Timeline of Peter DeBoer’s NHL career

1988 — Peter DeBoer was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 12th round of the NHL Draft. He played two full seasons in the International Hockey League but never played an NHL game.

1995 — DeBoer gets his first head coaching job when he’s promoted to head coach and general manager of the renamed Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. The team won its division and advanced to the third round of the playoffs in his first season.

2001 — After winning four division titles in six years with the Detroit and Plymouth Whalers, DeBoer left the organization to take over the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. He took over a team that missed the playoffs and won the Memorial Cup in his second season with Kitchener, the franchise’s first in 20 years. He took the Rangers to the postseason in each of his seven seasons.

2008 — DeBoer accepted his first NHL head coaching job with the Florida Panthers. He led the team to the second-highest point total in franchise history in his first season but missed the playoffs. He was fired after the 2011 season without making a playoff appearance.

2011 — DeBoer was hired by the New Jersey Devils in the offseason. The Devils made the playoffs in his first season, beating the Panthers in the first round before advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Kings.

2014 — After missing the playoffs the next two seasons and starting his fourth year in New Jersey with a 12-17-7 record, DeBoer was fired in December.

2015 — DeBoer was named head coach of the San Jose Sharks after the 2014-15 season. He led the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season, losing to the Penguins. He made the playoffs each of the next three seasons.

2019 — During a tense playoff series against the archrival Golden Knights, DeBoer and Vegas coach Gerard Gallant had a brief war of words in the media that culminated in Gallant referring to DeBoer as a “clown,” before a memorable Game 7 win by San Jose to complete a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

Dec. 11, 2019 — DeBoer was fired by San Jose after starting the season 15-16-2.

Jan. 15, 2019 — DeBoer is hired as the second head coach of the Golden Knights, replacing the fired Gallant.