Ken Hitchcock retired from coaching Friday after a 22-year career, leaving the Dallas Stars bench to slide into a consulting role.
This move did not come as a shock. Hitchcock, 67, won 823 games coaching the Stars (twice), Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues.
He battled weight-related health issues in his career and was a notorious workaholic. He demanded much of himself and those around him. Retirement has been on his horizon for years.
“Ken Hitchcock is an icon when it comes to head coaches, not only in hockey, but across all of sports,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement Friday. “He poured his whole life into better understanding in-game concepts and strategy, inspiring players and enhancing teams.
“He leaves an indelible mark on the game and his influence will be felt across the sport for years to come. We want to thank Ken for all that he has given throughout his coaching career.”
SAYING GOOD-BYE IS HARD
When he was coaching the Blues, Hitchcock wanted to come back for one more season in 2016-17 and then head into the sunset.
The Blues gave him that chance, but hired Mike Yeo as assistant coach/head-coach-in-waiting. This turned out to be an awkward scenario at best and Hitchcock exited unceremoniously in midseason with the team sputtering.
So Hitchcock wanted still one more chance. Signing on with the Stars seemed perfect, given his past success for that franchise.
By signing free-agent goaltender Ben Bishop and winger Alexander Radulov, the Stars looked playoff-ready again.
They had exciting talent coming along on the blue line and Tyler Seguin formed one of the NHL’s deadliest offensive combinations with Jamie Benn.
Ah, but the Stars never really hit stride this season. They faded to a 42-32-8 finish, prompting Hitchcock’s move into a consulting role.
“I have contemplated this since our last game and I came to the conclusion that now is the right time to step away and let the younger generation of coaches take over,” Hitchcock said in a statement.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DALLAS?
The Stars have tried to retool on the fly, building younger talent around Seguin, Benn, Radulov and emerging offensive defenseman John Klingberg. They suffered growing pains as a result.
They had the NHL’s seventh-highest payroll this season. Radulov paid nice dividends, but Bishop proved injury-prone. High-priced free-agent forward Martin Hanzal was a bust and forward Jason Spezza let age catch up to him.
Now Nill faces some tough decisions moving forward — including how to lock in Seguin for the long haul and which head coach to hire to get the Stars back on the playoff track.
