Stars hire Glen Gulutzan as next head coach, name Neil Graham an assistant

The Stars on Tuesday transitioned to a much younger coaching staff, and the hope is that will help push them to the next level.

Glen Gulutzan was hired as head coach and Neil Graham was hired as one of his assistants, creating a staff that could bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to the team. Dallas fired Pete DeBoer on June 6 after three seasons with the team and has since seen assistant coaches Steve Spott and Misha Donskov leave for new roles. Alain Nasreddine will return in his role as assistant coach and run the defense and penalty kill. Graham has been elevated from the AHL and will help with the forwards and the power play. Jeff Reese will return as goaltending coach, while Patrick Dolan and Chris Demczuk will return as the video coaches.

But the key voice is Gulutzan, 53, who was head coach of the team from 2011-13 and was fired after two seasons when Nill took over as GM in the 2013 offseason.

“He’s a young man who has paid his dues and worked his way up,” Nill said. “He’s probably the first one to admit it probably happened too soon here, but when you’re offered a job you want and have always dreamed of doing, you’re not going to say no to it. But he was willing to go backwards and make himself who he is today. We think he’s the right coach for the Dallas Stars.”

Gulutzan will be available at a press conference on Wednesday but said in a press release, “My family and I are excited to come back to Texas where I started my NHL coaching journey more than a decade ago. Jim and his staff have built a roster that is one of the most talented and deepest in the entire league. The right pieces are in place to compete for the Stanley Cup on a yearly basis. I’m ready to get to Dallas and start the preparation for next season.”

Gulutzan has been an assistant coach on an Edmonton Oilers team that has advanced to the past two Stanley Cup Finals. That is key, Nill said, in helping him become a candidate who can be considered as a head coach. It also gives him a pretty good idea of what changes might be needed.

“He has played against us the last two conference finals, so he knows us like a book,” Nill said. “He knows our strengths and he knows our weaknesses, and he looks forward to making those adjustments.”

Gulutzan helped run the Edmonton power play and in his seven years as an assistant coach, the Oilers have had a unit that ranked first in the NHL at 26.8 percent during the regular season and 29.8 percent in the playoffs.

“You learn all of the time,” Nill said of the growth Gulutzan has made since his time in Dallas. “When you first get a job, you think you’re prepared, but there are so many things you don’t understand. Until you get in those shoes and you have to make those tough decisions, there’s things you don’t understand.”

Gulutzan collected a 64-57-9 record in two seasons with Dallas before being replaced by Lindy Ruff. He coached the team when it was in bankruptcy and under NHL management. He then went on to serve as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks before getting his second head coaching gig in Calgary for two seasons. Gulutzan went 82-68-14 with the Flames. He then moved on to the Oilers.

Graham, 40, spent the last six seasons as the head coach of the Texas Stars, Dallas’ affiliate in the American Hockey League. He posted a 183-140-40 record in 363 regular-season games. Graham coached several current roster players and played a role in developing core pieces of the Stars’ current roster including: Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley, Lian Bichsel, Oskar Bäck and Mavrik Bourque.

“That helps a lot,” Nill said. “They’ve had success with him, so there’s a real respect factor there.”

Graham coached the Idaho Steelheads for seven years, meaning he has been in the organization for 13 years and has been a regular fixture at training camps and prospect tournaments.

“Neil is Glen Gulutzan or Alain Nasreddine five, six, seven, eight years ago,” Nill said. “He’s done a great job for us in Texas and Idaho, and he’s an up-and-coming coach, and to add him to this staff, along with Alain, that’s a really good group. Great minds, and I think there will be great energy, too.”

Nill said they will look to add another coach, and a lot will have to do with what Gulutzan wants.

“Since his previous time in Dallas, Glen has worked tirelessly to establish himself as one of the most respected coaches in the NHL,” Nill said. “His extensive NHL experience, both as a head coach and assistant coach, speaks to his ability to innovate and adapt to the modern game, as well as build relationships with his players. Glen has worked with some of the best players in the world and continually found ways to maximize their skill sets to contribute to team success. We have full confidence that he is the right person to elevate our team to the next level.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.