Ken Hitchcock was the head coach in Dallas more than a decade ago, where he worked alongside then-GM Bob Gainey and Gainey’s assistant, Doug Armstrong.
Now, the trio is back together.
On Monday, TSN reported that the Blues have hired Gainey as Hitchcock’s coaching consultant:TSN has learned Bob Gainey will be used as a coaching consultant in St. Louis this year. Will talk on and off through the yr with Hitchcock
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) September 29, 2014
The Armstrong-Gainey-Hitch trio achieved great things in Dallas, including the organization’s first and only Stanley Cup in 1999. The year following the championship, Armstrong and Gainey orchestrated a move that brought veteran Kirk Muller to the Stars and this past May, Armstrong hired Muller to be Hitchcock’s assistant coach.
The Blues-Stars connections don’t end there. Brett Hull spent three seasons in Dallas, scored the Cup-winning goal in ’99 and now serves as the Blues’ executive vice president; the Blues’ current director of pro scouting, Rob DiMaio, also played for Hitchcock in Dallas.