Dallas Stars Reportedly Finalizing Head Coach Hire: Two Frontrunners Confirmed

Despite reaching the Western Conference Finals for a second straight season, the Dallas Stars fell short, and after Head Coach Peter DeBoer threw goaltender Jake Oettinger under the bus, he was promptly fired from his role.

Since that point, we've heard very little about their Head Coach search, but now, we appear to be closing in on a hiring according to top NHL Insider Darren Dreger, who reports there are now two finalists for the role.

According to Dreger, it's Edmonton Oilers assistant Glen Gulutzan, who coached the Stars between 2011 and 2013, as well as Neil Graham, who has been the Head Coach of the Texas Stars for the past six years that are the finalists for the role.

The Oilers have given Gulutzan permission to interview with the Stars after a very successful stint behind the Edmonton bench as an assistant, he could be looking at his first Head Coaching role since 2017/18 with Calgary.

As for Graham, he's the younger of the two options at just 40-years of age, and with experience behind the bench in the AHL with the Stars organization, he may be more familiar with the current playing group as this young core looks to take them over the top.

If it is between these two options, it's a tough decision for Dallas, as one coach presents a future for them with experience in the organization, while the other has been an assistant for the Oilers over the past seven years and has been a Head Coach in Dallas previously, so while we don't know which one is favoured right now, they're both solid options for a team pursuing a Stanley Cup in 2025/26.