OverDrive - DeBoer on the Stars' overall views, the team's roster strength and playing against the Maple Leafs

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

Dallas Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer joined OverDrive to discuss the team's overall views, the perception on speaking about his players, the 4 Nations Face-Off experience and coaching top players, the matchup against the Maple Leafs and playing against them and more

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or visit askkelvin.ca here's peter deborah the head coach the dallas stars how you doing pete great happy holidays guys how you doing yeah you two are doing well do you concern yourself you got a veteran team down there do you worry that they're putting the cart before the horse and seeing a break in a week or what? You know what? We actually, we really pumped in a lot of young players into our lineup here over the last couple of years.

I know you know that, but even a few more this year. You know, Wyatt Johnson feels like a veteran. He's 21 years old because he's already played for two years. This is his third season.

But we put in Bork and Back and Bischel, three young rookies that all have spent some time in the American League or up in the lineup every night. So we've got a nice mix of veterans and young guys. I'm not worried about the veteran guys. They've been there, done that, and they know what works and what doesn't this time of year. I know they're imparting that knowledge on the young guys, but they're still young guys, and sometimes you have to learn yourself.

There's a lot of distractions around the holidays with friends and family in town and other things. Hopefully we can keep our focus here for another few days. Absolutely. I was referencing another coach in another sport calling out a player after a win. What is your general philosophy

on that? Speaking to the media, can you be more comfortable talking about your players after a win in some ways because you know not everyone's stressed out? How do you approach talking with the media and being open and honest and maybe getting messages across based on how

your whole team played as opposed to that one in particular player? Yeah. Well, I'll tell you, I kind of have a rule that unless I would say it to the player and do you feel he's at, then I don't think there's anything wrong with answering a question honestly. Obviously, we don't do that every time.

We don't make all those conversations public. But it definitely is easier to take criticism after a win than it is after a loss when everyone's a little bit more sensitive. Pete, in watching your team, there's so many guys I feel like that guy deserves more attention. That guy deserves more attention. I could ask you about so many of them, but for people who don't know about Haskinen and just what he's about, what would you say? Yeah, you know, wow. I mean, you know, he's one of those players,

I've had a handful of them over my career where, you know, every night on the bench as a coach you turn into a fan, you know, at different moments just watching him. You know, he'll take off with the puck and weave his way through four or five guys and all of a sudden you're not coaching, you're a fan, you know, just watching it from a wow perspective. You know, or a defensive play where he, you know, comes back and makes a stick check on a guy that you thought was long gone or free and clear.

So, you know, I think every night he gives me a couple of those moments and the great players that I've coached over my career have done that. Jaromir Jager, Ilya Kovalchuk, Joe Thornton, to name a few.

He's in rare company that way. With Peter DeVoren, you're going to see him at the Four Nations. Based off your own staff, John Cooper's staff, and I'm curious, you know, how you plan on game planning against your own players, because you're going to see a number of them scattered throughout, you know, the tournament. Will that be your responsibility?

Like, will Coop come to you and say, okay, how are we getting past this kind of breakout? What can you tell us on that, Pete? I'm sure we're going to spend some time on a pre-scout on the players on the other team, and I'm sure we'll all contribute. We've got a great staff. If we haven't coached them personally,

we know people who have coached them between Coop and Rick Tockett and Bruce Cassidy and myself and Misha Donskov. Obviously, and then the management team, Doug Armstrong and Jim Mill and Kyle Dubas and Donnie Sweeney. So, I mean, there's just been so many guys that we've had either direct access to or indirect access to.

So I don't think there's any secrets at that tournament. As you know, Hazy, I think everybody knows everybody. I think we've been there, done that scouting report on all the best players in the world. And, you know, I think everybody knows them. So I'm just excited. I'm really excited about working with our group and i think most of our attention as a coaching staff will be on our group and trying to get our group you know up to speed and to play a team game as as quickly as possible is there one player that you're kind of like sneaky looking looking forward to coaching? Maybe Crosby? You know what?

I've been involved with Hockey Canada before. I've had to sit on a few teams, all the way back to a world junior in North Dakota 100 years ago. So when he was a 16-year-old, I've had him on world championships. So, you know, I've been fortunate that most of these guys I've had the opportunity to work with before, it's the opportunity to work with them again. And then there's a couple of new ones.

Like, you know, obviously McDavid and Taves, you know, have not played a best-on-best before. And so, you know, I haven't had an opportunity to work with either of those guys. So I'm excited about, or McCccarran taves mccarran taves and mcdavid uh you know so um you know those are some names off the top of my head that i'm excited they get a first chance to work with well you get to see mccarran taves a lot within the division i'm sure too much too much. I would think too much. We always talk about the Atlantic and the division the Leafs are in and how it's a deep division.

It's been a little bit top-heavy, but the likes of Florida and Tampa and Toronto and Boston have been so good for so long. You look at the Central, it is loaded with the way Winnipeg started. Now Minnesota has been arguably the hottest team in the league. the way Winnipeg started, now Minnesota has been arguably the hottest team in the league. Yourselves, Colorado, I mean, how much of the messaging, if at all, Pete, is directed towards your team about trying to gain home ice, trying to maybe win the division,

and how beneficial that could be for you guys come playoff time? Yeah, it's a great point. And you're not even including Nashville, who everyone predicted preseason was going to be a contender with what they did, and Utah, who's really, I think, playing some very good hockey. So, yeah, you know what? Honestly, we finished second to the Rangers last year for the President's Trophy. The Rangers won it. I think we would both attest, Pete Laviolette and me, that chasing a President's Trophy in the regular season

isn't the be-all and end-all with who ended up winning the Cup. And typically that's the case more times than not. So I think you want to get in. You want to be healthy when you get in. You want to be playing a really solid brand of hockey. I think that's the priority right now but you've got the leafs tomorrow i wondered what you've noticed about how they're playing under craig berube yeah totally different we were diving into some of the analytics today uh at the rink and uh it's amazing how, you know, they've transformed, you know, from what I would have called a rush team over the last few years

that thrived on turnovers to a team that, you know, has been really solid in the offensive zone and a four-check team, you know, much more direct game, you know, a lot more of a slot presence in the offensive zone and a four-check team, you know, much more direct game, you know, a lot more of a slot presence in the offensive zone, scoring goals, you know, that way. So you can see his fingerprints on their game. And, you know, from a game planning perspective, we've got to be aware of that. On the flip side, you know, they're always going to have that rush element to them, especially with Matthews and Marner and Nylander in the lineup.

That's always going to be a dangerous piece of their game. Yeah, they're playing well. This is one of those fun games where you see them go down to Dallas. I think Matthews scored a big goal down there a couple years ago. I think it was, did he hit 60 in Dallas, Jonas? I think it was. I think that was Buffalo. Or maybe he passed Rick Five down in Dallas. Anyway, he scored a big one down there a couple years ago. I think it was, did he hit 60 in Dallas, Jonas? I think it was. I think that was Buffalo. Or maybe he passed Rick Five down in Dallas.

Anyway, he scored a big one down there. But you only get to see him once a year. And, you know, I'm sure these are fun games. You mentioned earlier sometimes you find yourself being a fan. I'm sure this would be one of those games where you're like, all right, let's see what we got tonight. Yeah, for sure. And then one of my favorite players that i got the opportunity

to coach last year on our run to the conference final chris taniff uh you know looking forward to to seeing him and hopefully catching up with him for a minute uh i was a huge fan of his game and uh you know we were sorry to see him leave dallas but i i see his uh his impact on the leafs and how they're defending really clearly and not surprised either by his success there. Yeah, I'm sure you're not surprised he's leading the league in blocked shots. No, or missing teeth. Yeah, he's never got those teeth in.

You're down there every day. I've never seen him with teeth. Yeah. He hates teeth. Chris Tannev hates teeth. But he'll be ready to rock tomorrow. And I'm sure you guys will, too. It'll be a fun one.

Enjoy it, Pete. We really appreciate you doing this, as always. Thanks, A.D. Take care, guys. You got it. There's Peter DeBoer of the Dallas Stars.