PITTSBURGH _ Former Stars coach Ken Hitchcock is back behind a bench.
The Edmonton Oilers hired Hitchcock to be their new head coach Tuesday morning, replacing Todd McLellan and disrupting Hitchcock's second retirement from coaching. Hitchcock returned to Dallas last year to coach the Stars, but retired at season's end, transitioning to a consulting role with the organization.
Hitchcock is the organization's all-time wins leader and guided the 1998-99 team to a Stanley Cup championship. He has also coached the Flyers, Blue Jackets and Blues.
Since the Stars employed Hitchcock, the Oilers had to reach out to Dallas general manager Jim Nill in order to speak to him about a possible coaching vacancy. Nill said he asked Hitchcock if he was interested in talking to Edmonton, and then the situation proceeded.
"Good for him, I'm happy for him," Nill said. "He's still got the passion to coach, but we're going to miss him also. Just happy for him."
Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli told reporters in San Jose that Hitchcock would coach the Oilers through the rest of the season, and then re-evaluate the position at the end of the year.
"Obviously, his track record is impeccable," Chiarelli said. "He's a very good tactician. What I saw was a real high level of input in a short period of time. You can extrapolate that a little bit here. We're two months in and we don't have a full season left. He knows how to inject system structure, execution in a short period of time. Well-respected and a task-master. He's got a lot to his portfolio."
With Edmonton's hire, Nill confirmed the Stars' contract with Hitchcock ended. Dallas signed him to a five-year deal last summer that included a transition into a consulting role.
"They've taken over," Nill said. "They've signed him to a coaching contract, and I don't know what they have after that. But yes, he's now an employee of Edmonton."
Nill said he spoke with Hitchcock often _ three or four times a week _ during his stint as a consultant with the team. Nill asked Hitchcock to scout the Western Conference for him, and also help out coach Jim Montgomery when needed.
Montgomery, a first-time NHL coach, previously said he's reached out to Hitchcock a few times this season to ask about the team.
"Watching teams, watching their tendencies, their power play, penalty killing, how they're playing," Nill said. "Are they using some type of new system that we had to figure out? Watching the top players for potential trades. He was also helping Monty out, just being there as a sounding board for him. Monty being new to the NHL, just be there for a sounding board. He was a very valuable member. Did a good job for us, we have a great relationship."
When the Stars hired Hitchcock prior to last season, it was a move in direct contrast with the previous leadership of Lindy Ruff.
Ruff wanted to push the pace and open up the game, leading to an exciting brand of hockey that also resulted in a Western Conference-leading 109 points in 2015-16. Hitchcock is known for his brand of defensive hockey, a slower style that helped the Stars allow the fourth-fewest shots on goal last year, and seventh-fewest goals.
"When we hired Ken Hitchcock, he's a Hall of Fame coach and we were looking to get some structure, to tighten up our game and he came in and did that," Nill said. "We owe a lot, I know the players owe a lot to him as far as playing the game the right way. That's what Ken did, and I even see it still the way we play. A lot of the tendencies I see that he instilled in our game, the players have kept that up. He did a great job of that."
Nill said he still sees Hitchcock's style all over the ice with this year's Stars, with "managing the puck the right way, being on the right side of the puck, just how to play the game the right way."
Stars center Tyler Seguin credits Hitchcock for helping develop his all-around game last season, pushing him onto the penalty kill and allowing him to play a more 200-foot game instead of just as a goal scorer.
Hitchcock also oversaw the worst year in Jason Spezza's career. Spezza's ice time was limited to a career-low 13 minutes per game and he was taken off the top power play unit in favor of players like Brett Ritchie and Devin Shore. Spezza finished with just eight goals and 18 assists. In 21 games this season, he has four goals and 10 assists already.
