To say it’s a bold move for a general manager of a professional sports team to fire the head coach after three straight trips to a conference finals would likely be an understatement.
That’s exactly what Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill did on Friday, however. The firing came on the heels of a Western Conference finals exit that saw DeBoer make the controversial decision to bench goaltender Jake Oettinger in Game 5. A game that Dallas would ultimately lose to end their season.
Nill joined Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) on Monday afternoon to explain his decision and to what extent the benching of Jake Oettinger played a factor.
“Was that part of the process? Yes, definitely. It was one of the components [of the firing], it wasn’t the final ending of it. My job is to evaluate the team and what’s going on with players and staff. That was another thing I had to check off and gather information about,” Nill said as to what component the benching of Oettinger played in letting go of DeBoer.
Sports Roundup
SportsDay columnist Tim Cowlishaw heard a similar explanation from Nill and found it curious.
Related:Stars strive for calmer waters after pressure to win sank Pete DeBoer in Dallas
“Nill said the Oettinger decision and its fallout were just one piece of the puzzle, and I find that difficult to believe,” Cowlishaw said.
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.