Over the weekend, the Dallas Stars announced that Lindy Ruff wouldn’t be back as head coach next season and it sounds like they’ve already got his replacement lined up.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Stars are on the verge of hiring Ken Hitchcock. Friedman also mentions that the press conference could come as early as tomorrow.
This would be Hitchcock’s second stint in Dallas, as he served as the head coach of the Stars from 1995-96 to 2001-02. He was behind the bench when they won their first Stanley Cup title in 1998-99.
This was supposed to be his final season in the NHL, but he clearly feels like he has unfinished business in the league after he was fired by the St. Louis Blues earlier this season.
Bringing Hitchcock back into the fold makes sense for the organization. The Stars have plenty of firepower with guys like Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza in the fold, but they have a hard time keeping the puck out of their own net.
This season, only the Colorado Avalanche gave up more goals than Dallas. Hitchcock, who’s known for being a defense-first coach (that’s putting it mildly), could rectify some of their issues in their own end.
Hitch in Dallas, Julien in Montreal, Maurice in Carolina, Carlyle in Anaheim, etc. The powerful urge to marry your ex.
— Michael Farber (@MichaelFarber3) April 12, 2017