Ken Hitchcock will be back behind the St. Louis Blues bench next season, as he’ll sign a one-year contract in a move which could be announced as soon as tomorrow, reports Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Hitchcock will be back with #stlblues on one-year contract for 2016-17 season, according to league sources. Announcement could come tomorrow
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) May 31, 2016
St. Louis had an excellent season in 2015-16 with Hitchcock behind the bench as the 64-year-old led the Blues to a 49-24-9 record which placed them second in the Central Division. The Blues went on an extended playoff run, making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they were dispatched in six games by the San Jose Sharks.
On paper, Hitchcock had an excellent season, leading the Blues to their first conference finals since 2000-2001. However, Hitchcock had a playoffs to forget. While St. Louis went on a fantastic run, it was against the bizarre decisions by the veteran coach. He alienated star sniper Vladimir Tarasenko by not giving him the ice-time he deserved, didn’t display much trust in one of the league’s best goalies, Brian Elliott, and displayed a bizarre candor with the media.
I’d imagine the move will have a split reaction from Blues fans. Hitchcock can definitely coach and led the Blues to a fairly good season in 2015-16, but his personality and decision-making when it mattered was questionable at best. Considering it’s a one-year contract, there’s minimal risk. If he outcoaches himself again next playoffs, it won’t be hard to move on from him. It’s a reasonable contract for all involved.
