Peter DeBoer Throws Oettinger Under the Bus in Press Conference After Pulling Him in Do-or-Die Game

The Dallas Stars once again made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2025, but after facing a red-hot Edmonton Oilers team, they were dominated, losing swiftly in five games.

Game 5 of the series on Thursday was perhaps the most telling however, as there is now plenty of controversy within the team after Head Coach Peter DeBoer pulled Jake Oettinger after two early goals, only for Casey DeSmith to allow another immediately after, putting the Stars in a deep hole early.

After the game, DeBoer didn't back down from his decision, instead in his post-game press conference he took the opportunity to throw Oettinger under the bus, despite how well he's performed in the playoffs in recent years.

Already, many fans have likened this to the scenario involving Patrick Roy in Montreal, as he requested a trade immediately after not being pulled, but in this case after this situation, the relationship will need some serious mending moving forward.

While it's the end of the Stars season, this is a story that feels as though it's just beginning, and unless something can be done to quickly smooth over this relationship, there's a very high chance that either Oettinger requests a trade or DeBoer gets moved on as Stars Head Coach.