WHL alumnus Gulutzan named Head Coach of the Dallas Stars

Texas Hockey is calling Glen Gulutzan’s name once again.

The longtime NHLer has been named the newest Head Coach of the Dallas Stars- returning to the position he previously held from 2011-2013.

Gulutzan’s first stint as the club’s bench boss may have ended after two seasons, but he’s been in the NHL ever since.

His decade-plus-long NHL career includes two seasons as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks, two seasons as the Head Coach of the Calgary Flames, and, most recently, a seven-season spell as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers, where he’s coached WHL greats like Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders / Kelowna Rockets) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels) and reached the Stanley Cup Finals for two straight seasons.

Gulutzan believes he’s learned the right lessons to take another swing at bringing a Stanley Cup to Dallas.

“I’ve been there, I’ve checked the boxes,” Gulutzan told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday. “We’ve won (in Edmonton). We didn’t win the Stanley Cup… Been to the Final twice, coached some of the best players who are ever going to play this game, worked with them closely, built relationships with different people throughout the games.

When I was a younger guy, I didn’t make many adjustments- I knew one way to play. You’re self-taught, you’re self-learned. Now you bring in all that experience, you check a lot of boxes. So, players are the most important part of this game, no question. It’s not us coaches. You have to learn how to deal with them, you have to learn how to motivate them, you have to deal with star players, with guys who are getting 7-8 minutes a night, you have to deal with all those situations. The guy 12 years ago, he never dealt with them. This guy has dealt with them for the last 12, so that’s the biggest difference.”

As a player, Gulutzan suited up for five seasons in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades before attending the University of Saskatchewan and embarking on a professional career that stretched from Utah in the UHL to Finland.

He totalled 51 goals and 123 assists for 174 points in 186 career regular-season matches in the Western League.

Gulutzan joins a Dallas Stars coaching staff that features several CHL alumni, including assistant coach Alain Nasreddine (QMJHL) and goaltending coach Jeff Reese (OHL).

“We are thrilled to name Glen as the head coach of the Dallas Stars,” General Manager Jim Nill, a Medicine Hat Tigers graduate, said. “Since his previous time in Dallas, Glen has worked tirelessly to establish himself as one of the most respected coaches in the NHL. 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.”