Pete DeBoer openly ready to coach again forces NHL teams to rethink plans
|
Daniel Lucente
Mar 21, 2026 (11:06)
|
|
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill got Pete DeBoer saying he is open to anything, and that instantly changed the NHL coaching board.
DeBoer is not a placeholder. Dallas fired him on June 6, 2025 with one year left on his contract after three straight trips to the Western Conference Final.
That matters right now because he is available, proven, and still working at the top level. Hockey Canada named him to Jon Cooper's Olympic staff on July 21, 2025.
The post below is not soft tea-leaf stuff. It sounds like a veteran coach telling the league he is ready for the next bench.
The fit is obvious. DeBoer gives teams cleaner exits, more structure through the neutral zone, and better support on the blue line.
That is why this hits harder than a normal media hit. Bubble teams and playoff teams with shaky details now have a real fallback plan.
The X clip makes that tension easy to feel.
"I'm open to anything.."
- Pete DeBoer
- Pete DeBoer
Pete DeBoer gives NHL teams a real option
Fans can roll their eyes at coach talk, but this one has teeth because DeBoer wins and usually wins fast.
His career NHL record sits at 662-447-152, and that is the profile of a coach general managers call when a roster looks good on paper but keeps cheating the game.
This also cools the lazy Toronto noise. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported in late December that DeBoer had reached out to Craig Berube amid Leafs speculation.
So the real angle is league-wide, not local gossip. Any club heading toward a first-round exit now knows a proven bench boss is listening.
That changes the next game for struggling teams and the next month for front offices. DeBoer did not sound retired, he sounded ready.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Elias Salomonsson sends strong message he belongs in Jets top four now
Elias Salomonsson sends strong message he belongs in Jets top four now
| POLL | ||
MARS 21|377 ANSWERS Pete DeBoer openly ready to coach again forces NHL teams to rethink plans Should an NHL team hire Pete DeBoer this offseason? | ||
| Yes | 334 | 88.6 % |
| No | 43 | 11.4 % |
| List of polls | ||