The St. Louis Blues have yet to announce an official decision, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ken Hitchcock will return as head coach, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Hitchcock’s future with the club was up the air after the Blues lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season.
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“Ken and I are going to keep working towards having good communication and making sure we’re both in the same vein, taking the same path as we move forward,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong told reporters earlier this week. “It’s something that we’re working on every day, we’re trying to do it behind closed doors and away from public scrutiny. I’m aware that people want answers, but fortunately for us, we have a strong ownership group that understands that this is a process and we’re going to make use of our time.”
Under Hitchcock, St. Louis has been an exceptional regular season club, posting a 175-79-27 record, but they have accumulated just 10 wins in their last 27 post-season games.
The 63-year-old Hitchcock has coached 18 NHL seasons with the Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets Philadelphia Flyers, and Dallas Stars. He won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1998-99 and his 708 career wins rank fourth all-time behind Joel Quenneville, Al Arbour, and Scotty Bowman.
Hitchcock’s contract with the Blues expires on June 30.
