The Edmonton Oilers announced their next general manager will decide the fate of head coach Ken Hitchcock. Hitchcock was hired by the Oilers on November 20th after Todd McLellan was fired. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector first broke the news.
https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/1115303734534258688
Oilers Uncertain on Future of Ken Hitchcock
The Edmonton Oilers may part ways with head coach Ken Hitchcock when a new general manger takes over. This season, the team has a record of 35 wins,38 losses, and 9 overtime losses and finished eighth in the Pacific Division. The Oilers were 26-28-8 under Hitchcock this season.
Over his 22-year NHL coaching career Hitchcock has split his time between the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and the Oilers. Overall he has a record of 849-534-88-127. His greatest success was with Dallas Stars. He led the Stars to a Stanley Cup in 2000. Hitchcock also won the Jack Adams Award in 2012.
Edmonton CEO Bob Nicholson said that the new general manager will decide if Hitchcock will stay on as coach. However, Hitchcock will still have a role with the club if he wishes to stay.
What This Means for the Team’s Future
For the second straight year, the Oilers will not be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Edmonton struggled down the stretch, which may be a reason Hitchcock could be fired by the Oilers. For Edmonton, it ey have a lot of work to do with a new general manager and possibly a new coach. Before McLellan, the Oilers had not had a coach last more than three years since Craig MacTavish who coached the team from 2000-2008.
For Hitchcock, the future remains uncertain. Hitchcock would bring 22 years of experience to a franchise and could possibly land a one year deal somewhere. If the 67-year-old head coach is unable to find a job it’s very likely that he will retire from being an NHL head coach.
Longtime National Hockey League coach Ken Hitchcock. (Getty Images)
