Despite all the noise on social media, the Boston Bruins didn’t stall for Pete DeBoer. Turns out, their mind was made up well before Dallas even showed their hand.
Rumors flew as coaching decision dragged on
With the Bruins holding off on announcing a new head coach, speculation started to swirl.
Some believed the front office might be waiting to see if Pete DeBoer would be cut loose by the Dallas Stars following their playoff exit.
The theory gained traction online:
Starting to get the feeling that while the #NHLBruins have narrowed it down to Marco Sturm, Jay Woodcroft, and Jay Leach, if they don’t choose by EOD today, they’re waiting on the status of #TexasHockey HC Pete DeBoer.
After all, Dallas had just been knocked out by the Edmonton Oilers. DeBoer’s tone in the year-end presser wasn’t exactly confident, and it wasn’t crazy to think Boston might want to see how things played out.
DeBoer let go in Dallas, but Boston had already moved on
The Stars made it official Thursday morning:
NEWS: Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today Pete DeBoer has been relieved of his head coaching duties.
But according to Jimmy Murphy, the Bruins had no plans to wait around — and no intention of hiring DeBoer, even if he became available.
For those wondering, I’m told by a trusted source that the #NHLBruins never considered waiting on now ex-#TexasHockey head coach Pete DeBoer.
Marco Sturm was already locked in
Murphy’s source made it clear: Boston wasn’t indecisive. They weren’t stalling. They had made their pick long before Dallas ever acted.
Sturm was their guy since mid-last week, and it was just ironing out details since then.
So the delay? It wasn’t about options. It was about logistics — contracts, structure, timing. The choice had been made, quietly, behind the scenes.
Jay Woodcroft reportedly finished as the runner-up in the search. But it was always Sturm’s job to lose.
The DeBoer theory? It was never part of the equation.
Bruins after dark 
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