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The season for the Dallas Stars ended in disappointing and familiar fashion, as the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Stars in the Western Conference Final for the second straight campaign.
But one major controversy in the early goings of the deciding Game 5, a 6-3 victory by the Oilers to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, has drawn immense scrutiny and could even have lasting ramifications into the Stars' offseason plans.
Head coach Pete DeBoer pulled goaltender Jake Oettinger after he allowed two quick goals in Game 5 on what were Edmonton's first two shots of the game, and reportedly still has not spoken to him personally since then. And based on a newly released report, how DeBoer treated Oettinger isn't sitting well with the rest of the team.
Noise out of Dallas re: Pete DeBoer. Per multiple sources, players are not pleased with how he handled several situations during the WCF, along with post Gm5 & exit media remarks. Told players voiced concerns during internal exit interviews. DeBoer has 1yr left on his contract.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 2, 2025
Perhaps even more frustrating for the Stars was that they not only enjoyed a 1-0 series lead but also that several of their top offensive stars like Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston fell silent and were absent from the stat sheet.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer took responsibility for the benching
When asked about the controversial move, DeBoer wanted to make sure everyone knows that he's a fan of both Oettinger the person and the goalie, and that he did what he did to try and light a spark under the rest of the team, via ESPN.
“No one's a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie,” DeBoer said. “There's one motive, and that's how do we survive this and get it to a Game 6? And I have to live with those consequences. If it works, great, we're in Edmonton tonight, and you guys are telling me how awesome a move it was. And when it doesn't, I've got to stand up here and do this, and I understand.”
Meanwhile, Oettinger admitted to feeling embarrassed by the surprise move and the result of the game while also saying he should have made a save.
“The reality is if I make one or two of those saves, then I'm still playing in the game,” Oettinger said in his first public comments since. “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?”
It will be an interesting offseason from an outsider's perspective to see what could potentially come from the situation.
