DeBoer Could Be a Potential Candidate in Winnipeg Jets Coaching Search
The NHL coaching carousel continued its course yesterday as the Vegas Golden Knights fired Peter DeBoer as their head coach and the New York Islanders promoted Lane Lambert to head coach after being their assistant coach for the past four seasons.
The Winnipeg Jets have not announced any updates on their own head coach search. The most sought after candidate for the Jets is hometown-born Barry Trotz, but what if the Jets cannot get a deal done with the former Stanley Cup Winner?
As mentioned above, Peter DeBoer has been fired from the Golden Knights and we may see him as another candidate to lead the Jets next season.
Peter DeBoer may be another potential candidate for the Winnipeg Jets in their search for their next head coach
The fifteen-year NHL head coach, DeBoer, is now available after being let go by Vegas. He has brought two different teams to the Stanley Cup but has yet to win it as he lost with the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and San Jose Sharks in 2016.
DeBoer’s Coaching Career
After 13 extremely successful seasons coaching two different OHL teams, DeBoer got his first NHL gig with the Florida Panthers for the 2008-2009 season.
DeBoer’s first head coaching job did not go as planned. He originally signed a four-year deal with Florida, but after missing out on the playoffs in his first three seasons, he was fired.
The next season (2011-2012), DeBoer found instant success with the New Jersey Devils and ultimately led them to the Stanley Cup Finals, but they lost to the Los Angeles Kings. The Devils, under DeBoer, then missed the playoffs the next two seasons and he was ultimately let go after a poor start to the 2014-2015 season.
History repeated itself the next year when DeBoer was named bench boss of the San Jose Sharks. Just like his first year with the Devils, the Sharks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final and they also lost.
The Sharks then went on to make the playoffs the next three seasons with DeBoer in charge, but they failed to make it past the Western Conference Final. After a mediocre start to the 2019-2020 season, DeBoer was then fired by the Sharks.
Just a month after being fired in San Jose, Vegas fired Gerard Gallant and DeBoer took over the Golden Knights. Vegas then advanced to the Western Conference Final that season but lost to the Dallas Stars.
Vegas then went back to the postseason in 2021, but then lost in the Semifinals in six games to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Golden Knights had extremely high expectations this season, especially after acquiring Jack Echiel, but for the first time in their five-year history, they missed out on the postseason which subsequently led to DeBoer getting fired yesterday.
Where does Peter DeBoer Fit with the Winnipeg Jets?
I do think DeBoer is a long shot to be the next head coach of the Winnipeg Jets. The one thing that plays in DeBoer’s favor is experience but then again there are other potential candidates with loads of experience including Barry Trotz and Claude Julien. Both Trotz and Julien each have won a Stanley Cup and have been awarded the Jack Adams Award, while DeBoer has yet to do either.
Want your voice heard? Join the Jets White Out team!
To keep track of all the Winnipeg Jets offseason signings you can find our tracker by clicking the link here.
