The Boston Bruins missed the boat on many of the top head coaching candidates this offseason. The Philadelphia Flyers stole Rick Tocchet, while Charlie McAvoy's father-in-law, Mike Sullivan, went to another Metropolitan Division team, the New York Rangers. Joel Quenneville would've been a controversial hire, but he decided to return to the Western Conference and join the Anaheim Ducks.
It leaves the Bruins deciding between Marco Sturm, Mitch Love, and Jay Leach. They've already told Joe Sacco that his services won't be needed next year, as they attempt to distance themselves from the disaster of the 2024-25 regular season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only other team looking for a new bench boss, but after a disappointing end to their season, the Dallas Stars could soon add themselves to that list. Pete DeBoer made some interesting comments on the way out after their Game 5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, and rumors are swirling that some members of the organization are unhappy with his approach.
The Bruins seem zeroed in on their remaining candidates, but it could be a disaster if they choose one of those unproven head coaches and leave DeBoer on the table. It wouldn't be wise to wait much longer into the summer, but if the firing is coming this week, it'd be worth at least inquiring about the successful head coach.
The pros
DeBoer might still be in search of his first Stanley Cup, but if you're looking for a guy who can help a team succeed, he's your guy. Bruins fans might be saying that they've had one too many instances of coming up short over the last two decades, but you have to believe the puck is going to bounce DeBoer's way at some point in his career.
DeBoer led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first year with the team in 2011-12, but lost to the Los Angeles Kings. The rest of his Devils tenure didn't go as well, but he again led the San Jose Sharks to the finals in his first year, 2015-16.
In 2018-19, DeBoer returned to the Western Conference Final with the Sharks, marking the beginning of an impressive but ultimately disappointing run for the Canadian bench boss. The Sharks shockingly fired him in the middle of the next regular season, but he joined their rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, the following season and led them to back-to-back conference finals.
It didn't take long for DeBoer to find work after the Golden Knights fired him in 2021-22, as he joined the Stars for the 2022-23 season and started a run of three consecutive conference finals.
The reality is that DeBoer can get you near the top of the league as a head coach. Maybe he comes up short, but being one of the remaining four teams in six of the last eight seasons is nothing that he should be ashamed of.
The cons
DeBoer's approach seems to wear thin with his players. There is a reason why three of his five tenures haven't gone longer than three seasons, and none of them have gone longer than five. The Bruins have had numerous coaches over the past decade who have worn thin with some of the players on the roster, and the question is whether those individuals are still with the organization or if they have been part of the recent fire sale.
If DeBoer loses his job, the turning point will be his treatment of Jake Oettinger. He pulled Oettinger in Game 5 after allowing two goals on two shots, then threw his goaltender directly under the bus in the post-game press conference.
Pete DeBoer explains his reasoning for pulling Jake Oettinger and what his message was during his first period timeout pic.twitter.com/E33uNm4cZ6
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 30, 2025
DeBoer had some issues with his starting goaltender. It isn't the first time, as he also butted heads with Marc-Andre Fleury in Vegas. It'd have been interesting to see how DeBoer would've handled the Jeremy Swayman holdout and subsequent struggles this season. Would it be wise to hire a man who lost his job due to his relationship with an $8 million goaltender and then pair him with another one in Swayman?