DeBoer returns to Vegas for Western Conference Final

Pete DeBoer doesn't want the Western Conference Final to be about Pete DeBoer.

But that might be a tough ask.

DeBoer has done a fantastic job in his first season as Stars head coach, getting Dallas to the Western Conference Final. His opponent, coincidentally, will be the team who fired him last summer, the Vegas Golden Knights. That's the kind of drama you want to pack into a nonstop weekend of streaming, and yet DeBoer said he would just as soon push that storyline to the side.

On Tuesday, it was the first question asked by media.

"We're going to go right there, eh?" DeBoer said with a big laugh.

"You know what, there's no hiding from the fact that it means a little more," DeBoer said. "That would be for anybody in this situation. This happens all the time in the world, right? You move on from a job and you go to the next job, except now we're playing each other in the conference final immediately after. The important thing for me here though is the hockey, and the focus on the players. It's not about Pete DeBoer and his history with Vegas. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the players in that room. There's a lot of guys there I loved coaching. It's going to be a great test for us, but I'm a Dallas Star now. I love our group and I think we're getting better as the playoffs are going on here. Should be a hell of a series."

DeBoer and assistant coach Steve Spott have been friends for years. They were in San Jose and Vegas together, and they were both hired together by the Stars. When Dallas went into Vegas earlier in the season, it was interesting to see how both men were welcomed. They helped the Golden Knights to two Western Conference finals in their first two seasons there, and they made many friends.

So, when they were shown on the video board together on the bench during their first visit back, a huge cheer went up from the crowd.

"Honestly, it was touching," DeBoer said after that game. "You never know when you leave, but I thought it was really classy to include Steve and I, both at the same time. I thought the reception from the fans was great. I never expected it different. They've been great since Day 1. Classy on their part and appreciated by us."

The two have combined with defensive assistant coach Alain Nasreddine and goalie coach Jeff Reese to help drive the Stars, and their efforts has provided a gentle landing spot for DeBoer and Spott. The fact Dallas went 3-0-0 against Vegas during the regular season (with two wins in shootouts) also helps. DeBoer said on Monday that having already faced the Golden Knights allows the team a better opportunity to focus on the playoffs and not get distracted by sideshows. And while we might want to talk about the coaching transition or the fact former Boston coach Bruce Cassidy has come in and helped Vegas win, DeBoer said much of that water is already under the bridge.

"I mean, it does help that we've been there a couple of times already and we've played them," DeBoer said. "So, I think everybody has kind of moved forward. They've had a hell of a year and Butch has done a great job. Should be a great series."

There is certainly the potential for that. DeBoer has helped create a Stars team who is much better at scoring (21st to 7th) and still better at defending (14th to 3rd). Cassidy has taken Vegas and pushed them to the top of the Western Conference with 111 points.

Both cities are fired up for the showdown, and while the ups and downs of a seven-game series will likely take over, we still can't hide from the fact there is a tantalizing storyline playing out in DeBoer's return.

"It's a great story . . . for you guys," captain Jamie Benn said with a smile.

The Stars players understand the situation well. DeBoer helped get the Golden Knights to two Western Conference finals, and then missed the playoffs last season while dealing with a ton of injures.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it rattled me a little bit that we were relieved of our duties," DeBoer said at his opening press conference with the Stars.

But he added at the time, that things happen for a reason.

On Wednesday, Benn was just as philosophical.

"Probably without all of those injuries they had, he could still be there," Benn said. "Fortunately, for us, he's here now."

And maybe that's really the biggest storyline.

"I really think, for me, I've kind of put it in the rearview mirror," DeBoer said. "I've been through the heavy and hard stuff probably the first time back there. And now, we're engrained in this group, and we've got one singular focus and that's to win the series."

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Video: Pete DeBoer on the roster moves this season is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter Video: Pete DeBoer on the roster moves this season