Ken Hitchcock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ken Hitchcock
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2023 (Builder)
Hitchcock in 2014
Born	(1951-12-17) December 17, 1951 (age 73) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Coached for	Dallas Stars Philadelphia Flyers Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Edmonton Oilers
Coaching career	1984–2019

Kenneth S. Hitchcock (born December 17, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach. He is often called "Hitch." He coached several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers.

Hitchcock also helped coach the Canadian national team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He won the famous Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. With 849 wins, he is one of the top coaches in NHL history. In 2023, he was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame for his great work as a builder of the game.

Hitchcock's Early Coaching Years

When Ken Hitchcock was young, he played hockey in western Canada. He discovered he was good at helping and motivating other players. This led him to become a coach.

He started coaching different levels of hockey in the Edmonton area. For ten years, he coached the Sherwood Park Chain Gang, a team for younger players (called midget AAA). His team had an amazing record of 575 wins and only 69 losses! In his free time, he also taught hockey basics to girls at a local hockey school.

In 1984, Hitchcock became the coach for the WHL's Kamloops Blazers. He quickly made a big difference for the team. He led them to win their division four times in a row. They also won the league championship in 1985–86 and 1989–90. Because of his success, Hitchcock was named the WHL Coach of the Year twice. In 1990, he was even named the best coach in Canadian major junior hockey. During his six seasons with Kamloops, Hitchcock had 291 wins, making him one of the best coaches in WHL history.

Ken Hitchcock's NHL Coaching Career

In 1990, Ken Hitchcock moved from junior hockey to the NHL. He joined the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant coach. After three seasons with the Flyers, he became the head coach for the Kalamazoo Wings. This team was connected to the Dallas Stars.

Coaching the Dallas Stars

In January 1996, Ken Hitchcock became the head coach of the Dallas Stars. He took over from Bob Gainey. In his first full season, he led the Stars to win their division, which was their first division title since 1984. The next season, the Stars made it to the Conference Finals in the playoffs. Hitchcock was also chosen to coach in the NHL All-Star Game three times in a row.

The 1998–99 NHL season was a huge success for Hitchcock and the Stars. They had a great regular season record. In the 1999 playoffs, Hitchcock led the team to win the Stanley Cup! It was the first Stanley Cup victory for the Dallas Stars. The next season, the Stars again reached the Stanley Cup Finals, but they lost to the New Jersey Devils.

In the 2000–01 NHL season, the Stars made the playoffs again. However, midway through the next season, Hitchcock was fired as head coach.

Leading the Philadelphia Flyers

In 2002, the Philadelphia Flyers hired Ken Hitchcock as their new head coach. He brought a lot of discipline and direction to the team. In his first season, he led them to a strong record. They reached the Conference Semifinals in the playoffs. In his second season, the Flyers won their division and made it all the way to the Conference Finals. They lost a close series in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In the 2006–07 NHL season, the Flyers had a very tough start. After only eight games, Ken Hitchcock was fired by the team.

Coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets

On November 22, 2006, Ken Hitchcock became the new head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. His first game with them was against his old team, the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 2008, the Blue Jackets signed Hitchcock to a new contract. On February 19, 2009, he earned his 500th career NHL win as a head coach. On April 8, 2009, Hitchcock helped the Blue Jackets make their first-ever playoff appearance! However, their playoff journey was short, as they lost to the Detroit Red Wings. On November 11, 2009, Hitchcock coached his 1,000th NHL game. In February 2010, the Blue Jackets decided to let Hitchcock go.

Time with the St. Louis Blues

On November 6, 2011, Ken Hitchcock was hired by the St. Louis Blues. In 2012, he won the Jack Adams Award, which is given to the NHL's best head coach.

On February 12, 2015, Hitchcock earned his 693rd regular season win, moving him into fourth place on the all-time coaching wins list. A month later, he reached 700 career wins.

In the 2015–16 NHL season, Hitchcock coached the Blues to the Conference Finals. They played against the San Jose Sharks but were defeated. In May 2016, Hitchcock announced he would retire after the 2016–17 season. However, he did not finish that season with the Blues. On February 1, 2017, Hitchcock was fired by the team.

Returning to the Dallas Stars

On April 13, 2017, Ken Hitchcock was named the head coach of the Dallas Stars for a second time. On December 21, he earned his 800th win as an NHL head coach. On April 13, 2018, Hitchcock announced his retirement from coaching.

Coaching the Edmonton Oilers

On November 20, 2018, Ken Hitchcock came out of retirement to become the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. However, in May 2019, it was announced that he would not return to the team.

Ken Hitchcock's Coaching Record