Former CBJ Head Coach Ken Hitchcock Signs Extension With Blues
Former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach and current St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock signed a one year extension with the St. Louis Blues.
This signing makes a lot of sense. Before Mike Babcock signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs it was reported that the St. Louis Blues had been in the running for his services. It is not a coincidence that the Blues resigned Hitchcock this quickly after Babcock signed with the Leafs. From the perspective of the St. Louis Blues the much heralded coaching free agent class of 2015 was diminishing very quickly. Babcock was now off the market, Todd McLellan was signed in Edmonton, and for all of the pomp and circumstance it seems that Dan Bylsma is content to wait till he is no longer receiving a check from the Pittsburgh Penguins before looking for another job. The St. Louis Blues looked at who was left and made (the right) decision to resign Ken Hitchcock.
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The St. Louis Blues and Ken Hitchcock both took the same approach heading into the coaching carousel. Since there was not a contract signed both sides could explore their options. After coaches started signing it became apparent to the Blues that no coach still on the market (names like Randy Carlyle) would be a better option for the team then Ken Hitchcock. For Hitchcock it was obvious that no team would provide a better shot at the Stanley Cup than the St. Louis Blues.
In today’s sports culture of firing the coach first and worrying about the consequences later this is a reasonable move. So often (looking at you Penguins) a team will fire a coach or a general manager and then hire someone who has a much worse track record. It’s more understandable when a coach makes a move that does not make sense to outsiders. A coach is an individual with a family who may be making decisions based on location, familial concerns, or the desire for a new challenge. Fans should expect more out of franchise leadership. Ownership and the relatively new office of Presidents of Hockey Operations should have reasoned long-term responses to the ups and downs of sports. Let’s hope that Blue Jacket’s management will keep cool heads in the future to direct the CBJ in the right direction.