A Fine Balance: An Interview with Dallas Stars Goaltending Coach Jeff Reese

Who is also helping the Stars score goals

On the 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday, Elliotte Friedman passed along something interesting:

“I had a couple of goalie coaches reach out to me and say they think that Jeff Reese, the goalie coach for the Stars, saw something that helped them win the series […] it was clear that when the puck was on Blackwood’s glove side, he wanted to keep his stick to protect his five-hole. That was the play he preferred to make, so he wouldn’t put it out to block a pass, or make a pass harder. He said he guaranteed that Jeff Reese saw that, and told his forwards that play would be available. And twice the Stars scored on it including the series winner.”

-Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts

For reference, here’s what Friedman is talking about, from the series-winning goal by Wyatt Johnston in Game 7:

You can see Blackwood’s stick is only a couple of inches away from the top of his pads, rather than sticking out further into the passing lane to close down the space not cover by the defender’s stick blade (which you can also see sticking out behind Johnston’s left glove).

That’s the exact lane Duchene uses to snap it over to Johnston, who has time and space to hit the net at a severe angle for the goal.

This isn’t the first time Reese has been credited for his offensive acumen, as Stars fans will remember when Jason Robertson credited Jeff Reese for a similar tip that led to him exploiting some holes on Stuart Skinner last year, in the 2024 Western Conference Final.

I had a chance to chat with Reese for a bit on Tuesday, and Reese acknowledged that he was aware of Friedman’s having told the story of his passing along that intel, but he’s quick to point out that such tips aren’t a new development either for him, or for other coaches in the NHL.

“I’ve done that all along, but listen, every goalie coach is doing it,” said Reese. “Especially in the playoffs, you’re probably doing a meeting before, and if something works, great. You want to give ‘em some tendencies, but you don’t want to give ‘em too much, because you don’t want them overthinking. I think there’s a fine balance, but when it does work, it’s fun. You feel like you helped out.”

Reese is a unique member of the coaching staff in a lot of ways. For starters, Reese has been in the organization a long time, having been hired in 2015. That year saw Lindy Ruff as the head coach, following the 2014-15 season when the Stars went most of the season without being able to get a win from their backup goaltender(s). It was time for a change, and they got the well-regarded Reese, who had previously won a Stanley Cup as a goaltending coach in 2004 under John Tortella in Tampa Bay.

That 2015-16 season was a fun one until the end, as the Stars finished atop the Western Conference at the end of the regular season in front of the goalie tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Since then, Reese has seen the Head Coach position subsequently filled by Ken Hitchcock, Jim Montgomery, Rick Bowness, and now Pete DeBoer. But through them all, Reese has remained.

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One thing you’ll notice at practices and morning skates is that Reese is the first one to make his way out to the benches, well before any players hit the ice.

It’s a common sight to see Reese sitting on the bench 20 minutes or more before a skate is scheduled to begin, simply taking in the atmosphere.

Can you spot Jeff Reese?

Reese says that’s one of his favorite times, that quiet moment before the hockey actually begins. And as a former NHL goalie himself, it’s no surprise that he’s found a bit of zen even if it’s been a couple of a decades since he played.

An Ontario native, Reese first broke into the NHL with Toronto in 1987 before finishing his career in 1999, back with the Leafs after spending time in Calgary, Hartford, Tampa Bay, and New Jersey. He was largely a backup, never playing more than 30 games in an NHL season, but he did combine with Rich Parent in the IHL to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league that year.

Reese originally left Toronto as part of the Doug Gilmour trade that sent Gilmour and four other players from Calgary to Toronto as part of a 10-player blockbuster. “It was me for Doug Gilmour,” Reese says with a laugh when I asked him about it.

We went on to discuss a few other things about the 59-year-old Reese’s career, the goalies in Dallas, Connor Hellebuyck, and the nature of goaltending in general. I’ve transcribed the bulk of our interview below, with my questions in bold and Reese’s responses below.

(Note: The below interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)