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NHL Rumors: Ken Hitchcock to remain St. Louis Blues coach

By Nathaniel Reeves

Apr 23, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock (middle) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock (middle) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite another early playoff exit, the St. Louis Blues offered head coach Ken Hitchcock a one-year extension.

The St. Louis Blues agreed to a one-year contract extension with head coach Ken Hitchcock on Tuesday, according to a report from Louie Korac of NHL.com.

Hitchcock’s contract was set to expire on June 30 before the Blues decided to bring him back for a fifth year as the head coach in St. Louis. The 62-year-old’s future status had been in limbo after the Blues were defeated in six games by the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round, the franchises’ fourth consecutive playoff series loss.

Adding some uncertainty was the fact that former Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was available before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. Hitchcock stressed that he understood St. Louis’ pursuit of Babcock, as he is one of the top coaches in the NHL and any team would be interested.

St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong seemed confident in bringing back Hitchcock on a one-year deal.

"“I just had to make sure that the passion level that’s going to be necessary in November, December, January, February … the dog days of the season, that Ken still had that passion…I didn’t want him to come back and feel that he was coming back out of anger and disappointment. I wanted him to come back out of excitement and energy. When we talked, I felt that. I felt that talking to him and I felt that talking to members of his staff that there’s a real excitement in getting back to work here”"

Hitchcock has been coaching in the NHL since 1996 and has racked up 708 victories including a Stanley Cup, so Armstrong’s concerns are valid. Still, a one-year deal makes sense for the Blues.

Despite disappointing in the playoffs, Hitchcock has led the Blues to an impressive 175-79-27 record in the regular season during his four years at the helm. St. Louis has finished with 111 and 109 points in the last two seasons respectively, narrowly missing out on the Presidents’ Trophy each time.

The problem has been in the postseason, as the Blues have lost in six games in the first round three consecutive seasons. However, those defeats all came at the hands of teams who were very hot at the time, including a Minnesota squad this year that owned the best record after the All-Star break.

At some point, a team as talented as the Blues has to get further than the first round, but there’s no doubting Hitchcock’s coaching ability. Another one-year deal makes some sense for both sides.

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