The Dallas Stars are bringing back Glen Gulutzan as their head coach 12 years after he was fired by the organization, a source confirmed to ESPN amid multiple reports Sunday.
Gulutzan, who was serving as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers, replaces Pete DeBoer, who was fired by the Stars earlier this month after three seasons. An official announcement by the team is expected shortly.
Gulutzan will inherit a talented roster that has been runner-up in the Western Conference for three straight seasons. That includes star winger Mikko Rantanen, whom the Stars acquired at the trade deadline and signed to an eight-year, $96 million extension.
The 53-year-old Gulutzan coached the Stars from 2011 to 2013, going 64-57-9 and missing the playoffs in both seasons. He had been hired to replace Marc Crawford after coaching the Stars’ AHL affiliate for two seasons and the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers for six.
Two weeks after being hired by the Stars in 2013 to run the team, current general manager Jim Nill fired Gulutzan, saying the club decided to “go in a different direction.” Dallas then hired veteran coach Lindy Ruff.
Now, Nill is rehiring Gulutzan in hopes that he can lead the team to the Stanley Cup.
After being fired by Dallas, Gulutzan moved on to become an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks under John Tortorella and Willie Desjardins before being hired by the Calgary Flames in 2016 as head coach. He lasted two seasons there, making the playoffs once, before being replaced by Bill Peters.
Gulutzan moved on to become an assistant coach with the Oilers for seven seasons under four different head coaches. He had a good relationship with star center Connor McDavid and ran the team’s power play, which was No. 1 in the NHL (26.8% conversion rate) during his time in Edmonton.
Dallas began searching for a new coach after firing DeBoer, who posted a .665 regular-season points percentage and led the Stars to the West finals in three straight years. The Stars lost to Vegas in 2023 and to Edmonton the past two seasons.
In their Game 5 elimination by the Oilers in May, DeBoer pulled Jake Oettinger after the starting goalie gave up two goals in the first 7:09 of the game, and later called him out for the team’s lack of success against Edmonton.
Nill called that situation a “component” of his decision to fire DeBoer, who had one more year left on his contract, but said “things that took place during the season” also factored into it.
The GM said that the team’s assistant coaches had “done a great job” and that he hoped they’d continue to be part of the Stars. Gulutzan, however, will have to bring in new staffers after Steve Spott left for the Boston Bruins and Misha Donskov took a role with Hockey Canada.
Assistant coaches Alain Nasreddine and Jeff Reese will return next season, however, Nill said recently.
