Former St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock is in the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame (HHoF) class. His induction comes just four years after he last stood behind the bench as a head coach. It’s safe to say that he had a terrific career, and a big part of it was spent with the Blues.
Hitchcock was an important part of NHL history. He was a head coach for over 20 years and had an impact on several organizations. One of those organizations is the Blues, where he still works as a coaching consultant; Blues general manager (GM) Doug Armstrong added Hitchcock to the Blues’ staff in 2021.
Hitchcock’s Tenure With the Blues
Early in the 2011-12 season, the Blues relieved Davis Payne of his head coaching duties and replaced him with Hitchcock; he came to the Blues after being fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009-10. At the time, the Blues needed some stability after Payne lasted less than three seasons. Before Payne, the Blues had Andy Murray for parts of four seasons, and they needed Hitchcock to come in and provide the stability he did across six seasons.
The Blues were 6-7-0 when Hitchcock took over for Payne in 2011-12. But they went 43-15-11 after he took over and made it to the second round of the playoffs before getting swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. The Blues made the playoffs in their first five seasons under Hitchcock but failed to reach the second round from 2013 to 2015 with him behind the bench. They nearly broke through to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015-16. In the 2016 playoffs, they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games in the first round. They did the same against the Dallas Stars in the second round but fell short to the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final in six games.
The Blues entered the 2016-17 season with newfound hope that they could get over the hump. Captain David Backes departed in free agency, but they had Alex Pietrangelo step in as the new captain. However, they struggled under Hitchcock in the 2016-17 season. They had a record of 24-21-5 before Armstrong made the call to relieve Hitchcock of his duties. After firing Hitchcock, the Blues had assistant Mike Yeo take over as head coach, and they went 22-8-2 under him; they made the playoffs but lost in the second round to the Nashville Predators. There is no doubt that Hitchcock provided stability for the Blues, and they eventually got over the hump in 2019 under Craig Berube. Overall, he went 248-124-41 in the regular season with the Blues. He got out of the first round twice and had a terrific run in St. Louis.
Hitchcock Had a Terrific Career
Hitchcock is one of the most decorated coaches in NHL history, coaching for five organizations across 23 NHL seasons. He had success early into his head coaching career with the Stars, as they were the first franchise to give him a chance in the 1995-96 season. He led the Stars to a title in 1999, just his third full season in Dallas. He had plenty of success with the Stars, winning 319 regular season games and 47 playoff games across seven seasons. Hitchcock also won 100-plus regular season games with the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers.
Related: Revisiting the Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup Run
As of right now, Hitchcock ranks fourth all-time in regular season wins with 849. The only coaches ahead of him are legends such as Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, and Barry Trotz. He is 10th all-time in playoff wins with 86, although he’ll drop to 11th soon, with Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper still being active.
The bottom line is that Hitchcock had a phenomenal career and deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s one of the best coaches in NHL history and a huge part of Blues history. It’s unfortunate that the Blues never won a Cup with him at the helm, but they had a lot of success. This is a well-deserved honor.
