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Dallas Stars Hire Former Head Coach Ken Hitchcock for Second Time

By Jeff Hawkins

Dec 20, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock watches his team take on the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeat the Stars 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock watches his team take on the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeat the Stars 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Dallas Stars announced this morning that they had hired Ken Hitchcock. Hitchcock coached the Dallas Stars to their first and only Stanley Cup championship back in 1999, and he will be returning for his second tour of duty in Texas.

What used to be old is now new for the Dallas Stars. The Stars showed Lindy Ruff the door after four seasons at the helm in Dallas, and instead decided to induce the nostalgia that is Ken Hitchcock.

Nill knew that after going 34-37-9 this season, the club’s worse since 1995-96, the GM recognized a need for the players to be pushed – hard – to improve.

[via Twitter]

Ironically, it was an unproven Hitchcock who was brought aboard mid-season to revive the club’s culture in 1996. Then 44 years old, Hitchcock arrived from the International Hockey League to lift the franchise back into respectability.

Now 65, Hitchcock returns to the Stars’ bench as a proven NHL coach. In 1,454 regular-season games, Hitchcock guided his clubs to 781 wins and eight division titles. The Stars captured the 1999 Stanley Cup with Hitchcock at the helm.

Coaching Deja Vu

Hitchcock’s return to the Stars seems eerily familiar, according to SportsDay.

Instead of instilling the values of two-way hockey to Modano, Hitchcock will be calling out to Tyler Seguin to emulate Modano. A natural center with speed, Seguin has compiled 306 points in 305 career games, but he was so irresponsible defensively former coach Lindy Ruff lined him up on the wings.

Instead of finding a youth serum for Joe Nieuwendyk, Hitchcock will be formulating strategies to coax a few more energizing seasons from veteran Jason Spezza. The 33-year-old is in line to fill the on-ice lieutenant role for Hitchcock.

What’s missing for the Stars to contend? How about developing another Eddie Belfour? The $10.4 million salary cap hit the team will suffer next season with goalies Kari Lehtonen ($5.9 million) and Antti Niemi ($4.5 million) could be one of the first issues Hitchcock tackles this offseason.

Next: Islanders officially hire Doug Weight as Head Coach

Now back in the game after his mid-season termination by the St. Louis Blues after six seasons, Hitchcock likely will step in and immediately challenge the Stars’ underachieving roster. Muck like he did in his first go-around with the Stars.

Nill is confident the team will move forward, by going back.

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