[News] Blues sign Hitchcock to one year contract - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

sureLoss · 05-26-2015, 09:03 AM

http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=768837

Quote:

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the club and Head Coach Ken Hitchcock have agreed on a one-year contract.

Hitchcock, 63, was originally named the 24th head coach in Blues history on Nov. 7, 2011. Since, he has guided the Blues to four straight postseason appearances, three 100-point regular season campaigns and two Central Division championships. In 2014-15, he captured his second Central Division title with the club, while logging the third-best regular season record in franchise history (51-24-7, 109 pts).

During Hitchcock’s four-year tenure, the Blues have posted the NHL’s best regular season record (175-79-27, .671) and achieved three of the top four regular season records in franchise history. Hitchcock’s success has landed him second on the club’s all-time wins list and first in terms of points percentage (.671). Hitchcock has reached several milestones behind the Blues’ bench including Mar. 12, 2015, when he became the fourth coach in NHL history to reach 700 career regular season wins. In addition, in the Blues’ Central Division-winning 2011-12 campaign, he became just the fourth head coach in franchise history to receive the NHL’s Jack Adams Award as the League’s best coach.

Locke · 05-26-2015, 09:07 AM

That has got to be infuriating. To be a team that good to do that badly in the playoffs.

Hemi-Cuda · 05-26-2015, 09:09 AM

If I was a Blues fan I would be upset. Playoff failure after playoff failure and still no changes. It's like the Flames from 06-09 if they had twice the talent

badger89 · 05-26-2015, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

That has got to be infuriating. To be a team that good to do that badly in the playoffs.

Definitely. SJ fans will be feeling it as well, and in their case it looks like their window has closed.

Locke · 05-26-2015, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badger89

Definitely. SJ fans will be feeling it as well, and in their case it looks like their window has closed.

Agreed, but at least they've occasionally won a round or two. And yeah, I think that window has slammed firmly shut.

Gaskal · 05-26-2015, 09:20 AM

"Okay Ken, this is your laaaaaaaaaaast chance. I mean it this time!"

SuperMatt18 · 05-26-2015, 09:21 AM

Hitchcock is a good coach but one playoff series win in his last 10 seasons as a head coach.

Starting look like he can get you to the playoffs but might struggle to take you further.

Had great success in Dallas, and then some success in Philly but that is a long ways back now.

OldDutch · 05-26-2015, 09:43 AM

What are the options? Even McLellan (although in EDM) is basically known for the same thing. Then after that who should they go after? Torts?

This is not a team for a young coach looking to prove himself.

There isn't a better option right now, so they try one more time and snatch up a good coach next year. You never know, Sutter maybe on the market next year even mid season if LA crashes. This has all the makings of ready to be replaced when the time is right.

Fighting Banana Slug · 05-26-2015, 10:09 AM

It's crazy that they keep crapping out in the playoffs, but he is a decent coach and had them looking like a legit threat to win it all (I was at the Flames game when they beat us 4-0. Although close through 2 periods, I think we had 4 decent scoring chances the whole game. Really looked like a playoff style effort).
As OldDutch says, not sure who you go with that would be better. The college/WHL route seems just as risky with a veteran group.

nfotiu · 05-26-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

If I was a Blues fan I would be upset. Playoff failure after playoff failure and still no changes. It's like the Flames from 06-09 if they had twice the talent

The Flames problem during that time was making too many changes that were a reaction to early playoff exits.

Playoffs are really a tiny sample size. Though entertaining, they are a lousy way of actually determining the best team. To make decisions based on playoff results is the quickest way to turn a strong regular season team with poor playoff results into a team that doesn't make the playoffs any more.

ForeverFlameFan · 05-26-2015, 10:32 AM

Hitchcock, the regular season wonder.

CSharp · 05-26-2015, 10:34 AM

Oh God! Another year of boooooooring hockey! Hitchcock gets fired after early exit in the first round again in 2016.

Huntingwhale · 05-26-2015, 10:45 AM

The Blues would have done well to hire Mclellan, or another coach with an uptempo style of game. The blues have the blueline to get the puck to the talent upfront to play that style and succeed. Not sure what management is thinking bringing him back for a ''final attempt'' contract.

I like Hitchcock and think he's a great coach. Might even make the HOF one day. But more then that, I like exciting up tempo hockey that doesn't bore you to death. The Blues are a team that bore you to death. Until that changes, I will never cheer for them. Coaches like him need to be replaced by younger guys who actually think it's important to have a style that entertains the fans. Coaches like Hartley made it a priority to play an entertaining style and it works. I respect Hitchcock and all he's accomplished. But coaches like him need to be replaced for the betterment of the league.

JonDuke · 05-26-2015, 10:50 AM

Did not expect that at all. I thought they interviewed a few other candidates?

nik- · 05-26-2015, 10:50 AM

Hitch is past his expiry date there and their "core" really doesn't do well in the playoffs. It's going to take them a couple more years to accept it, just like ownership had to finally accept our core wasn't going to get it done.

But this is historically the St. Louis Blues. Always in the dance, but wearing the wrong shoes.

TSXCman · 05-26-2015, 10:55 AM

The Blues are really good and the matched up against a dangerous Wild team. Not a total failure, just a reality of the type of things that happen in the playoffs

_Q_ · 05-26-2015, 11:22 AM

I've been told the Blues are a great team for years now, and the regular season standings have proven that. But for some reason, they're one of those teams that I can never get excited about. Even their supposed star players like Tarasenko, Oshie and Pietrangelo are a giant Meh to me.

nik- · 05-26-2015, 12:06 PM

Backes, Oshie, Steen, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester ... all just playoff duds.

CroFlames · 05-26-2015, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Q_

I've been told the Blues are a great team for years now, and the regular season standings have proven that. But for some reason, they're one of those teams that I can never get excited about. Even their supposed star players like Tarasenko, Oshie and Pietrangelo are a giant Meh to me.

Tarasenko is pretty darn dynamic. You gotta admit.

Erick Estrada · 05-26-2015, 12:16 PM

Looks like another wasted year for that organization. I personally don't blame Hitch for all the playoff failure but there comes a time for every coach when he's pretty well done all he can for a group and it appears that was last year. That said I believe the Blues are the most overrated team in the league as they were terrible against any playoff teams in the 2nd half of the season as the only teams they could beat were the Jets and Flames. They single handedly ensured the Flames couldn't get 2nd place in the Pacific by handing the Canucks free easy points while playing their best games of the season against the Flames. They are really good at beating the mediocre and bad teams in the league and struggle against the top teams. That's usually a recipe for first round exit as they typically do. I would expect more of the same next year until that organization changes coaches and moves a few players out.