The Dallas Stars are in the market for a new head coach. The team parted ways with Pete DeBoer following three straight Western Conference Final appearances. The move was not a complete surprise, but it leaves Dallas as the only NHL team without a head coach and sorting through a mysterious group of head coaching candidates with mere weeks until the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and less than a month until free agency.
General manager Jim Nill made the decision based on the results of Dallas’ annual exit interviews, announcing publicly that he felt “a new voice” was needed. Whoever it is will have one clear objective. That objective will be to bring the Dallas Stars through the next step and into the Stanley Cup Final.
There is still much to be determined. It would take too long to go through every name with a connection found, but here are a few possible candidates for the Dallas Stars’ head coaching opening.
Interesting name at the top of Dallas Stars next head coach odds
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— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) June 6, 2025
The Betting Favourites With Neil Graham the AHL’s Texas Stars Head Coach
Graham is an internal candidate for the position. The current head coach of Dallas’ AHL affiliate is among those with the best odds to get the job, according to oddsmakers. Many wonder if the Stars would consider coaches without NHL experience to take them to the next level. Nill emphasized they would have a “wide” search and stated that Graham is a candidate when asked directly.
While he doesn’t have experience behind an NHL bench, Graham makes sense as a top internal candidate. He offers some continuity and already has relationships with players and coaches currently in the locker room. Nill also mentioned Graham’s success coaching teams of different experience levels could work in his favour. Plus, if it doesn’t work out, an internal candidate would make it easy to move on from the current staff.
Manny Malhotra, Head Coach, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)
Malhotra is another name mentioned by oddsmakers. He just defeated Graham in the AHL’s Western Conference Final and is now in the middle of the Calder Cup Final series against the Charlotte Checkers. That means the Stars brass got a good look at him and his operations during a playoff series.
The 45-year-old is also familiar with the Stars organization. He played for the team from 2002 to 2004. Some of his former teammates are still heavily involved with the franchise, and some even hold positions within the organization. They would be able to speak to what kind of person and leader he is, and if he is a fit for the Stars. It seems clear he is on his way to a head coaching gig in the NHL. It’s just a question of when and where the opportunity is.
Jay Woodcroft, former Edmonton Oilers Head Coach
Woodcroft is another guy on the younger side. He has NHL head coaching experience with the Edmonton Oilers. Before that, he was a successful video coach with the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks, winning the 2008 Stanley Cup alongside Nill and others in Detroit.
He was replaced rather quickly by Kris Knoblauch in Edmonton, but some will argue he didn’t quite get a fair shot. With such an uncertain pool of candidates, he may get a chance to prove that in Dallas. He’s another candidate who it feels like will get another shot eventually.
Fan Favourite and University of Denver Head Coach David Carle
The 35-year-old University of Denver coach is a popular name in NHL coaching circles, and even more popular among Stars fans on social media. He’s a former assistant to ex-Stars coach Jim Montgomery and has won national titles as an assistant and as a head coach. Denver has become a consistent powerhouse in college hockey under his watch, drawing interest from the NHL.
Yet, it seems unlikely Carle will make the leap any time soon. While he has interviewed with teams in recent seasons, he notably rejected a long-term offer from the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s created job security and an atmosphere in Denver that would be tough to leave and even tougher to replicate in the NHL. Dallas’ talent may be tempting, and it would be a home run hire from a fan perspective. Plus, Dallas can throw a lot of perks at him. But both parties have to want it for it to become a reality.
Accomplished NHL Coaching Candidates Starting With Peter Laviolette
Laviolette may be the best candidate available. He has the most all-time wins of an American-born NHL head coach and has led multiple franchises to the Stanley Cup Final, winning it all in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also finished as a runner-up with Philadelphia and Nashville, two franchises that haven’t sniffed the final since.
Overall, he’s coached six teams and reached the playoffs 14 times, with three Final appearances and one title. Plus, two of his more successful runs came in non-traditional hockey markets in the Southern United States. That’s the kind of resume that can take the Stars to the next level if they choose.
Gerard Gallant
Gallant took Vegas to the Stanley Cup final in its first season and had one of the most successful runs a coach has had with the Florida Panthers prior to its current streak under Paul Maurice. Plus, Gallant and Jim Nill were both part of the Red Wings organization in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Ironically, Gallant was replaced by DeBoer in Las Vegas and even called him a clown when they faced each other in the playoffs. If Dallas wants to shake things up a little more than expected, Gallant could be a good hire. It hasn’t always worked out, but he gets plenty of credit for his team-building philosophy, and that could be a fit for the culture Dallas has built.
Bruce Boudreau
Boudreau seems like an unlikely candidate for the opening, but his resume gets him on the list. He has the second-highest winning% in league history among coaches who have coached at least 800 games. He has also had successful runs with multiple franchises.
One thing that eludes him is the Stanley Cup, and that’s something he has in common with these Dallas players. It’s possible they come together and become a match because of that goal alone, but it’s also worth noting that Boudreau doesn’t have a track record of playoff success. He’s 43-47 overall, and his teams have often been bounced in the first round.
Claude Julien
If the Dallas Stars want a coaching candidate who has been there, Claude Julien could also be considered. He’s been to the Stanley Cup Final twice, winning in 2011 with the Boston Bruins. Stars forward Tyler Seguin was a member of that championship team. There were rumours of a fractured relationship between Seguin and Julien when the forward was traded to Dallas, but the coach has since denied that any time it comes up.
If the relationship isn’t damaged, bringing in someone familiar with one of the Stars’ leaders may make sense. But the main draw to Julien would be his overall success.
Others with Reported Interest Including Alain Nasreddine
Nasreddine is another internal candidate being mentioned for the head coach of the Dallas Stars. He previously had a short stint as interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils in 2019-20. New Jersey missed the playoffs that year, but he at least has some experience leading an NHL bench. This would be another “band-aid” solution that would be low-risk and allow Dallas to keep continuity while also having an easy out if it doesn’t work. It wouldn’t push fans over the edge, but it wouldn’t be a very exciting hire either.
Glen Gulutzan
Reports indicate that the Edmonton Oilers’ power play architect is also a Dallas Stars’ coaching candidate. Gulutzan is a curious option for many reasons. Yes, he has helped construct one of the league’s top offences, but he also has two of the best players in the world at his disposal. He has also held multiple NHL head coaching jobs. Yet, he was the very coach Nill let go at the start of his tenure in Dallas in 2013.
Nill said it was important that the Stars don’t go backwards. Is it possible that could mean bringing back a coach who’s already had a shot with the franchise?
Main Photo: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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