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Hitch is back: Stars bring Hitchcock back 15 years later

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2016, file photo, St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock tries to get the attention of the referee in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, in Nashville, Tenn. A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Hitchcock is returning to coach the Dallas Stars. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday, April 12, 2017, because the team hadn’t announced the hire. (AP Photo/Sanford Myers, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2016, file photo, St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock tries to get the attention of the referee in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, in Nashville, Tenn. A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Hitchcock is returning to coach the Dallas Stars. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday, April 12, 2017, because the team hadn’t announced the hire. (AP Photo/Sanford Myers, File) FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2016, file photo, St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock tries to get the attention of the referee in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, in Nashville, Tenn. A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Hitchcock is returning to coach the Dallas Stars. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday, April 12, 2017, because the team hadn’t announced the hire. (AP Photo/Sanford Myers, File)

By Associated Press 3 min read

DALLAS (AP) – The most successful coach ever for the Dallas Stars is back, more than 15 years after they fired him.

Ken Hitchcock, who led the Stars to their only Stanley Cup championship in 1999, was re-introduced in Dallas on Thursday. He replaces Lindy Ruff, whose four-year contract expired at the end of the season and wasn’t extended after the team missed the playoffs.

When Dallas fired Hitchcock in January 2002, he had won 277 of his 503 games over parts of seven seasons in his first NHL head-coaching job. He led the Stars to five straight division titles, with consecutive Western Conference championships in 1999 and 2000. Those are the only times he or the Stars have made it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Hitchcock had since coached the Philadelphia Flyers (2002-06), Columbus Blue Jackets (2006-10) and St. Louis (2011-17). The Blues abruptly fired Hitchcock on Feb. 1, cutting short what was already going to be his last season with the Blues after their fifth loss in six games.

St. Louis made the playoffs in each of Hitchcock’s five full seasons, reaching the Western Conference final last spring after beating top seed Dallas in a seven-game series in the second round.