This decision sparked a lot of criticism and clearly played a role in the Dallas Stars’ choice to look for new leadership. “I didn’t blame it all on Jake, but the reality is, if you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton,” DeBoer said. “And we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. It was partly to spark our team and wake them up. And partly knowing that status quo had not been working, and that’s a pretty big sample size.”

On X, Cowboys beat writer at The Athletic, Saad Yousuf shared an update, stating, “Neil Graham would seem to be the logical fit to me as the Stars next head coach. He was an assistant coach or head coach with the AHL’s Texas Stars when Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Julius Honka, Thomas Harley, Mavrik Bourque and Lian Bichsel spent time down there.” Similarly, radio analyst Bruce LeVine wrote on an X post: “A name to keep an eye on is Neil Graham, current Head Coach of the Texas Stars. Organization loves the way he handles younger players. Has great communication skills as well. Oh yeah, he also wins.”

Neil Graham, who’s the head coach of the Texas Stars, Dallas’s AHL affiliate, has caught the attention of some national reporters. Graham joined the Texas Stars back in 2019, starting off as an assistant coach and then moving up to head coach later that same year. Thanks to his guidance, the team has made it to the Calder Cup Playoffs several times, and he’s been honored for his coaching skills by being named the Central Division head coach for the AHL All-Star Classic in back-to-back years.

Graham really focuses on strong communication and helping players grow, and that’s something both players and analysts have noticed and appreciated. His time working with current Dallas Stars players in the AHL, like Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson, really sets him up as someone who gets the vibe of the organization and knows the talent flow.

With the Dallas Stars looking to move past their recent playoff challenges, Graham’s knowledge of the NHL team’s potential and his solid leadership experience in the AHL really make him an interesting choice to guide Dallas into the next phase. So, what did the former head coach have to say after that controversial call in Game 5?

Peter DeBoer tried to explain his controversial move to Dallas Stars fans

After getting let go as head coach of the Dallas Stars, Peter DeBoer spoke to the media about his decision to pull starting goaltender Jake Oettinger early in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers, which stirred up some controversy.

DeBoer shared his main thought during the match, saying, “When you’re in that moment, you’re making that decision, what’s going through my mind is, you know, we need to stop the bleeding here. Our team looked tentative. We’re down, 2-0. In the back of your mind, you know, is he a little bit fatigued, he’s been through a lot. He’s carried us through two rounds, is he going to be a better goalie in Game 6 and 7 for us fresh.”

DeBoer also shared his support for Oettinger, highlighting how much he admires him both as a player and as a person. He mentioned, “No one’s a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie.” Even though he meant well, the move faced a lot of backlash, which played a part in the Dallas Stars’ management deciding to look for new leadership.