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Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:00 pm
by sseagle
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308802
BLUE JACKETS PART WAYS WITH HITCHCOCK, PROMOTE NOEL
The Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved head coach Ken Hitchcock of his duties behind the bench and named assistant coach Claude Noel as the club's interim head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

"This season has been very disappointing for the Blue Jackets organization and our fans and the responsibility for that rests with all of us from management to the coaches and players," said general manager Scott Howson in a statement.

"Hitch worked tirelessly to build an identity for this team that was missing before he arrived and deserves a great deal of credit for those efforts. He earned and received the opportunity to turn things around this season, but unfortunately that has not happened and it has become apparent that change is in the best interest of our organization. Claude Noel is a good hockey coach with a proven track record in the American Hockey League. He knows our team and is deserving of this opportunity."

After being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers early in the 2006-07 season, Hitchcock took over the reigns in Columbus a month later and almost managed to get the club to the .500 mark in 62 games.

The following season, the Blue Jackets finished with a record of 34-36-12 and he was rewarded with a three-year extension. He has two full years remaining on his contract.

Last season, the Blue Jackets (41-31-10) broke through the playoff barrier for the first time in franchise history but were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

Hitchcock, who first made his mark as head coach of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, started his NHL coaching career with the Dallas Stars in 1995-96 and led the team to their first Stanley Cup three years later. His next stop came with the Flyers in 2002-03.

Hitchcock leaves the Blue Jackets as the sixth-longest tenured coach in the NHL, trailing only Anaheim's Randy Carlyle, Buffalo's Lindy Ruff, Detroit's Mike Babcock, Nashville's Barry Trotz and Vancouver's Alain Vigneault.

Hitchcock is an assistant coach for the Canadian Olympic team competing at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Noel, 54, joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant coach in 2007 after spending four seasons as the head coach of the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals.

The Blue Jackets are 22-27-9 this season and are 11 points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:05 pm
by gaijin
Get him Leeeeer...

Oh wait. Please don't.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 6:13 pm
by fargoblues
gaijin wrote:Get him Leeeeer...

Oh wait. Please don't.
This.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 6:30 pm
by section319
I don't think we have to worry about getting Hitchcock, I think Davis Payne has a pretty good chance of staying next season as long as we doing completely drop off. From the articles I have read, it seems like he is really well liked by JD & Co. (especially Larry) and it seemed like has been sort of being groomed for this position since he has been in the Blues organization.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... enDocument

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:19 pm
by cprice12
I like Payne so far. If I had to decide right now, I'd say sign him to a two year contract.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:25 pm
by philco_3
cprice12 wrote:I like Payne so far. If I had to decide right now, I'd say sign him to a two year contract.
:plusplus:

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:28 pm
by JCShutout
section319 wrote:I don't think we have to worry about getting Hitchcock, I think Davis Payne has a pretty good chance of staying next season as long as we doing completely drop off. From the articles I have read, it seems like he is really well liked by JD & Co. (especially Larry) and it seemed like has been sort of being groomed for this position since he has been in the Blues organization.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... enDocument
This article makes me really want things to work out for him.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:57 am
by keithp40
fat bastard?

don't you mean.....horizontally challenged? lets be PC here.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:07 am
by abc789987
keithp40 wrote:fat bastard?

don't you mean.....horizontally challenged? lets be PC here.
No, I think he meant fat bastard.

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:54 am
by keithp40
abc789987 wrote:
keithp40 wrote:fat bastard?

don't you mean.....horizontally challenged? lets be PC here.
No, I think he meant fat bastard.
fat bastard it is....i swear he looks like paul bearer from the undertaker....and for the record, i am not a wrestling fan......i repeat NOT a fan

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:57 am
by goon attack
Good. fat people should be fired from all jobs and replaced with skinny people. They should also be branded with an F right on their foreheads. Then if they lose the weight, another line can be added to the F to form an A for "AWESOME!"

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:07 pm
by fargoblues
goon attack wrote:Good. fat people should be fired from all jobs and replaced with skinny people. They should also be branded with an F right on their foreheads. Then if they lose the weight, another line can be added to the F to form an A for "AWESOME!"
Well, at least ban them from teh coach section of regional jets...

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:33 pm
by keithp40
goon attack wrote:Good. fat people should be fired from all jobs and replaced with skinny people. They should also be branded with an F right on their foreheads. Then if they lose the weight, another line can be added to the F to form an A for "AWESOME!"
a nutless monkey could do his job....i'm joking.....no seriously, a nutless monkey

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 10:57 am
by SteveO
Fat Bastard? Not quite...

He's Captain Kangaroo!!!

Re: Fat Bastard (Ken Hitchcock) Fired

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:33 pm
by keithp40
Prngr44 wrote:Fat Bastard? Not quite...

He's Captain Kangaroo!!!
yeah, lets call him coach kangaroo.....but i bet he would at least shave his head if he was losing it the way payne is...

just sayn'