New Knights coach Peter DeBoer known for making instant impact

Peter DeBoer was the coach of the Golden Knights’ chief rival about a month ago.

Now he’s the franchise’s second coach.

DeBoer was hired by the Knights on Wednesday after coach Gerard Gallant was fired. DeBoer had been out of work since being fired by the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 11, but Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said he thinks DeBoer can turn the team around after a 24-19-6 start.

“I think he’s always been a coach that always has a lot of respect from his players,” McCrimmon told reporters in Ottawa, Ontario. “I think he relates well with players. He’s an intelligent guy. Teams have always been very strong (on) special teams. He’s been to the Stanley Cup Final with two different teams. He’s enjoyed a lot of success in the National Hockey League as a coach. I think with this opportunity he’ll continue to do that.”

This chance is DeBoer’s fourth in the NHL. He has a 415-329-111 record in stints with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks.

He’s known for making an immediate impact with new teams.

The Devils and Sharks did not make the playoffs the year before they hired DeBoer. He led both franchises to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season, losing both times.

“He’s been around for a while,” said goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, whose Pittsburgh Penguins beat DeBoer’s Sharks to win the Cup in 2016. “He’s been through it, too, right? He’s got lots of experience, he’s seen a lot of different scenarios for his teams. I’m sure he’ll be able to help us get better until the end of the season.”

One area DeBoer might help the Knights is special teams. The Sharks have the eight-best power play and fourth-best penalty kill in the league since DeBoer was hired in 2015.

The Knights ranked 16th in power-play percentage and 12th in penalty-kill percentage under Gallant.

Other than that, it might take time for DeBoer to make his imprint on the Knights. System overhauls can be difficult to do in-season, so DeBoer’s biggest immediate contribution might be a new voice and different set of eyes on the roster.

“Just playing against him, mostly against San Jose in the playoffs the last couple of years, they played hard for him,” defenseman Deryk Engelland said. “We got to do the same. We all know, as a group in here, we’ve underachieved so far this year. It’s a wake-up call.”

One change DeBoer might make right away outside of special teams is playing time. He’s showed a willingness to give more ice time to his top defensemen than Gallant gave his.

DeBoer’s top blue liners in San Jose — Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson — were Norris Trophy winners, so their extra playing time was expected.

But current Devils captain Andy Greene, who never has received Norris votes, played more than 23 minutes per game in three separate seasons under DeBoer. No Knights defenseman has received that much playing time under Gallant.

Shea Theodore leads the team at 21:47 of ice time per game this season.

Other than that, the Knights hope DeBoer’s even-handed style breathes life into a team that has lost four straight and underachieved this season.

The Sharks played 60 playoff games under DeBoer, the second-most in the NHL in that span behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Knights hope he brings that same success to Las Vegas.

“Of course, with him working most recently in the Pacific Division, we’ve had the chance to watch his teams play,” McCrimmon said. “I think his teams are always very well-prepared, very well-coached. We expect that he’ll do a really good job for us. I think he’s a very respected coach in the industry.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.