| Peter DeBoer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1968-06-13)June 13, 1968 (age 56) Dunnville, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Milwaukee Admirals | ||
| CurrentNHL coach | Dallas Stars | ||
| Coached for | |||
| NHL draft | 237th overall,1988 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| Playing career | 1988–1991 | ||
| Coaching career | 1995–present | ||
George Peter DeBoer (born June 13, 1968) is a Canadian professionalice hockey coach and former player who is thehead coach for theDallas Stars of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the 12th round, 237th overall, by theToronto Maple Leafs in the1988 NHL Entry Draft but never played in the NHL, instead playing for theMilwaukee Admirals of theInternational Hockey League (IHL).
A two-time winner of theOntario Hockey League (OHL) Coach of the Year award, DeBoer was ajunior hockey head coach for 13 seasons with theDetroit Whalers (1995–1997),Plymouth Whalers (1997–2001) andKitchener Rangers (2001–08), the latter of which he led to aMemorial Cup victory in2003. DeBoer is also a co-owner of theOshawa Generals. He served as the head coach of theFlorida Panthers from 2008 to 2011, theNew Jersey Devils from 2011 to 2014, theSan Jose Sharks from 2015 to 2019, and theVegas Golden Knights from 2020 to 2022.[1][2]
DeBoer was drafted 237th overall by theToronto Maple Leafs in the1988 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, he was playing with theWindsor Spitfires in the OHL, and in his best offensive season, he scored 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points. After Windsor, DeBoer went on to play for theMilwaukee Admirals of theInternational Hockey League (IHL), playing two full seasons with them. In his last season with the Admirals, he scored 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points and retired after that season.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1985–86 | Windsor Compuware Spitfires | OHL | 55 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | Windsor Compuware Spitfires | OHL | 52 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 37 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 16 | ||
| 1987–88 | Windsor Compuware Spitfires | OHL | 54 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 41 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 14 | ||
| 1988–89 | Windsor Compuware Spitfires | OHL | 65 | 45 | 46 | 91 | 40 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1988–89 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1989–90 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 67 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1990–91 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 82 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| OHL totals | 226 | 84 | 87 | 171 | 138 | 41 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 30 | ||||
| IHL totals | 151 | 48 | 54 | 102 | 50 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | ||||
DeBoer became an assistant coach for theDetroit Junior Red Wings during the 1994–95 season. During the 1995 off-season, the club was renamed theDetroit Whalers and DeBoer was promoted to the dual position of head coach-general manager afterPaul Maurice left the team to become the coach of the NHL'sHartford Whalers. DeBoer guided the Whalers to a first-place finish in the West Division, as Detroit advanced to the third round in the playoffs. In 1996–97, Detroit struggled to a 26–34–6 record and was eliminated in the first round of the post-season.
The Whalers renamed themselves thePlymouth Whalers during the 1997 off-season, and the team rebounded to a second-place finish in the West Division with a 37–22–7 record – for the second time in three seasons, they advanced to the third round of the playoffs. In 1998–99, DeBoer led the team to an OHL-leading 106 points, earning them theHamilton Spectator Trophy, and DeBoer winning theMatt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the Year. Plymouth had a disappointing playoff run, however, as they were defeated by the underdogLondon Knights in the second round of the playoffs.
In1999–2000, Plymouth once again had the best record in the league, earning DeBoer his second straight Matt Leyden Trophy. The Whalers advanced all the way to theJ. Ross Robertson Cup Finals before losing to theBarrie Colts 4–2 in the seventh and series deciding game.
The Whalers had another very successful season in2000–01, winning the West Division for the third consecutive season and having the second best record in the League. Plymouth got hot in the playoffs, winning their first nine games, and advanced to theJ. Ross Robertson Cup for the second season in a row. In the final round, Plymouth lost to theOttawa 67's in six games.
After the season, both DeBoer and his assistant,Steve Spott, decided to leave the Whalers and join theKitchener Rangers in similar positions.
DeBoer took over a Kitchener team that had missed the OHL playoffs in the previous season and finished ten games under .500, and quickly the club showed improvement, as the Rangers finished in third place in the Midwest Division with a 35–22–10–1 record. The team was then swept in the first round of the playoffs by theirHighway 7 rivals, theGuelph Storm.
The Rangers continued to improve in the2002–03 season, winning theHamilton Spectator Trophy as Kitchener had a League-best 100 points. In the playoffs, the Rangers quickly swept theSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the first round, followed by a five-game series win over the Guelph Storm, setting up a Western Conference matchup against DeBoer's former team, thePlymouth Whalers. After the Whalers won the fifth game by a 2–1 score in overtime to take a 3–2 series lead, the Rangers rebounded and staved off elimination by winning the final two games of the series, advancing to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals against the Ottawa 67's. Ottawa took the series opener, however, Kitchener rebounded and won four in a row to win the Cup and earn a berth in the2003 Memorial Cup. DeBoer led the Rangers to a perfect 3–0 record during the round-robin portion of the tournament, sending Kitchener to the finals against theHull Olympiques. The Rangers would easily defeat Hull 6–3 in the game to win their firstMemorial Cup since 1982.
Kitchener saw themselves in a rebuilding season in2003–04, however, as DeBoer helped the club finish fourth in the Western Conference with a 34–26–6–2 record. The team struggled in the playoffs, eventually losing to the Plymouth Whalers in five games in the opening round. The2004–05 season saw the team once again finish in third in their division and fourth in the conference. DeBoer led the Rangers to a first round victory over theErie Otters, then helped Kitchener to a stunning series sweep over the powerfulOwen Sound Attack. In the third round, the Rangers faced the record-settingLondon Knights, and were quickly eliminated in five games.
In2005–06, Kitchener saw their point total improve to 96, the third highest in the League. The team, however, was upset by the Owen Sound Attack in the first round of the playoffs. They then increased their point total to 98 in the following season,2006–07, finishing third in the Western Conference and easily sweeping theSarnia Sting in the first round. Kitchener would struggle in the second round, however, losing in five games to the Plymouth Whalers.
With the Rangers being named the host of the2008 Memorial Cup, Kitchener put together one of the best regular season's in OHL history, finishing with a 53–11–4 record, earning a League-high 110 points to win theHamilton Spectator Trophy. The DeBoer-led Rangers quickly swept the Plymouth Whalers andSarnia Sting in the first two rounds before disposing the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Western Conference finals. In the J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals, the Rangers took the first three games of the series, though the opposingBelleville Bulls rebounded and took the next three games, setting up a deciding Game 7 matchup at theKitchener Memorial Auditorium. In the last game of the series, the Rangers defeated the Bulls 4–1 to win the championship. During the 2008 Memorial Cup, the Rangers had a 1-2 record in the round-robin, setting up a rematch against the Bulls in the semi-finals. Kitchener exploded for a 9–0 win and would face theWestern Hockey League (WHL)'sSpokane Chiefs in the final game. The Chiefs ultimately spoiled the Rangers' party, defeating Kitchener 4–1.
On June 13, 2008, theFlorida Panthers in theNational Hockey League (NHL) hired DeBoer as the team's head coach. DeBoer led the Panthers to a 41–30–11 record, tied with theMontreal Canadiens for eighth place in theEastern Conference. The Panthers did not make the playoffs, as the Canadiens advanced due to winning the head-to-head series with the Panthers 3–1.
The Panthers struggled in the2009–10 season and finished with a 32–37–13 record, last place in theSoutheast Division. The team had an even worse2010–11, as the team finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 30–40–12 record. After that season, the Panthers fired DeBoer with one year remaining on his contract.[1]
On July 19, 2011, theNew Jersey Devils hired DeBoer as the team's head coach following two interviews with former Devils general managerLou Lamoriello.[2] In his first season, DeBoer posted career highs in wins and point totals, guiding his team to theStanley Cup playoffs for the first time in his coaching career. The Devils beat their first round opponent, DeBoer's former Florida Panthers, in double overtime in Game 7. The Devils would also go on to dispatch thePhiladelphia Flyers in five games in round two and theNew York Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference finals. It was the first time the New Jersey Devils had reached theStanley Cup Finals since2003. The Devils, however, lost theFinals to theLos Angeles Kings in six games.
The Devils slipped into last place in theAtlantic Division in the2012–13 season, going 19–19–10 (48 points) in the lockout-shortened, 48-game season and failing to qualify for the2013 playoffs.
In2013–14, the Devils began the year with a 1–5–3 record and were not able to rebound from their poor start, finishing sixth in the newly createdMetropolitan Division with a 35–29–18 record, failing to qualify for the post-season for their second straight season.
On December 26, 2014, after leading New Jersey to a subpar 12–17–7 record, the Devils fired DeBoer, replacing him with bothScott Stevens andAdam Oates in a dual-coaching setup.
On May 28, 2015, theSan Jose Sharks hired DeBoer as the team's head coach, replacing former head coachTodd McLellan. In his first season, he led the Sharks to the playoffs after finishing third in their division. They defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games, Nashville Predators in 7 in the second round, and won the Western Conference finals against the St. Louis Blues in 6 games, making it the second time DeBoer has made theStanley Cup Finals in his first year coaching a new team.[3] On December 11, 2019, DeBoer was fired by the Sharks after a 15–16–2 start to the season.[4][5]
On January 15, 2020, DeBoer was hired as the head coach of theVegas Golden Knights, replacingGerard Gallant.[6] The Golden Knights advanced to the Western Conference finals but fell to theDallas Stars in five games.[7]
In the COVID-shortened2020–21 season, DeBoer led the Knights to a 40–14–2 record, tied for the most points in the league with theColorado Avalanche. They placed second in theWest Division as they had five fewer regulation wins than the Avalanche. They lost in theStanley Cup semifinals to theMontreal Canadiens in six games.[8]
The Golden Knights finished the 2021–22 season with a 43–31–8 record under DeBoer's leadership and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. On May 16, 2022, DeBoer was relieved of his duties as head coach, finishing with an overall 98–50–12 record in Vegas.[9]
On June 21, 2022, just over one month after his dismissal from Vegas, DeBoer was hired as the head coach of theDallas Stars, replacingRick Bowness.[10]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win% | Result | |||
| FLA | 2008–09 | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | 3rd inSoutheast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| FLA | 2009–10 | 82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 77 | 5th in Southeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| FLA | 2010–11 | 82 | 30 | 40 | 12 | 72 | 5th in Southeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| FLA total | 246 | 103 | 107 | 36 | — | — | — | |||||
| NJD | 2011–12 | 82 | 48 | 28 | 6 | 102 | 4th inAtlantic | 14 | 10 | .583 | Lost inStanley Cup Finals (LAK) | |
| NJD | 2012–13 | 48 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 48 | 5th in Atlantic | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| NJD | 2013–14 | 82 | 35 | 29 | 18 | 88 | 6th inMetropolitan | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| NJD | 2014–15 | 36 | 12 | 17 | 7 | (31) | (fired) | — | — | — | — | |
| NJD total | 248 | 114 | 93 | 25 | 14 | 10 | .583 | 1 playoff appearance | ||||
| SJS | 2015–16 | 82 | 46 | 30 | 6 | 98 | 3rd inPacific | 14 | 10 | .583 | Lost inStanley Cup Finals (PIT) | |
| SJS | 2016–17 | 82 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 99 | 3rd in Pacific | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in first round (EDM) | |
| SJS | 2017–18 | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | 3rd in Pacific | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in second round (VGK) | |
| SJS | 2018–19 | 82 | 46 | 27 | 9 | 101 | 2nd in Pacific | 10 | 10 | .500 | Lost in conference finals (STL) | |
| SJS | 2019–20 | 33 | 15 | 16 | 2 | (32) | (fired) | — | — | — | — | |
| SJS total | 361 | 198 | 129 | 34 | 32 | 28 | .533 | 4 playoff appearances | ||||
| VGK | 2019–20 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 2 | (32) | 1st in Pacific | 12 | 8 | .600 | Lost in conference finals (DAL) | |
| VGK | 2020–21 | 56 | 40 | 14 | 2 | 82 | 2nd inWest | 10 | 9 | .526 | Lost in conference finals (MTL) | |
| VGK | 2021–22 | 82 | 43 | 31 | 8 | 94 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| VGK total | 160 | 98 | 50 | 12 | 22 | 17 | .564 | 2 playoff appearances | ||||
| DAL | 2022–23 | 82 | 47 | 21 | 14 | 108 | 2nd inCentral | 10 | 9 | .526 | Lost in conference finals (VGK) | |
| DAL | 2023–24 | 82 | 52 | 21 | 9 | 113 | 1st in Central | 10 | 9 | .526 | Lost in conference finals (EDM) | |
| DAL total | 164 | 99 | 42 | 23 | 20 | 18 | .526 | 2 playoff appearance | ||||
| Total | 1,179 | 612 | 421 | 146 | 88 | 73 | .547 | 9 playoff appearances | ||||
DeBoer holds aJuris Doctor degrees from both theUniversity of Windsor and theUniversity of Detroit as a graduate of the DualJD Program, but he gave up a position with a criminal law firm to continue coaching.[11]
He and his wife Susan have three children.[12] Their older son, Jack, plays forNiagara University[13] and their youngest son, Matt, played for theCollege of the Holy Cross.[14]
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Detroit/Plymouth Whalers 1995–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Kitchener Rangers 2001–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Florida Panthers 2008–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the New Jersey Devils 2011–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the San Jose Sharks 2015–2019 | Succeeded by Bob Boughner (interim) |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights 2020–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Dallas Stars 2022–present | Incumbent |
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