Florida Panthers fire third-year coach Peter DeBoer

by John Beatty on Apr 10, 2011 11:56 AM EDT in Florida Panthers Transactions

Dale Tallon wasted no time moving on to the next phase of his "blueprint." Following the team's final game of the season and first win in 10 games, coach Pete DeBoer has been "relieved of his coaching duties effective immediately." The Panthers made the announcement late this morning on their website, quoting Tallon as saying:

"These decisions are always tough to make, but we felt strongly that it was the right time to make a change. We need to go in a new direction with a fresh approach and philosophy as it relates to our head coaching position. The entire Panthers organization would like to thank Peter for his hard work and service to this franchise and wish him all the best in the future."

The Panthers have stated they will have no further comment today. Tallon will be holding a press conference at 12:30 tomorrow, where he will presumably talk about ~~the future of the remainder of the coaching staff and~~ what his plans are in regard to filling the position. According to the Miami Herald, power play coach Jim Hulton and video coach Jamie Pringle were also fired. Defense coach Gord Murphy is the only member of the coaching staff still under contract.

It is believed by many that DeBoer was more or less set up to fail here. He was given no roster support by management and often got a lot out of lineups that, as Puck Daddy's Ryan Lambert put it, "have rosters that were seemingly put together at random, featuring guys you can't believe are in the National Hockey League." However, DeBoer, who has one year left on his contract, just never seemed to be Tallon's type of coach. Tallon likes grit and DeBoer likes to bench tough guys. This move was inevitable and though his fate this year was unknown, no one expected DeBoer to be given a contract extension even if he was head coach next year.

DeBoer will probably not be unemployed for long. Given Bryan Murray's extension as General Manager of the Ottawa Senators and coach Cory Clouston's firing last night, it has been speculated that DeBoer, originally in the running for that job, is a likely candidate.

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i give a lot of respect to Pete for doing what he did with what he had, he absolutely did not have the support he needed to truly coach a contender.

that said, this is the right move. Tallon is primed to build the team we need in Florida, between his type of head coach, $43 million to spend on players, and a stellar amount of draft picks, things are finally looking TRULY optimistic in South Florida.

by stopdropandbreathe on Apr 10, 2011 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

Alright now I’m REALLY excited for next season. New coach hopefully cutting down 1-goal games by half, Guds on the back-end backhanding ho’s, Howden hopefully having a stellar rookie season, Cats getting a legit first line center in the draft, some contributing free-agents.

Now they just need to lower season ticket prices a bit a month before and I’m there baby!

by Sdiaz6215 on Apr 10, 2011 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

I really feel like he was given the short end of the stick; however, Tallon fired Savard in Chicago and that turned out brilliantly well, so we’ll see.

by panthersfan27 on Apr 10, 2011 12:16 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Good call, PF.

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

He was only kept on with Tallon for money purposes in the first place, so it’s not that surprising. It’ll be interesting to see who Tallon goes after.

by Craig Fischer on Apr 10, 2011 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

Great decision. You want culture change? This is how you do it, clean out the entire house. It started last season, continues through now, and the only coach whose position SHOULD be a lock is Gord Murphy. What a phenomenal job he did with the back end this year.

Bring in someone who likes to play the puck-posession system and let’s start playing the kind of hockey that wins in today’s NHL! Can’t wait to see where we fall in the draft on Tuesday at 8pm and what Tallon does with the oodles of money he can spend.

Light at the end of the long, dark tunnel.

by lipsonjeff on Apr 10, 2011 12:24 PM EDT reply actions

I'm going to wake up sometime this year

And Cory Cloustonis going to be coaching Florida, and Peter DeBoer is going to be coaching Ottawa.

by Alexander Calloway on Apr 10, 2011 12:24 PM EDT reply actions

And Murray FINALLY gets his man!

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Heard that before

About…4 times.

by Alexander Calloway on Apr 10, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Three of them from me, yes?

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Like I said last night: buckle up

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

It's been said before ...

buckle up

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!

by OldDave on Apr 10, 2011 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Not much question why DeBoer took the FLA job over OTT three years ago…that fourth year on the contract Martin provided.

Still stunned a coach out of juniors (even with his prior successes) was given a four-year deal.

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

On one hand he didn’t have enough to work with.
On the other hand he was either incapable or unwilling to teach a more skilled game (which would have been entirely possible), I think he was simply tapped for ideas a long time ago.

by pukeoncops on Apr 10, 2011 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

I'M JUST SAYING...

Could it be MORE fitting that everyone in that picture wasn’t in a panther uniform by the last game of the year, then the coach in the picture got canned a day later?

by lipsonjeff on Apr 10, 2011 12:49 PM EDT reply actions

I’ll be honest…it’s a difficult task finding a picture of PDB without ghosts of rosters past.

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

That was intentional. :)

"We don't need the designated goon. Those fights aren't even fun to watch." -Mike Milbury

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus.

by John Beatty on Apr 10, 2011 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

It seemed as if for every game it seemed to finally be clicking and he’d give the club a much needed spark, there would be 5 games following that would leave you scratching your head and asking what the hell he is thinking.

by milhouse on Apr 10, 2011 1:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Great move, couldn’t be happier in the first day of the offseason. He’ll now bring in a Quinville type of coach that he feels comfortable with as well as a new PP coach and we’ll be good to go. Hopefully the new coach will play the young players that deserved to play last year as well as this year: Plante, Repik, Wilson, the list goes on.

- Go Panthers -

by flpanther360 on Apr 10, 2011 1:29 PM EDT reply actions

Puck Daddy's picked it up

And evidently someone doesn’t see a “rebuild” in the works…

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

Marketing speak done grand.

That is really sad that he can’t admit the truth and use the word “rebuild”. I know its because its been tossed around for years but this is the first “rebuild” where the decks have been cleared and we’re basically starting from scratch.

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Apr 10, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

DeBoer, who has one year left on his contract, just never seemed to be Tallon’s type of coach. Tallon likes grit and DeBoer likes to bench tough guys.

this to me says a lot as to why he is going in a new direction. He wants us to be a tough, physical team & that isn’t DeBoer’s style. I’m surprised Hordichuk played as much as he did, considering other tough guys that were acquired never seemed to see ice time at all.

by CLG_74 on Apr 10, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions

Now who for coaching?

And with PdB gone, will Vokoun re-sign???

by Pilchino on Apr 10, 2011 2:08 PM EDT reply actions

Kevin O of the Rochester D&C:

What a spring and summer this will be for Tallon. He better say goodbye to his family and golf clubs now because he won’t have time for either for next four months. He has no coach, just eight or nine players under contract, a farm system thin on prospects, and nowhere for his prospects to play.

Litter Box Cats - Your tarp-free Florida Panthers Colossus

by Donny Rivette on Apr 10, 2011 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

I have two thoughts on that. One is “we’ll see about that.” The AHL is not happy that one of their franchises may be without an affiliate and will work to see that change. Which may or may not involve strong-arming Rochester into doing a one-year deal with the Panthers. It may just involve letting parties talk about breaking contracts. But we’ll see.

The second is that it sounds like they’re ready to go a year without an affiliate if need be. I think they’re expecting the bulk of their prospects to still being playing in juniors or college this year and may just skip on signing the kind of guys that you need to pack an AHL team and just stash guys wherever they can for one season. Not the best option but one they seem prepared to take if necessary.

"We don't need the designated goon. Those fights aren't even fun to watch." -Mike Milbury

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus.

by John Beatty on Apr 10, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh...

It’s a “Retooling” it all makes sense now.. If stripping something down and gutting it only to fix it back up and make it better isn’t a rebuild I don’t know what is…

by Rob PKane McMahon on Apr 10, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions