Dallas Stars Coach Glen Gulutzan: Beating His Old Team, McDavid Years & Adding Grit

Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan joins Neil Smith and Vic Morren for comprehensive discussion on unique rehire 13 years after being fired by Jim Nill, Vegas Wranglers ECHL days with midnight games for shift change workers and rowdy 1:30am fans, coaching evolution from chief cook and bottle washer in ECHL to managing massive NHL staffs, seven years in Edmonton building NHL-record 32.4% power play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Calgary years with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk filling gap working with younger stars, exploiting Dallas weaknesses in playoffs now helping him fix them as head coach, two great power play units creating internal competition with Neil Graham running it, needing one degree more grit and physicality like Florida's blueprint, Panthers playing playoff hockey from October never changing for postseason, and Hudson Bay Saskatchewan vs La Paw Manitoba birth confusion. Plus working with legends like Tortorella, Hitchcock, Tippett, and why 82-game preparation matters for game 83.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Welcome: NHL Wraparound training camps opening week

[01:00] - Summer coolers: blanket coverage throughout NHL continuing

[02:00] - Dallas Stars: last three springs well positioned, something went wrong

[03:00] - Glen Gulutzan: looking to change narrative spring 2026

[04:00] - Probably main reason: change in Dallas, couldn't push over goal line

[05:00] - Taking over 106-point team: been to Final Four three years in row

[06:00] - Don't usually get that: usually rebuild, especially for guy like myself

[07:00] - First time Dallas: Texas Stars AHL coach, brought up

[08:00] - Made management change: second year, led to leaving Dallas

[09:00] - Conversations with Jim Nill: still same guy you fired few years ago

[10:00] - Walked into same room: fired in when came to interview

[11:00] - Dawn on me: walking into that room, situation little different

[12:00] - 13 years ago 2013: only worked with Jim

[13:00] - Joe Nieuwendyk GM hired me: Joe here, when Joe let go

[14:00] - Jim came in: about three weeks Jim Nill and I met before let me go

[15:00] - Contract was up: month left, either gonna resign or let go

[16:00] - Talked three weeks: players and team, young coach back then

[17:00] - Tuesday after long weekend: hey I'm gonna let you go

[18:00] - Bring in somebody else: at that time right decision

[19:00] - Just young coach: needed little bit more experience

[20:00] - Don't know that back then: certainly happened

[21:00] - Little rapport with Jim: 13 years later see each other Dallas

[22:00] - I was in Edmonton: opened his door bring me back

[23:00] - Little surreal: come back my old office, few chuckles

[24:00] - Reminders from previous stay: everything looked same

[25:00] - Most striking: development camp on, Dennis Suart second equipment guy

[26:00] - Now head guy: Jason Bradman head team ops, great relationship

[27:00] - Mark Janko, Scott White: assistant GMs, rapport with them

[28:00] - Scott White GM in Texas: real good rapport

[29:00] - Poke head in development camp: Jordie Benn had in Texas rookie

[30:00] - Verne Fiddler: alumni, had Verne here

[31:00] - American League staff: Max Fortunus, Travis Morin assistants

[32:00] - Had both guys Texas: Toby Petersen, had him here Dallas

[33:00] - Surrounded by guys: been around, players coached, moved into coaching

[34:00] - Felt very comfortable: all these people around, at some point coach

[35:00] - Four head coaches: Neil, could have seen rehiring somebody let go?

[36:00] - Think so: especially if hired young guy

[37:00] - Problem in my time: got hired 35 GM Rangers

[38:00] - Everybody hire: older than me, Roger Neilson Hall of Fame

[39:00] - Got me through first few years: wouldn't have lasted more than couple

[40:00] - Mike Keenan one year: everything went right, Colin Campbell, John Muckler

[41:00] - All guys older: I was young guy, much same way Glen young coach

[42:00] - 13 years hone skills: could see that happen

[43:00] - Jim Nill asked gazillion people: even though knows him, reconnaissance

[44:00] - How been since with team: what people think

[45:00] - Guarantee: got very good input or wouldn't brought back

[46:00] - ECHL: favorite franchise Las Vegas Wranglers

[47:00] - Manager Billy Johnson: quite character, stuff you guys did Vegas

[48:00] - Playing games middle of night: orange jumpsuits Vic night

[49:00] - Play games starting really late: casino people could get to game

[50:00] - Unique things: midnight game, imagine morning skate 6:30pm

[51:00] - Midnight game quite hit: shift change, night workers 11pm

[52:00] - People done at 11: come to game, watch midnight game

[53:00] - Last game before Christmas: other teams playing till 2:30-3am

[54:00] - Evolved into midnight: over 18, over 21 game

[55:00] - Threw whole thing out of whack: sign waiver bring kids past midnight

[56:00] - Anything kind went: screen or stands, 1:30am hockey fans rowdy

[57:00] - Lot unique things: outside box, unique and fun

[58:00] - Think Vegas get NHL team: would NHL work Las Vegas?

[59:00] - Didn't know if would: don't think thought could or would

[01:00:00] - Did know if did: thought be very successful

[01:01:00] - Vegas local people: really looking for something their own

[01:02:00] - Not really big college town: Austin Longhorns, UNLV no professional

[01:03:00] - Local people big desire: something could call their own

[01:04:00] - Averaged 5,900 fans: Orleans Arena beautiful facility, Michael Gaughan built

[01:05:00] - Lot hockey fans Las Vegas: transplants especially out east

[01:06:00] - Appetite for hockey: people coming see games, locals call their own

[01:07:00] - Thought really could work: been tremendous

[01:08:00] - ECHL doing every job: recruiting, coaching, travel, per diems

[01:09:00] - American League: player development more than anything

[01:10:00] - National Hockey League: evolved to understand role within organization

[01:11:00] - ECHL chief cook bottle washer: immigration guy, flights, per diem, bad guy

[01:12:00] - Everything: American League all drops away, primarily coach

[01:13:00] - Players still need you: nobody around critiquing, left own devices

[01:14:00] - Fantastic place: hone skills coaching, attentive group

[01:15:00] - Need you get next level: very enjoyable place to coach

[01:16:00] - NHL dealing elite athletes: business side, agent side

[01:17:00] - Two biggest adjustments: schedule how demanding, how many games

[01:18:00] - How big staffs: how many people around, add in media

[01:19:00] - Go from doing everything: managing bunch of people

[01:20:00] - Strength guys, conditioning, medical: three equipment guys, sports performance

[01:21:00] - GM, two assistant GMs: big entity, combine with demands schedule

[01:22:00] - Like three different leagues: three different skill sets

[01:23:00] - Not sure how much prepares: East Coast prepares work

[01:24:00] - American League: allows coach little bit, manage and coach highest level

[01:25:00] - Calgary two years: 2016-17, made playoffs one year

[01:26:00] - Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett: transition helped now Dallas

[01:27:00] - Good transition: lot really good young players

[01:28:00] - Helped me: stint got me look at new player almost

[01:29:00] - Dallas older team: Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney both my age

[01:30:00] - Young Sam Bennett: rookie Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau young star

[01:31:00] - Sean Monahan: helped work with younger stars

[01:32:00] - What their mindset: compared to Morrow, Jagr, Whitney

[01:33:00] - Filled in gap: see great young stars, how viewed game

[01:34:00] - Really helped: even went on Edmonton, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl young

[01:35:00] - See development path: young players, where could go

[01:36:00] - Could benefit: older players coached Jagr, bringing experience

[01:37:00] - Bringing to Dallas: see full spectrum

[01:38:00] - Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Duchene: great players mid-thirties side

[01:39:00] - Great young players: Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley

[01:40:00] - Mid-range guys: Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen

[01:41:00] - So many good players: experiences working with young, working with old

[01:42:00] - Anytime get experience: valuable thing, very fortunate

[01:43:00] - Sedins: worked with great older players, great younger players

[01:44:00] - Watched development: Dallas real blend of player types

[01:45:00] - Worked with all genres: helps go locker room, know what each player

[01:46:00] - Different age groups: kind of thinking, what might need

[01:47:00] - Edmonton: joined after finished last power play 2018

[01:48:00] - Seven seasons: top five five times, best three times

[01:49:00] - NHL record 22-23: 32.4%, McDavid Draisaitl Bouchard

[01:50:00] - Dallas different dynamic: abundance of riches

[01:51:00] - Truly able: send out two very proficient units

[01:52:00] - One thing done: had really good guys show me way

[01:53:00] - Tortorella, Hitchcock, Tippett: Chris Knoblauch, Jay Woodcroft, Mike Sullivan

[01:54:00] - Edmonton power play: Todd McClellan coach, all coaches let me do thing

[01:55:00] - Evolved into: changed little bit way teams penalty killed

[01:56:00] - Young guys: McDavid Draisaitl Bouchard so dynamic

[01:57:00] - Neil Graham: young coach, spent lot more time minors eight years

[01:58:00] - Ready for challenge: ran great power play American League two years

[01:59:00] - He's in charge: players at disposal, two great units

[02:00:00] - Hope for: internal competition between two units

[02:01:00] - Drive numbers up higher: so many good players

[02:02:00] - Hope two units: competing against each other, quiet healthy competition

[02:03:00] - Allows coach: push them more, gonna get internal push

[02:04:00] - Whenever internal push: young players pushing old, old want hold spots

[02:05:00] - Younger players: coming up American League, putting heat want take jobs

[02:06:00] - Internal push important: drives these guys, they're competitive

[02:07:00] - Lean on competitiveness: you get results

[02:08:00] - Beat Dallas Stars: found weaknesses during long series

[02:09:00] - Exploited weaknesses: gonna help know what need to fix?

[02:10:00] - Think it does: do know what we feared Dallas in Edmonton

[02:11:00] - Know what didn't fear: information alone

[02:12:00] - Moving forward: certain things need do little bit better

[02:13:00] - Have so many great pieces: one degree of physicality

[02:14:00] - Don't want people mixing up: not talking just body checks

[02:15:00] - Talking about: ability grind people down come playoff time

[02:16:00] - Look at roster: how many great players, also like best players big

[02:17:00] - Big guys: playoffs really about big people, big trees

[02:18:00] - Have to have right skill: Robertson, Duchene, Benn, Hintz all big

[02:19:00] - Asking: told all players already, little bit more word grit

[02:20:00] - One degree: little bit that grind

[02:21:00] - Look at Florida: got something really special, been finals, won two Cups

[02:22:00] - Success leaves clues: certainly have success there

[02:23:00] - Team as close as Dallas: need really take look, add one degree

[02:24:00] - Never gonna be somebody else: can steal piece, need do that

[02:25:00] - Watched Florida carefully: last three years, Keith Tkachuk on show

[02:26:00] - One thing Florida: play playoff hockey right from October

[02:27:00] - Don't ever change: go playoffs playing same game March and April

[02:28:00] - Don't see many teams: easy predict who gonna win

[02:29:00] - Saw same thing: all season long

[02:30:00] - Edmonton doesn't play that style: different style, thoughts on that?

[02:31:00] - Think that's so right: alluded to press conferences

[02:32:00] - Can't be foreign concept: playoffs become little bit more gritty

[02:33:00] - Everything dad told you: when kid, requires almost no talent

[02:34:00] - Dad told you: come back hard, back check, finish checks

[02:35:00] - Get to net: shoot puck, play hard, win battle

[02:36:00] - Have to add: into 82 games, can't be foreign concept

[02:37:00] - What comes forefront: Game 83, becomes hand-to-hand combat

[02:38:00] - Farther you go: more becomes wrestling match, three minutes

[02:39:00] - Have to wrestle: if haven't through year, got by on skill

[02:40:00] - Hard: might as well start training through 82 play Game 83

[02:41:00] - Born La Paw Manitoba: raised Hudson Bay Saskatchewan

[02:42:00] - Mom visiting sister: born there, raised hour and half south

[02:43:00] - Town 1200 people: work hockey school 17 years, 130 kids

[02:44:00] - Grief from mayor: everyone thinks from La Paw

[02:45:00] - Saskatchewan guy: from Hudson Bay, people choked La Paw gets mentioned

[02:46:00] - Setting record straight: mother from Winnipeg, taught hockey

[02:47:00] - Thought had common: Manitoba thing, moved Toronto after World War II

[02:48:00] - Number players: born place parents just happened be

[02:49:00] - Mikael Kesselring: southern place, dad playing ECHL

[02:50:00] - Ryan Hartman: born Hilton Head, didn't learn hockey there

[02:51:00] - Two kids born Las Vegas: conversation starter, on roll call

[02:52:00] - Play Golden Knights: old Wrangler fans come see?

[02:53:00] - Run into all time: great fan base, remember old Wrangler days

[02:54:00] - Thanks for doing: happy for opportunity, heck division

[02:55:00] - Competitive division: really fun watch coach this year

[02:56:00] - UBS Arena: hopefully meet up say hello, at every Islanders game

[02:57:00] - Glen clearly understands: can see end game for Stars

[02:58:00] - Question: whether players can execute it

[02:59:00] - Understands what's got: walking into, usually don't get opportunity

[03:00:00] - Coach let go: everything failed, taking over good team

[03:01:00] - Put more pressure: expected win Cup, exciting opportunity

[03:02:00] - Compliment Jim Nill: fortitude rehire guy fired

[03:03:00] - Very interesting season: expectation deep run, final step Cup Final 2026

[03:04:00] - Play tough division: summer cooler, interesting, fun

X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

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