Texas Hockey has a new head coach, but he’ll be familiar to Stars fans.
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars have a new head coach, but he’s a familiar face in Dallas.
On Sunday, ESPN reported that Glen Gulutzan will be the franchise’s next head coach, marking the second time the Stars have brought him on to lead the team. The team confirmed the hire Tuesday.
“We are thrilled to name Glen as the head coach of the Dallas Stars,” Stars General Manager Jim 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. His extensive NHL experience, both as a head coach and assistant coach, speaks to his ability to innovate and adapt to the modern game, as well as build relationships with his players. Glen has worked with some of the best players in the world and continually found ways to maximize their skill sets to contribute to team success. We have full confidence that he is the right person to elevate our team to the next level.”
The Stars on Tuesday also announced that assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, goaltending coach Jeff Reese, head video coach Patrick Dolan and assistant video coach Chris Demczuk will return to the team and join Gulutzan’s coaching staff. The team also added Neil Graham as an assistant coach. Graham had served as head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars since December 2019, helping develop much of the team’s current young core — including Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley, Lian Bichsel, Oskar Back and Mavrik Bourque. Under his leadership, Texas made multiple playoff appearances and remained one of the AHL’s most competitive teams.
Gulutzan’s first stint in Dallas was from 2011 to 2013 after the team dismissed Marc Crawford. Most recently, Gulutzan spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers.
“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.”
During his two-season tenure, Gulutzan led the Stars to a 64-57 record with zero playoff appearances. Nill notoriously fired Gulutzan two weeks after the franchise brought him on as general manager, a position he holds to this day.
Gulutzan’s second shot at leading the Stars comes with high expectations.
The organization fired Pete DeBoer from the position earlier this month after the team’s postseason exit in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. That was the second time in as many years the Oilers have knocked Dallas out of the WCF, and both times, Gulutzan was on Edmonton’s bench as assistant coach.
With the signing of key players like Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Jake Oettinger, Wyatt Johnson and others, the pressure is on Gulutzan to win from day one. Not to mention, he’s filling the shoes of DeBoer, who posted a 149-68-29 record in 246 regular-season games over three seasons with the Stars.
53-year-old Gulutzan comes to Dallas with just four seasons of head coaching experience, two with the Stars and two with the Calgary Flames from 2016 to 2018. Across his career, he holds a 146-125 record in the regular season and a 0-4 playoff record.