When Jim Nill announced that Glen Gulutzan would return as the coach of Dallas Stars on July 1, 2025, a lot of hockey fans in North Texas did a double-take. If you followed the team back in 2011, you remember "Gully" as the young, somewhat green coach who steered a bankrupt franchise through some of its leanest years.
He was 39 then. Now, he’s 54, coming off a massive stint in Edmonton where he basically mastered the art of the modern power play.
Honestly, the hire makes a ton of sense when you look at where the Stars are right now. They aren't rebuilding. They aren't "just happy to be here." This is a roster that’s built to win a Cup before the veteran window slams shut. Pete DeBoer did a hell of a job getting them to the Western Conference Finals, but after that elimination in May 2025, the organization felt they needed a different tactical edge.
Gulutzan isn't just a familiar face. He’s the guy who oversaw an Edmonton power play that hummed at a record-breaking 26.8% over seven seasons.
The Evolution of the Coach of Dallas Stars
Most people think coaching is just about yelling on the bench or drawing lines on a whiteboard. It’s not. It’s about adaptation. When Gulutzan first held the whistle in Dallas, he was trying to squeeze blood from a stone with a roster that lacked depth. Fast forward to 2026, and he’s inherited a Ferrari.
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You’ve got Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Miro Heiskanen in their primes. You’ve got Jake Oettinger, who—despite some streaky regular-season moments—is still a top-tier netminder.
What's different this time? Gulutzan spent years watching Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl up close. You can't spend that much time around greatness without some of it rubbing off on your offensive philosophy.
What the New System Actually Looks Like
If you’ve watched any games this season, you’ve noticed the Stars are playing a much more aggressive, puck-retention style. DeBoer was big on the "low-to-high" game—getting the puck to the points and crashing the net. Gulutzan? He wants the forwards to own the middle of the ice.
- The "Eye in the Sky" Factor: Bringing in David Pelletier as an assistant coach was a stealthy brilliant move. Yeah, the Olympic figure skater. He’s the skating coach who helped the Oilers become the fastest team in the league. Now, he’s Gulutzan’s eyes in the press box.
- Neil Graham’s Promotion: Elevating Graham from the Texas Stars (AHL) was about continuity. He coached Stankoven and Bourque in the minors. He knows how to talk to the kids.
- Power Play Lethality: The Stars are currently hovering near the top of the league in man-advantage percentage. That’s the Gulutzan signature.
Basically, the "new" coach of Dallas Stars is betting on skill over grit. In the 2026 NHL, if you can’t out-skate the opponent, you’re dead in the water.
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Why the DeBoer Era Had to End
Look, Pete DeBoer is a legend. He holds the record for the most Game 7 wins in North American sports history. 9-0 is a stat that doesn't even feel real. But there’s a reason he keeps getting let go after three or four years. His systems are grueling. They demand a high physical price, and by the time the third round of the playoffs hits, his teams often look gassed.
The Stars' 2025 exit felt like a team that had run out of ideas. They were predictable.
Gulutzan’s approach is a bit more fluid. He’s less about "the system" and more about "the reads." If a defenseman like Thomas Harley sees a gap, Gulutzan gives him the green light to pinch. That's a shift from the more rigid defensive structures we saw under Rick Bowness or even the later stages of the DeBoer era.
The Challenge of the Central Division
Winning in the Central is a nightmare. You’ve got the Avalanche who can score six goals in a period, and the Jets who will trap you into boredom.
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The coach of Dallas Stars has to be a chess player. Gulutzan has shown a willingness to juggle lines mid-game that we didn't see as much in his first go-round. He’ll put Jamie Benn on the fourth line for a shift to provide some muscle, then double-shift Wyatt Johnston with the top line to spark a goal.
It’s high-risk hockey. Sometimes it results in odd-man rushes going the other way, but Jim Nill seems okay with that trade-off if it means more goals on the board.
Practical Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're tracking the Stars' progress this year, keep an eye on these specific tactical shifts Gulutzan has implemented. They tell the story of where this team is headed.
- Zone Entries: Watch how often the Stars carry the puck over the blue line instead of dumping it in. Under the current coaching staff, the "dump and chase" is a last resort, not a primary strategy.
- The Fourth Line Usage: Gulutzan is rolling four lines more consistently than almost any coach in the league. He’s keeping the stars fresh for the final ten minutes.
- Defensemen Involvement: Miro Heiskanen is being used more like a fourth forward. If you see him below the goal line, don't panic—that’s by design.
The 2026 Dallas Stars are a reflection of a coach who went away, learned from the best in the world, and came back with something to prove.
The next step for any fan is to watch the goal-scoring distribution. If the scoring is spread across all four lines, Gulutzan’s system is working. If they become a one-line team, they’re in trouble. Keep an eye on the power play efficiency as we head into the trade deadline; that’s the real barometer for whether this coaching change was the right move for a deep playoff run.