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Pete DeBoer Felt ‘Blindsided’ After Being Fired By VGK

Trey Daubert / NHL / August 13, 2022

Pete DeBoer Felt ‘Blindsided’ After Being Fired By VGK

Did Pete DeBoer get done dirty? Maybe, maybe not. Did the VGK need a change in the coaching ranks? Maybe, maybe not. None of that matters because former head coach Pete DeBoer is pissed. DeBoer has been around the game for a long time and apparently this is the first time he didn’t expect to be fired.

In a recent interview with Danny Webster of The Las Vegas Sun, DeBoer talked about how the Vegas departure left him totally blindsided:

“The other times I’ve been fired, you can see that coming a mile away. You can feel it coming on, you know it’s coming,” DeBoer told the Sun this week in his first interview with a Las Vegas news outlet since his departure. “This one, I’m not going to lie, did rattle me, did jar me, did surprise me a little bit.”

“I would’ve hoped after back-to-back conference finals, and six months earlier we were playing for the Presidents Trophy and beating Colorado in the playoffs, that I would’ve gotten the opportunity to work with a full roster,” DeBoer said. “(But) there’s nothing in this business at this level that’s fair, and I’m at peace with it.”

DeBoer, 54, latched on quickly with the Dallas Stars this offseason. DeBoer will replace Rick Bowness who also found a job quickly signing with the Winnipeg Jets. DeBoer isn’t a bad head coach. He’s a big reason why Brent Burns developed into such a force with the Sharks. However, the Vegas powerplay unit was dreadful a year ago (8th worst mark in the league.

Ultimately, it’s hard to argue with what Vegas did. Bruce Cassidy has a proven track record of winning in Boston and his team defense numbers are always off the charts good. It’s not like Boston has much talent outside of the top five or so guys. Cassidy was the biggest name on the coaching market. Vegas found a way to bring Cassidy to the Sin City after the Bruins fired him.

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It will be interesting to see how the Stars look this year with Pete DeBoer. A year ago, they were quite literally saved by the Hintz, Robertson, Pavelski line. If DeBoer can get more production from his group elsewhere, maybe Dallas sneaks up on people this year. Then again, it’s hard to argue they got better after John Klingberg left for the Ducks.