The Dallas Stars’ sudden firing of Pete DeBoer has raised eyebrows across the NHL, especially given his track record of playoff success.
The breaking point? A messy situation with star goalie Jake Oettinger during the Edmonton series. DeBoer not only pulled Oettinger in Game 5’s first period but then threw him under the bus for the 6-3 loss.
"The goaltending situation cost us a shot at the Cup Final," DeBoer said bluntly in his final press conference, shifting blame away from his own coaching decisions.
It’s a familiar story for DeBoer. He’s incredibly good at getting teams deep into the playoffs – making six conference finals in seven years is pretty amazing. But he’s also got a knack for wearing out his welcome.
This marks the third time he’s been fired despite that playoff success.
The real issue seems to be how he handles his players. When things go wrong, DeBoer’s tendency to publicly criticize his stars hasn’t exactly won him friends in the locker room.
"Winning covers up a lot of problems," says Michael Amato of Sportsnet. "But eventually, the way you treat your players catches up with you."
Meanwhile in London, Tottenham Hotspur made the shocking decision to sack Ange Postecoglou right after he ended their 17-year trophy drought with a Europa League victory over Manchester United.
Sure, Spurs had a terrible Premier League season, finishing 17th – their worst showing in decades. But firing a manager right after winning a major trophy? That’s pretty much unheard of.
Over in New York, the Knicks are taking heat for dismissing Tom Thibodeau after he led them to their first conference finals appearance in 25 years.
Thibodeau’s 226-174 record transformed the Knicks from laughingstock to legitimate contender. But apparently that wasn’t enough for ownership.
Here’s the thing about firing Thibodeau: it hasn’t worked out well for other teams. Just ask the Chicago Bulls, who’ve won exactly three playoff games in the decade since showing him the door.
The Knicks better hope they’re not making the same mistake while Jalen Brunson is in his prime.
, Postecoglou (Spurs), and Thibodeau (Knicks) - were fired despite achieving notable results with their teams.){kind=link}