by When Peter DeBoer thinks about what makes Jason Robertson As a special highlight, the Dallas Stars coach thinks back to the Honda NHL All-Star Game 2023. Ice cream was available before the game, mostly a formality, and it attracted four or five players and their children looking to twirl.
But the Stars forward was out there in full regalia, honing his skills, the only All-Star to actually train.
DeBoer called the 23-year-old’s work ethic “unmatched” on the latest episode of The Chirp with Daren Millard podcast.
“I didn’t know much (before I got to Dallas), but wow, what an athlete, what a person,” said DeBoer, who was hired June 22 to coach the stars. “A truly unique personality.
“For the past decade, we’ve talked about bringing personalities into the game of hockey like they’ve done in some other sports. This guy is one of those guys. He beats his own drum. He’s a very intelligent guy. He sees the game differently than a lot of players, which makes him great.”
The Stars (31-16-13) have had a successful season so far under DeBoer, who was hired to replace Rick Bowness after DeBoer himself was fired from the Vegas Golden Knights on May 16 after three seasons.
Dallas is first in the Central Division, one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild.
Has he been surprised at how well this season has gone?
“Not really,” DeBoer said. “This is my 15th, 16th year in this league. … I never thought my time in Vegas was a failure. In fact, I thought it was one of the better coaching jobs I’ve had in my career. Maybe I stuck my head in the sand a bit, but I felt like we were doing our job well enough that I thought someone would call.”
But as good as the Stars have been this season, DeBoer still believes there’s a team to beat in the Western Conference — and it’s not his team.
It is the defending champion of the Stanley Cup, Colorado Avalanche.
“I think it’s wide open,” DeBoer said. “I think you could throw a blanket over eight or 10 teams and everyone could win. I think Colorado’s been going through the first half of the year so far, what we went through in Vegas last year is kinda stumbling around as best they can, but they’re getting healthy now and I think they’re starting to find a level of that everyone thought they were going to play.
“For me, this is still the team to beat.”
But DeBoer’s most emphatic response came when he was asked if he might be interested in becoming NHL general manager one day, as Barrydiot will be when Nashville Predators general manager David Poile comes in at the end of the season goes into retirement.
“Not a chance,” he said. “Zero.”
Featuring interviews with gamers, executives, alumni and other personalities related to the game, The Chirp with Daren Millard is available now for multiple iOS and Android podcast apps. You can share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #ChirpMillard.
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