The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Peter DeBoer

Episode Date: January 9, 2026

Pete DeBoer joins the show to discuss his role with Team Canada, how preparations are already underway for 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the Olympic roster selection process, how Hockey Canada evaluates NHL talent throughout the season, and what the future could hold in his NHL coaching career.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/caReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's get to Peter DeBoer. He's our guest today here on the sheet, three-time Stanley Cup finalist and on the bench for Team Canada at the Olympics. Peter DeBore joins us now. Peter, first of all, thanks so much for doing this. Before you came on, we were just sort of gushing about Macklin's celebrini, and I was about this closest saying,

and he invented oxygen. But I look at, like, I look at the way that he plays, and I'm like, kids will love him because of the highlights, and coaches and parents will say, yeah, and look at his play away from the puck. Look at all the other things that he does. And you're going to get a chance to be part of a staff that drives this Ferrari. When you see Macklin-Selabini, let's start there.

What do you see? Yeah, wow. One, just really excited. I mean, this is a kid, you know, I've had the opportunity to watch them really closely because our evaluation for the Olympic team involved, you know, us, watching as many of the guys, the up-and-coming guys as possible to make sure we've got a good read on them.

Are they ready? Because the natural inclination is that this is a men's tournament and that young players really have to be exceptional to contribute. And I remember talking to Joe Thornton early in the season. I was about a month into the season.

and just saying, Joe, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? Is this guy that good? And Jumbo said, not only he's that good, he goes so far this year, he's been the best player in the league, that's what he told me. And you know what? I trust Jumbo's opinion on anything hockey, and I would take that to my grave. And that was his initial reaction among the season about how well,

Maclin had started the season and from there I think he's only built on that. Now, is he the best player in the league? I'm not sure you can say that, but the fact that a Hall of Fame player is giving out those kind of accolades to you at that age is really exceptional.

Well, first off, Pete, it's good to see you. It's weird talking to you and it's not the conference final. I feel like that's like the most times. I spoke to you in the last few years. That's probably why you're talking to me, because it's always kind of ended in the conference final lately. Unfortunately. You being an assistant on Team Canada,

I heard you mentioned the other day that you got a peek behind the curtain as far as the selection process goes, and Doug invited the coaches to kind of be a part of that process. And I was wondering, did anything about that process surprise you? What were sort of your insights into how a team like this is put together? I'll tell you what surprised me, and it shouldn't have, but until you actually see it in action is how hard that management group worked watching games. I mean, you know, the end, we would get together for a meeting,

and at the end of the meeting, they would put their schedules together for who was going to see, what players between the end of that meeting and the next meeting we were having a month later. And these guys were at games every single night watching players live. And the commitment by that management group, you know, both Doug Armstrong, Jim Nill, Kyle Dubus, Julian Breesbois, Ryan Getslav, Don Sweeney, was just unbelievable. So as tough as those decisions are and were, I think, you know, they were done with full homework being done on everybody. Nobody got cheated on being seen and different set of eyes on guys every night. It was just the work ethic that went into that selection process from those guys was unbelievable for me.

You know, the exciting part for me was just watching hockey from a different perspective. I mean, I've been coaching in the NHL for 17 straight years, and you're watching systems, you're watching style of play. And I got a chance to watch like a Macklin Celebrini to dial in on an evaluation more of a player as opposed to systems. And that was really refreshing for me to get a different perspective and a different look at things that way. You know, when it comes to the construction specifically of Team Canada, I had, I was speaking to Brian Burke here on the program of like an hour after the Hockey Canada press conference.

And I said, Berkey, it kind of feels like Canada has constructed a roster to beat the United States. And I said, Doug Armstrong says that that's not true, but what do you think? And he said, this was interesting. He said, I think that Canada built a roster to beat the United States. And that means they've built a roster to beat every. everybody at the tournament. Do you agree with that?

Yeah. I can tell you that Doug Armstrong on numerous occasions reinforced to everybody involved in the process. We weren't just picking a roster to beat the United States. And so, you know,

I don't agree that that was part of the process. I think everybody in that room in the World Junior just showed it. there's at least five teams that can win that tournament. I mean, that World Junior Tournament, the difference between Canada, the U.S., the Czechs, the Finns, the Suites,

was razor thin. And the same is going to be at the Olympics. So, you know, I think Doug was very clear that we would be making a mistake trying to build a team just to beat one team like you would potentially in a playoff series or something like that. because, you know, there's at least five other teams there that are going to put fantastic teams on the ice that are all built differently. So I believe we took a view of building this team to try and beat everybody, and that's what we're going to have to do. You've been over there, I think, to check out the facilities, as it were.

I'm sure they're a bit more constructed than when you got a chance to see them. But has it been weird at all preparing for a tournament where it seems like once again, like we have every Olympics constructions coming down to the wire a few weeks before this thing is ready to go? You know what? I think there was some genuine concern in October. We went over in early October. And when we left there, I think there was genuine concern from everybody.

We weren't the only country there. I believe every country had sent. some delegates. And I think everyone walked out of there with some genuine concern. But I think over the last two, three months, I think, you know, that's dissipated. I think everybody's comfortable that this is going to get done. I know Scott Salmon with Hockey Canada went right from the World Junior tournament in Minnesota to Milan.

He's in Milan right now. They're supposed to be having an actual tournament in the venue this weekend, a test tournament. So I think everything's tracking that this is going to be a non-issue. Fingers crossed. By the way, I don't know who's going to say it. I'm hoping that it's someone on the Canadian staff, but can someone on the coaching staff please say, we're looking for the best 197 foot players we can find?

So we can finally be done with, we're looking for two. Well, you're not playing 200 feet. We're looking for a guy. We want a 197 foot. There was one guy. He was a 200 foot. player, but we're not looking for that. We're looking for the best 190.

Can you please do that for hockey people? Someone on the staff saying that. That would be great. That would be great. I'll try and plant that seed with Cooke. Okay. All right. And I can see the little Cheshire grin when he says it.

I want to ask you a couple of Tom Wilson, by the way. That's the answer. Tom Wilson is a 197. I want to ask you a couple of big picture things because whenever I've seen you interviewed or talked to you, like you're a great big picture. kind of guy. When you were on Morning Cup of Hockey, last week or maybe the week before,

Colby Cohen was asking about, you know, stacking neutral zone, you know, one, one, and then three along the blue line. And we're thinking to ourselves, you're like, Pete took the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup final doing that like a million, a million years ago.

Like, you've always sort of had your sort of finger on the pulse of what's coming next in hockey. And as this thing continues to evolve and look at hockey five years ago, it's profoundly different. Where's hockey going? Pete DeBore? Well, great question.

You know what? And you're right. You know, it really is cyclical. Hockey, I mean, we did run the 113. We stacked it up in New Jersey. That was probably, you know, 14, 15 years ago. It would have been, what year was that? 2013?

I'm losing track now. but you know and then then Florida's won the last two cups with a one-one-three everyone kind of went away from it for a little while then it's come back again so there's certain trends that disappear and come back that the long story short is I believe a lot of the new trends in hockey started in Europe and I think there's a reason for that I think the culture in North America is and it's it's it's it's a reason for that I think the culture in North America is and it's it's I'm not saying it's not important to win in Europe but I think there's more experimentation in Europe there's there's more of a leash to experiment in Europe where over

here you know experimentation unless you win and it results in immediate winning you know get snubbed out there's a lot more importance placed on well let's do what the successful teams are doing, the copycat, as opposed to trying to find a new way. So, and I think our culture breeds that because winning is so important and coaches jobs are on the line, you know, directly related to that. So I think a lot of those trends come from Europe. I'm really excited about this Olympics because I think we're going to see some different things from some of the different countries.

is the Swedish torpedo coming back Pete do we do we know whether the Swedish torpedo returns yeah but that's a great example Jeff exactly what I'm talking about though you know like no one had seen that but somebody over there had the balls to try that and believe it it and put it in and you know it's the same with the one three one power play you know nobody played a one three one power play over here until until people start started seeing it from Europe. Same with the drop, you know, that everyone uses now on power play entries, you know, where someone skates it and drops the length of the rink back to Nate McKinnon's

coming 100 miles an hour on entries. You know, you never saw that in North America. That started over in Europe. So, you know, I don't know what the next trend will be. I can tell you the game feels as exciting and as offensive as at any point. in my coaching career, you know, when I was playing in the 80s, that's probably the last time it kind of felt like this. There's no lead that feels safe. You know, you see games every night.

You never would have seen a 9-0-0 game like Jersey the other night, you know, 10 years ago, ever. So, you know, it's exciting, but the thing you can guarantee. is coaches are going to find a way to coach that excitement out of it as quickly as we can because that's what we get paid to do. So that'll be the interesting trend to see what's next. Speaking of coaches and their jobs, one of the most fascinating stories I thought this season was this story about how you called Craig Barubei when all these rumors were flying around about him being in trouble and you may be going to Toronto and you call him up and you kind of say,

hey, nothing to it and then kind of give him a pep talk, it sounds like, is the way the conversation went. And beside that, I don't want to ask about that. What I want to ask about is I was curious, how commonplace is that within the coaching fraternity for you guys to kind of talk to each other when one is maybe in trouble or if one of your names is in circulation for somebody else's job? Like, is what you did rare or is what you did kind of what coaches do? behind the scenes?

You know what? We have a great coaching fraternity. And, you know, we compete like hell against each other. But there's a great support system there. And, you know, when you get let go from a job, that's usually when you see it. You know, everyone reaches out. And that's an important part. You know, it's nice to hear from your colleagues.

you know, at your lowest time like that. And, you know, in this business, there's so many, I said this before, there's so many sleepless nights without, just on our own, the pressure we put on ourselves on a daily basis, trying to get our team moving in the right direction, that, you know, when you feel like there's something being said or done that either has no substance or is unjust, I think, you know, it's important to try and make sure that that coach understands, you know,

that that there's, that that's not real and that's nothing that they should add to their already sleepless nights that they're going through. And so, you know, does it happen all the time? I don't know. I, you know, I honestly don't even know how it got out. So it probably, I would hope it happens a lot more. than it does and you guys just never hear about it. You know, I don't feel, I don't feel great that it got, it got out.

I don't know how it did, but it did. And, you know, I'm hopeful that, you know, that it happens a lot more because it's a tough enough job without, you know, without the other stuff that goes along with it. Let me ask another sort of biographical question here. I was mentioning off the top of the show that, you know, going back to, geez, you can correct me on this, I think it's 1995, that every September you were a head coach somewhere. It's like you mentioned the 17 years in the NHL, go back to junior hockey as well. Like, that's an unprecedented run. Like, coaches don't have that kind of run in them going back like to 95 to 2025.

It really is remarkable. I guess what was it like is the obvious question, but is there anything that you learn differently because you didn't have August and September and October this year the way you normally do, does it lead to some different type of sort of greater perspective, different vision, things you learn? Like, is there anything that you sort of gleaned from that? Because, man, you were in the trolley tracks going back to 1995.

every single September, you were head coach somewhere. It's a lot of training camps. That's a lot of training camp planning. And what people, you know, what you have to realize is, you know, training camp starts in early September, but the coaches start planning in August. I mean, you really, you don't have, you've got maybe a week in August,

the first week of August where you're still, you're still on vacation. But then you're basically on because, you know, you're starting to think about camp, you're planning for camp, you're talking hockey on a daily basis. So, you know, it was the first fall that I, that I've spent. And I got to tell you, I didn't miss training camp, not one bit this year. Not one minute of it. Once, what I did miss, was when the puck dropped on the season and the juices of the regular season started. that competition and that and that climb of the mountain that you start to make towards the end of the season and the playoffs that you go through with your group.

That's when it really kind of hit me. And so, you know, I've watched a lot of hockey. This Olympic thing has been a lifesaver because it's kept me engaged and in hockey and a part of something. And really is something that I can't overstate the importance of it to be able to represent your country on that level. I remember telling my mother about it. She's from northern Manitoba, Ukrainian farmer from a family up in Swan River, Ontario. and, you know, I'm a second generation Canadian. You know, the fact that you're going to the Olympics representing Canada to your, you know, immigrant parents is really a moving thing.

And, you know, it's the gravity of it's not lost on me. That's awesome. Cheers from a fellow Yuki, by the way. Wysinski training. You go. It's great. A lot of people get confused on that. What's the most important thing for you in your next NHL stop?

I mean, are there franchises that you're like, I've always wanted to be behind the bench for this team? Are there, you know, executives that you've always wanted to work with? You pretty much have your pick of the litter based on your resume and your success. Are there different priorities maybe this time round than in the past for you as far as looking for your next stop? Yeah. You know what? Listen, there's only 32 of these jobs and we're so fortunate to have any of them. So, you know, the opportunity to work for any NHL team in any situation is a great privilege. You know, obviously at this point in my career, I won an opportunity to win. But when I say that, you know, I think, you know, a lot of people would say,

well, that's two or three teams. I think that's a lot deeper than two or three teams. You know, I took a six seed and a seven seed to the Stanley Cup finals in New Jersey and San Jose. So, you know, I think that grouping of teams that has an opportunity to win is a lot deeper than three or four. And, you know, I'm a big believer because I've seen it firsthand that if you can get one of those 16 playoff spots, you legitimately have a chance to win a Stanley Cup. You've got to stay healthy. You've got to get goal tenying.

You've got to get some overtime puck luck and things like that. But, you know, so I think there's a lot of situations out there that are really intriguing. You know, there is that wildguard teams, Pete's taking your calls. We're putting it out there. There is a story. you told me, God, I want to say it's 2006 or 2007, that I've used so many

different times. And I'm curious whether you think this is that sort of intangible the teams continue to look for in a player. So you're coaching the Kitchen Arrangers and you guys make a move for Steve Downey from the Peterborough Peets. And Steve Downey is a skilled player

and at times loose cannon, violent, dangerous, all of it. I remember having a conversation with you about I said like, that's kind of a risky move or you shall trade deadline. You go for Downey. I understand the skill and all that and toughness and all that, but penalties, suspensions,

all those types of things. And you said something to me that's always stuck with me. You said, Jeff, some of the lines up, first of all, Jeff, you're not a coach. Second of all, and this is the part that I always stuck with he said, listen, as a coach, I would rather have to tame a tiger than paint stripes on a kitty cat.

I can't paint stripes on a kitty cat, but I can always tame a tiger. Earlier in the conversation, you talked about sort of things going back with, you know, the 113 and stacking in the neutral zone, these types of things. Do you find that hockey's going back to teams want tigers they can tame now more so than ever before? I think that's always been the case.

And, you know what? Now looking back, I'm not sure I tamed Steve Downing. I don't think I was successful at that. although he was great for us but uh yeah i tried i tried i tried to tame him but uh but we i'm not sure i did a good job but he was a great player for us and i really enjoyed coaching him he was he was a really unique guy with an unbelievable background um and really added a lot and i'm i'm glad i got a chance to work with him but you know what the the stanley cup playoffs show you every year that you need a certain amount of that grit, that competitiveness, that nastiness that you just talked about.

Or you can't win. You know, you need that. How much of that, that's always the fine line and the mixture. And, you know, I do believe that the teams that win, their best players have some of that. Yep. You know, when I look at the last two Stanley Cup champion, like the Florida Panthers, Kachuk's got some of that. Barkov's got some of that in a different way, but he's got some of that. So, you know, I think that's a big part of it, that your best players, you know, have to have some of that. I think back to the two teams I lost in the finals with New Jersey, we had, Zach Parise, was our captain.

And he had some of that. In San Jose, it was Pavelski and Thornton. They had some of that. So, you know, I think it's always, it always has been an important part. And I think I don't think that's ever going to change. Which last one for me, Pete. Thank you so much for your time. It's been a fascinating conversation.

I wanted to touch on you leaving Dallas and the Jake Gottens your situation. Don't want to relitigate it. Everyone's already had their say about it. in multitudes of places. But I was curious if you took anything away from that experience, it was a story that kind of took on a life of its own with fans and with his own teammates. And I wonder if you've reflected on that at all. Yeah.

Yeah, sure. I mean, you know what? Listen, not your proudest moment as a coach whenever you lose it on the bench. And we all have. And you see it all, you know, not on a nightly basis in the NHL, but a lot at times you'll see a coach call the time out and snap on his team. And that was the case that night. You know, I was, we were facing an elimination game.

We had lost to that team six of the last seven times at the same point in the playoffs. And, you know, what gets lost on it was that wasn't just on Jake Ottinger. That became the story. It was on our entire group. You know, I was, I was frustrated and angry with our entire group, including myself and our coaching staff, the players, you know, everybody for being in that spot and the way we were responding at that point. I think we were down two nothing, you know, five minutes in. So, you know, not your finest moment. Hindsight's always 20-20. You'd love to go back, but we don't get that opportunity as coaches.

And I think you have to coach with your gut and you have to coach with your instincts. And they're not always right. You know, I can tell you, I've done similar things over the years and it's worked and we've come back and won that game and, you know, you take the pats on the back. And when you do it and it doesn't work, you've got to take the medicine that comes with that. And so, you know, obviously, I really enjoyed that group. I love that group of guys, including Jake Hodger, tremendous amount of respect for them, and I really enjoyed coaching them. But when you go to three conference finals in a row and lose at the same point, three years in a row,

there's a lot of frustration there for everybody. I think had our path in Dallas been lost in the first. round, lost in the second round, lost in the conference final, you know, I think everyone would have been happy. But, you know, you don't get to pick those paths. And, you know, all three of those conference finals, we went to, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have traded that journey or, you know, wish we would have been beaten earlier because, you know, that goes against every instinct you have. Right. Okay. Last one here. One more story that will lead to a question. David Clarkson.

This is another one of my favorite stories. So David Clarkson was playing for the Belleville Bulls before he went to your kitchen arrangers. And he's 16 years old. He's not playing a lot. And he's home for Christmas. And you probably know this story, Pete. He says to his dad and mom over Christmas says, I'm not playing a lot.

I'm kind of losing my love for all of this. I think I'm going to quit. And, you know, forget the OHL dream and NHL and NHL and all that stuff. I'm just going to go play hockey with my buddies. And his dad says to him, that's fine. You can do that. We only have, we'll only ask you one thing. And David said, yeah, what is that?

He said, you call your grandfather now and tell him that you want to quit. And then you can quit the OHL. And he says, I can't call grandpa and tell him I want to quit. He fought in the war. I can't call someone who fought in the war and say, I want to quit. And his dad said, oh, I guess you're going back to Velvo then. He ended up with your kitchen arrangers. And it was a great success story leading into the NHL.

Pete, I'm sure you've had plenty of players along the way junior NHV. wherever. What do you do with a player that's thinking about quitting? How do you handle that as a coach? Yeah, well, that's a great question. And you know what? And the mental aspect of the game and mental health is more prevalent now than it's ever been, especially on youth players and junior players and on pros too.

But I think it's everywhere. The pressure I don't think is ever. ever been higher on kids to perform in any sport, any elite, if you're trying to play it at an elite level. And it's really hard. And I think, you know, having coached in the NHL for 17 years and another, you know, 14, 15 and junior hockey before that, I think you hope you develop a compassion for what, you know, guys are going through mentally.

You do have guilt as a head coach because as much as you'd like to have that awareness and relationship with every single player in your team, it's not practical from a time point of view. You know, you're running your team, you're trying to get it on track, you're dealing with 25 guys, there's just not enough of you to go around to have your finger on that pulse all the time and I'm sure a lot of things get lost along the way and that's why you know it's really important for for players to communicate that you know to get over the old uh fear of knocking on the coach's door and saying hey I'm vulnerable here I'm having a hard time I think as coaches we need

that you know you shouldn't be afraid I don't believe there's a coach out there that wouldn't welcome that as opposed to waiting for the coach to recognize that. Why isn't he, why isn't he seeing that I'm struggling here? Well, you know, when you're in that coach's room, you know, sometimes, sometimes unfortunately that gets lost. So, you know, my advice to any player out there and I would take this to the bank is that there's not a coach out there that that wouldn't welcome you making him aware that that uh that you're having a hard time. That's incredible advice. Wow. That, uh, still needs. Pete, listen, thanks so much for your time. I see the Holy Cross hat.

Uh, best to Matt. How's he, how's he doing? Real quick. How's Matt? Yeah. Yeah, they're, uh, they're ranked in the top 25 for a small school in the NCAA. So they're, they're, they're, uh, they're fighting it out. It's a senior year. And I've actually got a chance to see him play live for the first time that's been one of the benefits of being out of work. That's awesome. That is a huge bonus. Absolutely. Pete,

thanks so much for taking time. Yeah, go ahead, Greg. You're the best, man. And again, good luck in the Olympics as an American. Not too much luck, but luck.

Thanks, guys. Happy New Year. Thanks. Happy New Year, Pete. Pete DeBoar, one of the coaches with Team Canada. And in the back of,

I know you're trying to say like, you know, good luck beating Jake Otter. I know that in the back of your mind, you're saying, like, I know you want Team Canada to beat Jake O'Don. The Jake's, the Jake's, I, again, like, I'm not looking to relitigated. There's actually a really good piece that Emily Kaplan, my colleague, did with Otjur and Matt Dumbah, you know, who called the, what Pete did a huge disservice to the team.

Like, you can find that video, I think, on the NHL and ESPN YouTube page. But, like, I thought that was a pretty, pretty good reflective answer from Pete on that one, to be honest with you. I think maybe he recognized that some of the things that he did in that moment contributed to it taking a life of its own. And it really did. I mean, like people,

people were literally saying the Ottings your thing is the reason he got fired in Dallas, which, I mean, only Jim Nill knows, but Tom Gilardi knows. But, like, that was a really interesting answer from people.