Dallas Stars name Glen Gulutzan as head coach, 12 years after he was fired: "Dallas still feels like home"
The Dallas Stars have hired Glen Gulutzan as their head coach 12 years after he was fired from his first stint with them, general manager Jim Nill announced Tuesday.
Gulutzan is succeeding Pete DeBoer, who was fired following the team's third straight playoff elimination in the Western Conference final. Back in 2013, firing Gulutzan was one of Nill's first acts when he took over.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Nill revealed that he interviewed numerous coaches, but in the end, kept coming back to Gulutzan.
"We are thrilled to name Glen as the head coach of the Dallas Stars," Nill said. "Since his previous time in Dallas, Glen has worked tirelessly to establish himself as one of the most respected coaches in the NHL."
Gulutzan returns to Dallas after spending the past seven seasons as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers, including the past two that ended with trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
"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 praised the team that Nill has built, saying the roster is tremendous.
This is his third job in charge of an NHL team after leading the Stars from 2011-13 and the Calgary Flames from 2016-18. Before joining the NHL, Gulutzan was the head coach for the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman hinted at the hire at his season-ending news conference by saying he didn't want to announce anything regarding Gulutzan.
