The St. Louis Blues announced Tuesday morning that head coach Ken Hitchcock will be returning behind the bench for the 2016-17 season.
Ken Hitchcock has signed a one-year extension and will return for a sixth season. https://t.co/rmoS0HAuB6#stlbluespic.twitter.com/E0Rf7Gb87u
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 31, 2016
Ken Hitchcock Signs One-Year Extension with Blues
Speculation had risen about the status of Hitchcock’s job after the Blues were defeated in the Western Conference Final in six games by the San Jose Sharks. For the 48th time in a row, St. Louis failed to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, however this was the closest they had come to the final since their previous conference final appearance in 2001.
In five seasons behind the bench at the Scottrade Center, Hitchcock has a winning percentage of .667, with a record of 224-103-36. The Blues are the fourth NHL team he has been in charge of, previously coaching the Dallas Stars for seven years (winning the Stanley Cup with them in 1999), and the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets for almost four seasons each.
Hitchock has a lifetime winning record of 757-453-106, as well as 88 ties, and a career playoff record of 86-80. With 1404 total games as a head coach, he has had the sixth-longest coaching career in the NHL; third among active coaches. His 757 wins is also the fourth most in league history, just 25 behind Al Arbour in third.
In the press conference announcing his extension, Hitchcock told reporters that this will be his final season in the NHL. This will be his twentieth season as a head coach.
Hitchcock: This is my last one year deal, not coaching after this year. I’m done. I’m not coaching after this year.
— Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) May 31, 2016
One of Hitchcock’s associates behind the Blues bench, Brad Shaw, will not be returning in St. Louis in 2016-17. All remaining members of the coaching staff were offered one-year extensions just like Hitchcock’s.
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