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Ken Hitchcock is calling it a career, and what a career it was

By Brad Berreman

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Ken Hitchcock of the Dallas Stars looks on from the bench during a game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on October 19, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Ken Hitchcock of the Dallas Stars looks on from the bench during a game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on October 19, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Ken Hitchcock came back behind the bench for the Dallas Stars this season, but he’s now retiring from coaching.

After one season back with the Dallas Stars, one of the most successful coaches in NHL history is retiring. Ken Hitchcock, after 22 years behind the bench with 823 wins for the Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, has announced his retirement from coaching. He will remain with the team in a consulting role.

The Stars went 42-32-8 this season, with 92 points that left them three points out of the Wild Card in the Western Conference. After finishing 29th in goals against average in 2016-17, the Stars rebounded all the way to seventh this year.

The team website released Hitchcock’s statement announcing his retirement Friday morning.

"I would like to announce I am officially retiring from active coaching in the National Hockey League. The game of hockey has been my entire life and I could never repay what the game did for me and all the wonderful people I got to meet in my career. I would like to thank everyone for their friendship and support over the years. I have contemplated this since our last game and I came to the conclusion that now is the right time to step away and let the younger generation of coaches take over.I would personally like to thank the Gaglardi family for the opportunity to return to Dallas and coach the Stars this past season. To finish my head coaching career where it all started and where we proudly hoisted the Stanley Cup for this great city, I will forever be grateful."

Hitchcock’s first tenure with the Stars started during the 1995-96 season, with a playoff appearance in each of his five full seasons and a Stanley Cup title in 1999.

Next: 5 replacements for Alain Vigneault as Rangers coach

It seems the plan from the start with Hitchcock was for him to coach for one season, then step aside into a consulting role. So an extensive list of candidates to replace him has surely been formed, both internally and externally.

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