Dallas, TX
Who is Pete DeBoer? 10 things to know about the Dallas Stars head coach
With Pete DeBoer in charge, the Dallas Stars have positioned themselves as one of the NHL’s top teams.
DeBoer originally took over as Dallas’ head coach in 2022 and has since led the squad to three consecutive Western Conference finals appearances. Will this be the year DeBoer and the Stars get past the hump?
Here are 10 things to know about DeBoer:
1. The basics
DeBoer, 56, is a native of Dunnville, Ontario in Canada. He has 18 years of head coaching experience in the NHL, previously leading teams like the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights.
Before landing in the NHL, DeBoer coached several teams in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He notably led the Detroit Whalers, Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers.
DeBoer and his wife, Susan, have one daughter and two sons.
2. His playing career
Before he took on the coaching challenge, DeBoer gained first-hand experience on the ice.
DeBoer, a center, spent much of his playing career in the OHL. He spent four seasons (1985-89) with the Windsor Compuware Spitfires before he was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 237th overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft.
DeBoer did not play in the NHL, moving on to the International Hockey League (IHL) after his stint in Windsor. He spent the last three years of his playing career with the Milwaukee Admirals.
According to hockeydb.com, DeBoer recorded 309 points throughout his playing career (regular season and postseason combined). His best season came in 1988-89, when he posted 91 points (45 goals and 46 assists) with Windsor.
3. Pete DeBoer, the lawyer?
That’s right. For a brief moment, DeBoer was preparing to start a career outside of hockey. During his early days as an assistant coach in the OHL, DeBoer was in law school.
Some of the connections DeBoer made in his playing days had a key role in how the rest of his professional career unfolded. Back when he was hired by the Stars in 2022, DeBoer spoke about where he would be if he wasn’t coaching.
“I might be in a small claims court somewhere,” said DeBoer, who has a law degree in both Canada and the United States. “Fighting a traffic ticket.”
4. Master of Game 7s
When it comes to win-or-go-home scenarios, DeBoer has found consistent success. When the Stars took down the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, DeBoer took sole possession of the best Game 7 record in pro sports.
At 9-0, with Game 7 wins with Dallas (three), the San Jose Sharks (three), the Vegas Golden Knights (two) and the New Jersey Devils (one), DeBoer broke a tie with two-time Stanley Cup champion Darryl Sutter (8-3) to stand alone in first place.
5. Has international coaching experience
Along with his NHL coaching, DeBoer has picked up experience working for Team Canada throughout his career. He was notably an assistant on the coaching staff for Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
DeBoer previously won gold with the Canadian national team during the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
6. Has a preferred pizza place in Denver
When the Stars face the Colorado Avalanche in the 2025 playoffs, DeBoer’s routine for games in Denver became a hot topic of discussion. The head coach said he likes to walk from the team hotel to Ball Arena, stopping at a specific pizza place to grab a bite to eat.
DeBoer’s preferred location was SliceWorks, which serves a Big Mac pizza and a jalapeño popper pizza with grape jelly.
Stars beat writer Lia Assimakopoulos reviewed DeBoer’s selections during the Stars-Avalanche series.
7. Known for a strong defensive system
Throughout his Dallas stint, DeBoer has emphasized the virtue of a strong defensive system. In each of his three seasons as Stars head coach, DeBoer’s Dallas teams have finished in the top 10 in regular-season goals allowed.
In 2022-23, the Stars ranked third with 215 goals allowed. Dallas then ranked eighth with 232 goals allowed in 2023-24. That all led up to the 2024-25 season, where Dallas ranked sixth with 222 goals allowed.
8. Once had a tense exchange with a media member in Dallas
DeBoer wasn’t exactly thrilled with the Stars’ performance against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference finals. The head coach’s frustrations boiled over when The Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw asked about a slow second-period showing in a Game 5 loss.
“You can sit here and question our character if you want. That’s what you’re doing. You haven’t been around here all year, I haven’t seen you all year,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer asked for a redo the following day.
9. Has coached in Stanley Cup Finals before
If DeBoer can lead the Stars past the Western Conference finals, it would mark the coach’s third appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
He led the New Jersey Devils to the Cup Final in 2012, then returned to the matchup with the San Jose Sharks in 2016. DeBoer’s Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games, while the Sharks fell against the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
10. Brings up young players
Throughout his coaching career, DeBoer has emphasized the development of young players. In San Jose, he helped oversee the growth of winger Timo Meier.
DeBoer is also credited with helping Tomas Hertl become a key contributor. The head coach’s impact is already felt in Dallas, as he has quickly boosted Wyatt Johnston into becoming one of the team’s most dangerous scorers.
Johnston finished the 2024-25 regular season with 71 points (33 goals, 38 assists).
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
FC Dallas returns home this weekend looking to build off last week’s road result as Real Salt lake comes to town for another important Western Conference matchup. With the schedule beginning to pile up before the summer World Cup break in June, grabbing points at Toyota Stadium feels more important than ever right now.
RSL arrives with one of the more balanced attacks in the conference and enough pace to punish mistakes in transition. For Dallas, this one is about staying organized defensively, controlling the midfield battle, and continuing to find consistency in the final third. If those three items can be checked off this weekend, there’s a real opportunity to keep the momentum moving in the right direction before a long summer road trip.
Let’s dive into some notes, predictions, and more.
TL;DR: Match Preview
Quick hits before kickoff.
- Score prediction: FC Dallas 2 – 1 Real Salt Lake
- Key player to watch: Petar Musa – To make the World Cup roster later this month for Croatia, Musa has to continue scoring here and guide the team to a big home win.
- Why this game matters: The next two are at home and after that there are nine straight road games. Dallas has to bank some points at home while they can before the long summer road trip.
FC Dallas Notes:
All-time vs RSL: FC Dallas holds a 24-15-13 all-time regular-season record against RSL. Dallas has scored 79 goals against Salt Lake. RSL has scored 63.
Home record vs RSL: Dallas has a solid 14-2-8 at home against RSL in regular season meetings. Dallas has scored 44 home goals against RSL. Salt Lake has scored 23 goals at Toyota Stadium versus Dallas. Dallas last won at home versus RSL on April 16, 2023. Jesús Ferreira and Bernanrd Kamungo scored for Dallas that night.
Homegrown clock: Homegrown keeper Michael Collodi was the only HGP earning minutes this season until Nolan Norris joined him on the field. Collodi has played the full 90 in each match, while Norris has been in and out of the lineup. Norris also has one goal on the season. Caleb Swann also made his debut off the bench in New York. Together, they have played 1595 minutes. To add more perspective here, Dallas HGPs only accounted for 1683 minutes in 2025.
What to Watch For: FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake FC Dallas returns to Toyota Stadium riding momentum from a historic road win in New York, but RSL arrives with one of the most dangerous young attacks in MLS. Here’s what to watch when the Burn host the Claret-and-Cobalt on Saturday.
Notable season stats:
- FCD is 7th in crosses in MLS with 144.
- The Burn are 6th in total distance covered in MLS with 286.24 km (800 miles).
- FCD is third in MLS in aerial challenges won with 171.
- FC Dallas is 9th in MLS in xG with 18.81.
- FCD is 8th in MLS in shot efficiency with 1.19.
- Musa is 4th in MLS in xG with 7.77. He also ranks tied for 4th in MLS in shots with 40.
Potential FC Dallas Lineup:
With another three-games in seven days stretch coming up, Eric Quill will likely go with as strong of a lineup as possible in these next two home games.
Formation: 3-4-3
Projected Starting XI
Availability & Disciplinary Report
⚽
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended with next yellow card: none
Suspended with next two yellow cards: Osaze Urhoghide, Nolan Norris
🗒️
Availability Report
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
International duty: none
Real Salt Lake Notes:
Key player for RSL: Diego Luna
Scouting Real Salt Lake: What FC Dallas Needs to Know 🔎 A detailed scouting report on RSL ahead of FC Dallas’ 2026 showdown, breaking down formations, key players, tendencies, and tactical edges.
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended on next yellow card: none
Availability Report
Out: Jesus Barea (knee), Emeka Eneli (knee), Ari Piol (Achilles)
Questionable: Juan Jose Arias (groin), Justen Glad (groin), Lukas Engel (hip)
International duty: none
Big game this week for FC Dallas. Before we get into it, members have the full scouting report, projected lineups, and injury report. If you want to go into Matchday actually knowing what to watch for, now’s the time.
→ Join Big D Soccer
A mystery trust bought one of the most expensive homes in Texas this week — just months after buying another multimillion dollar property nearby.
The Lost River Trust bought the mansion at 4815 Saint Johns Drive in Highland Park from Dallas entrepreneurs Melbourne and Jamie O’Banion on May 5, according to county records. The final sale price is undisclosed, but the sellers had the home listed for $24.9 million at the time.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home spans 11,433 square feet on a 0.6-acre lot, according to the listing. It was built by Mark Molthan and designed by Tom Weber. They listed the home on March 23 for about $2,200 per square foot.
Allie Beth Allman, founder of the eponymous brokerage, represented the sellers. Damon Williamson with The Agency represented the buyer, according to Redfin.
Just two Dallas homes last year sold with listing prices higher than $25 million, though both sold for well below what they asked. The trust of the late Fortress Investment Group CEO Josh Pack sold his former home at 6601 Hunters Glen Road for $30.5 million after asking $35 million, and manufacturer Guinn Crousen sold his home at 4000 Euclid Avenue for $25.5 million after asking $33 million.
Only six homes in Texas are asking a higher price, according to Zillow. Two effectively tie with the home on Saint Johns Drive: a spec mansion on Strait Lane that’s asking $25 million, and another new construction at 4 Lana Lane in Houston that’s asking $25.5 million.
The Lost River Trust bought another luxury home just six months ago. On Nov. 14, the trust purchased the home at 3709 Euclid Avenue, a four-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,845-square-foot house that was asking $14 million when it withdrew from the market in September. It’s about half a mile south of the home on Saint Johns Drive.
Melbourne O’Banion is the CEO of Dallas-based tech startup Bestow, which produces software for life insurance companies. His wife Jamie O’Banion is the founder of Dallas-based cosmetics company BeautyBio.
The Crespi Estate at 5619 Walnut Hill Lane, listed by the Cox Family for $64 million, remains the most expensive home on the market in Texas.
Read more
Dallas entrepreneurs Jamie and Melbourne O’Banion list Highland Park mansion for $25M
Estate of late Dallas plastic surgeon Sam Hamra sells historic Highland Park teardown to mystery buyer
Robert Vaughn buys University Park spec mansion that asked $26M
DALLAS – Thunderstorms will roll through parts of North Texas on Friday. Thankfully, none should be severe. Mother’s Day could be a different story.
Friday Forecast
According to FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Berkeley Taylor, a cluster of thunderstorms will work their way east across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Friday morning.
Everything is well below severe limits, just with lots of lightning!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move in and out through the day on Friday. Coverage is about 20%.
An isolated strong storm or two can’t be ruled out, but the overall threat is low.
Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s for the morning, before climbing into the 80s by the afternoon.
Weekend Forecast
Saturday will look similar, with even lower coverage expected.
Sunday presents the best chance to find rain and storms – about 50% as a cold front moves through North Texas.
North Texas is under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather. The biggest concerns will be with wind and hail.
Timing-wise, the front looks to move through in the afternoon/evening.
7-Day Forecast
Once the front is south of North Texas on Mother’s Day, the rain should come to an end, and it will stay dry into next week.
Temperatures will start to warm into the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek next week.
The Source: The information in this story is from the FOX 4 Weather team and National Weather Service.
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