The Golden Knights have fired head coach Pete DeBoer
The Vegas Golden Knights are making changes after missing out on the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
According to Frank Seravalli, the Golden Knights have fired head coach Pete DeBoer. He had one more year left on his contract.
Hearing Vegas @GoldenKnights have fired coach Pete DeBoer.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 16, 2022The Golden Knights came into the 2021-22 season as contenders to win the Stanley Cup and the hype surrounding the team increased in November when the team pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite the expectations, the Golden Knights never hit their stride as injuries and issues with the salary cap kept them from icing their best roster for most of the season. Vegas ultimately finished 43-31-8, three points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
When the Golden Knights were eliminated from playoff contention back in April, DeBoer said that he hoped to be back next season but also accepted blame for the team’s poor result.
“I want to be back,” DeBoer said during his end-of-season media availability. “I want to coach this team again. We never got a chance to do what I thought we were capable of doing.”
“I’m at the front of the line for responsibility. There’s a lot of expectations on this team. It’s not an easy thing and it doesn’t feel good for anybody right now.”
The Golden Knights will now search for their third head coach in franchise history.
Gerard Gallant led the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 but was fired during the 2019-20 season after the team got off to a middling start. DeBoer was hired immediately after Gallant was fired and led the team to back-to-back appearances in the NHL’s Conference Finals.
DeBoer posted a 98-50-12 record with the Golden Knights across two-and-a-half seasons. After stints in Florida, New Jersey, San Jose, and Vegas, he ranks 26th in NHL all-time coaching wins with 513.