FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Stars have hired Glen Gulutzan as their head coach 12 years after he was fired from his first stint with them.
General manager Jim Nill announced the move Tuesday, with Gulutzan succeeding Peter DeBoer, who was fired following the team's playoff elimination in the Western Conference finals. Back in 2013, firing Gulutzan was one of Nill's first acts when he took over.
Gulutzan, 53, coached the Stars from 2011 to 2013, going 64-57-9 and missing the playoffs in both seasons. He had been hired to replace Marc Crawford after coaching the Stars' AHL affiliate for two seasons and the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers for six.
"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."
The Stars announced the hiring only minutes after the league's annual free agency signing period opened. They will formally reintroduce him Wednesday at their home arena.
"My family and I are excited to come back to Texas where I started my NHL coaching journey more than a decade ago," Gulutzan said. "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."
He returns to Dallas after spending the past seven seasons as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers, including the past two that ended with trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
After being fired by the Stars in 2013, Gulutzan became an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks under John Tortorella and Willie Desjardins before being hired by the Calgary Flames in 2016 as head coach. He lasted two seasons there, making the playoffs once, before being replaced by Bill Peters.
Gulutzan moved on to become an assistant coach with the Oilers for seven seasons under four different head coaches. He had a good relationship with star center Connor McDavid and ran the team's power play, which was No. 1 in the NHL (26.8% conversion rate) during his time in Edmonton.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman hinted at the hire at his season-ending news conference by saying he didn't want to announce anything regarding Gulutzan.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and the Associated Press contributed to this report.