Murray Wood: Who's scary... and who's scary good?
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week, in a specia...
Ken Hitchcock has been unemployed for two days since being fired as the St. Louis Blues’ head coach.
That’s a long time for Hitch to be unemployed. Hitchcock is like a sphinx. Based on his background, it’s not likely he won’t soon be strolling behind another hockey bench.
He was going to retire at the end of this NHL season, anyway, but Blues general manager Doug Armstrong – a good friend! – canned Hitchcock even though his team had a winning record. Bad goaltending was the team’s downfall.
With St. Louis since 2011, Hitchcock won twice as many games as he lost. Since becoming an NHL coach in 1996, Hitchcock has been with four teams and won 781 games, fourth-most in league history. He won a Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars.
Anyone who met Hitch during his early days – when he was coaching midget hockey in the Edmonton area or leading the Kamloops Blazers to two WHL championships – knows his passion for the game. He’s only 65.
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said, “I don’t believe he’s going away to retire.”
Sounds like Hitch.
