David G. Tippett (born August 25, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player. As of 2026, he was serving as an advisor to the Seattle Kraken and Kraken coach Lane Lambert.
Tippett played in the NHL from 1983 to 1994 as a winger for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. He also served as head coach of the Dallas Stars from May 21, 2002 until June 10, 2009, and for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes from September 24, 2009 until June 22, 2017. As head coach of the Coyotes, Tippett won the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year in 2010. He was the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2019 to 2022.
Prince Albert Raiders (1979–1981)
Tippett began playing with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in the 1979–80 season. In his first year with the team, Tippett scored 53 goals and 125 points in 60 games. In the playoffs, he continued with the very strong offensive numbers, scoring 19 goals and 40 points in 25 games.
Tippett returned to the Raiders for the 1980–81 season, and once again had an excellent season, scoring 42 goals and 110 points in 60 games. In 24 playoff games, he had 20 goals and 45 points.
University of North Dakota (1981–1983)
After two seasons with the Raiders, Tippett joined the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). In his first season with the team in 1981–82, Tippett 13 goals and 41 points in 43 games. Tippett was the captain of the team, as they won the Frozen Four championship.
He played a second season with the Fighting Sioux in 1982–83, improving his offensive numbers to 15 goals and 46 points in 36 games with North Dakota.
Tippett finished the 1983–84 season with the Whalers, playing in 17 games and registering four goals and six points.
Tippett spent the entire 1984–85 season in Hartford, appearing in all 80 games, scoring seven goals and 19 points, though the Whalers failed to qualify for the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 1985–86 season saw Tippett once again appear in all 80 games with the Whalers, as he improved his offensive totals to 14 goals and 34 points, helping the team into the 1986 playoffs. In his first post-season experience in the NHL, Tippett had two goals and four points in ten games as Hartford eventually lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Whalers won the Adams Division in 1986–87, as Tippett chipped in with nine goals and 31 points while playing in all 80 games again. In the 1987 playoffs, the Whalers were upset in six games in the first round to the Quebec Nordiques, as Tippett was held to two assists in the series.
In 1987–88, Tippett improved his numbers from the previous season, scoring 16 goals and 37 points, playing in all 80 games for the club. In six playoff games, Tippett was held pointless.
Tippett had his best offensive season in 1988–89, as he scored a career high 17 goals and 41 points, appearing in all 80 games again for Hartford, helping them into the playoffs. In four post-season games, Tippett had an assist.
In 1989–90, Tippett saw his offensive totals fall to only eight goals and 27 points, his lowest totals since his first full NHL season, while appearing in 66 games, the first time in his career that he missed any games due to injuries. In seven playoff games, Tippett had a goal and four points.
On September 30, 1990, the Whalers traded Tippett to the Washington Capitals for the Capitals' sixth-round draft pick in the 1992 NHL entry draft.
Washington Capitals (1990–1992)
In Tippett's first season with the Capitals, in 1990–91, he played in 61 games, scoring only six goals and 15 points, his lowest totals since 1983–84. Tippett had a solid playoff performance, however, scoring two goals and five points in ten games, helping the Capitals to the second round of the playoffs.