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The Dallas Stars have reunited with a very familiar face. Following Pete DeBoer's departure shortly after the Western Conference Final, the franchise has tabbed Glen Gulutzan as the 11th head coach in the organization's history, general manager Jim Nill announced on Tuesday.
“We are thrilled to name Glen as the head coach of the Dallas Stars,” Nill said in the official release. “Since his previous time in Dallas, Glen has worked tirelessly to establish himself as one of the most respected coaches in the NHL. His extensive NHL experience, both as a head coach and assistant coach, speaks to his ability to innovate and adapt to the modern game, as well as build relationships with his players.
“Glen has worked with some of the best players in the world and continually found ways to maximize their skill sets to contribute to team success. We have full confidence that he is the right person to elevate our team to the next level.”
Gulutzan is getting a second chance in Texas after spending two seasons with the Stars between 2011-13. The squad missed the postseason in both of those campaigns, and he was fired in May of 2013. He also spent two years as the head coach of the Calgary Flames from 2016-18. In between those gigs, he spent a couple years as an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks.
While he didn't have much success in either of those stints, he was much more successful with the Edmonton Oilers. He joined the organization as an assistant in 2018 and has spent the last seven years in Alberta.
Glen Gulutzan has had great success as Oilers assistant
Despite a revolving door of head coaches, Gulutzan helped the Oilers reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, ultimately losing to the Florida Panthers both times.
“My family and I are excited to come back to Texas where I started my NHL coaching journey more than a decade ago,” Gulutzan said. “Jim and his staff have built a roster that is one of the most talented and deepest in the entire League. The right pieces are in place to compete for the Stanley Cup on a yearly basis. I’m ready to get to Dallas and start the preparation for next season.”
Gulutzan will have big shoes to fill after DeBoer led the Stars to back-to-back-to-back Western Conference Finals. All three of those ended in defeat, including the previous two against an Oilers team that had Gulutzan himself behind its bench.
The 53-year-old oversaw the National Hockey League's best powerplay during his tenure, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid called him “great at what he does” last year.
It'll be interesting to see if Gulutzan can do with the Stars what he did with the Oilers in each of the last two seasons — get them over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2020.
