Former Stars Coach Reveals Reason Behind Cold Treatment of Jake Oettinger After NHL Playoffs Collapse

Former Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer is trying to set the record straight on his public criticism of starting goalie Jake Oettinger during last year’s playoffs.

In Game 5 of the Western Conference final, DeBoer pulled Oettinger just over seven minutes into the elimination game after he allowed two quick goals to the Edmonton Oilers, and the coach’s postgame remarks drew backlash. Although not the main reason for DeBoer’s firing, it’s fair to assume those comments played a role in his exit from the Stars.

The coach then told reporters the goalie had lost six of seven playoff games against the Oilers, a comment many fans saw as placing blame solely on Oettinger.

“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. And we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game,” DeBoer said. “[Pulling Oettinger] was partly to spark our team and wake them up. And partly knowing that [the] status quo had not been working, and that’s a pretty big sample size.”

On Sunday, days before the 2025–26 season begins and with DeBoer still out of work and looking for his next job, the coach told NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that emotions boiled over last postseason.

“I know the stories immediately came out that I’m hard on goalies,” DeBoer said. “But the fact is, I only pulled [Oettinger] once in 57 games in the regular season. That’s a fact.”

DeBoer acknowledged that the frustration in that timeout went well beyond the goaltender.

“The first 30 seconds of that [Game 5] timeout was me blasting our team and, if I could have, I would have blasted myself and our coaches too,” DeBoer said. “You’re mad and disappointed in that moment, at everything, at the team, at the start, at the goalie, at yourself, at everybody. So, it’s a scattergun of anger, of bitterness. And it was made out to be about Jake Oettinger. But that wasn’t the case.”

DeBoer also made sure to emphasize his admiration for the 26-year-old netminder, who is entering the first year of an eight-year, $66 million extension signed at the start of last season.

“I love Jake Oettinger, and Jake and I met after the season ended. He knows how much respect I have for him as a goalie and even more as a person and a family man,” DeBoer said. “We would have never even gotten that far without Jake.”

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) in action during an NHL game.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Oettinger admitted after Game 5 that the early pull was “surprising” to him and outright “embarrassing.”

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen. It was surprising,” Oettinger said during the end-of-season media availability. “But the reality is, if I make one or two of those saves, I’d still [be playing] in the game.

“The way I’m looking at it is, ‘How can I get better from that? How can I make those saves that I made all playoffs? How do I make them at the start of that game and give the guys a chance to get their feet under them?’ As a goalie, that’s your job.”

Oettinger’s regular-season .909 save percentage last season was solid, but his .905 mark in the playoffs was not enough to overcome Edmonton’s firepower as Dallas lost its third straight conference final.

DeBoer is no longer in Dallas, but he remains on the radar for another NHL job, boasting more than 1,200 games coached and currently having a role with Team Canada for the upcoming 2026 Olympics.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Former Stars Coach Reveals Reason Behind Cold Treatment of Jake Oettinger After NHL Playoffs Collapse

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