Had he not chosen a life on ice, Windsor Law grad Pete DeBoer (LLB 1995) had a career waiting for him in the courtroom.

As coach of the San Jose Sharks, currently playing Pittsburgh for the National Hockey League championship, DeBoer has said he leans on his legal background every day, whether it’s making his case for what he wants a player to do or the way he organizes team meetings.

DeBoer’s background as a barrister is no mere curiosity. Players and other insiders say part of the reason the Sharks needed just one year to transform the franchise—reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the first time—is because the new coach arrived and immediately laid down the law.

Read the full story, “Sharks’ Pete DeBoer brings legal eagle sensibility to hockey coaching,” in the San Jose Mercury News.