Hitchcock Re-signs for 1 Year

[glen a richter]

Ken Hitchcock's coaching style, 2015-2016... change you can believe in?

[Portland Blues]

Someone had to post it.

Also, when I read the thread title I read it as "resign = quit" rather than "re-sign = I'm back bitches!1!!!11!"

Now I'm very disappointed to see it was the former.

[glen a richter]

Someone had to post it.

Also, when I read the thread title I read it as "resign = quit" rather than "re-sign = I'm back bitches!1!!!11!"

Now I'm very disappointed to see it was the former.

Indeed, the grammar on this bored is atrocious.

[dmiles2186]

Well since there won't be a change in coaching personnel there better be a change in player personnel.

This is our only hope.

Timothy Leif, Jr...please step to the front of the line.

[Toasted Oates]

I mentioned this in another thread, forget which one: every team that's beaten us the last few years have been quicker than us. They skate around our slow, plodding, checking style. Still not happy Hitch is back but at least they recognize this.
https://twitter.com/jprutherford/status/603294207231533057

Frankly, what a crock of shit. Next season will be his 20th as an NHL coach. He's going to change now, fundamentally? And if so, what is the point of retaining him? If you want a fresh new style, why not bring in a fresh new coach...you know, who won't have to be paid a stupid salary and maybe hasn't completely lost the room?

Great post. Sums up my thoughts just about perfectly. All that speed talk was more lip service from the most intense bromance in hockey. I bet 91 is jumping out of his skin to sign an extension. 17 too.

What a frickin' mess. But hey, this is Saint Louis Blues Hockey. At least they never fail to meet our expectations.

[Oaklandblue]

How the Ken Hitchcock Era will be remembered:

The Quebec Bleus begin play next week...

[flyingnote38]

Someone had to post it.

Also, when I read the thread title I read it as "resign = quit" rather than "re-sign = I'm back bitches!1!!!11!"

Now I'm very disappointed to see it was the former.

not to pick nits, but don't you mean the latter?

[flyingnote38]

very disappointed so far this offseason
cannot believe the entire coaching staff is being retained
cannot believe the entire front office is being retained
cannot believe the front office and coaching staff are just now realizing that speed matters
cannot believe ownership thinks the current front office and coaching staff are the right people to fix this team
cannot believe ownership thinks the fans should think this as well

short of significantly changing and upgrading the NHL roster while simultaneously shedding cap in the midst of a buyers market, we seems pretty unlikely and even more so with Armstrong as the GM, we can write this teams obit for next season today. Only question is who we lose to in the first round.

[Portland Blues]

Someone had to post it.

Also, when I read the thread title I read it as "resign = quit" rather than "re-sign = I'm back bitches!1!!!11!"

Now I'm very disappointed to see it was the former.

not to pick nits, but don't you mean the latter?

Damn it, what I was really hoping was he quit.

[Portland Blues]

Wow, just read Armstrong & Hitch's comments on the STL Today article. The sky is apparently a different color in their world.

[goon attack]

I'm ok with this. Who else should we get to coach? I actually like what the 'cock said about being faster and reckless. This is probably his last hurrah and he may just say "f*** it" and go out guns blazing. I'm bucking the trend here and predicting that we'll see the Blues sipping beer out of the prized chalice come next year. My optimism almost annoys even myself... but I ain't giving up! Buck up, pansies! LET'S GO BLUES!

[theohall]

(Hitchcock)...We have to put the work in in the regular season and when we do that, when we start clicking some of those fence posts, making the playoffs, winning the division, winning the Western Conference and the Presidents Trophy, that will get us to the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's a lot of work that needs to be done up to that point."

Hitchcock said one thing that would have to change for next season is the team would have to be faster. He said that the four fastest teams in the league are the ones still playing. He thinks that can be done with the players currently on the roster. Armstrong said some roster change is inevitable after this season and conversations are gradually starting between the Blues and other teams as more and more teams have become part of the postseason.

So Armstrong says change is inevitable. Hitchcock thinks the current roster is fine. And winning the division, the conference, the President's trophy, and making the playoff (per Hitch) are more important than winning in the playoffs.

Got it.

Winning the division, conference, and President's Trophy are nice, but so f'in what if you aren't winning in the playoffs. Work on building a winning playoff team, not just a division/conference/President's Trophy team. They are not necessarily the same thing.

[WaukeeBlues]

very disappointed so far this offseason
cannot believe the entire coaching staff is being retained
cannot believe the entire front office is being retained
cannot believe the front office and coaching staff are just now realizing that speed matters
cannot believe ownership thinks the current front office and coaching staff are the right people to fix this team
cannot believe ownership thinks the fans should think this as well

short of significantly changing and upgrading the NHL roster while simultaneously shedding cap in the midst of a buyers market, we seems pretty unlikely and even more so with Armstrong as the GM, we can write this teams obit for next season today. Only question is who we lose to in the first round.

I do NOT understand the love affair that ownership/presidents apparently have for this team. I don't get it.

"But we have good people."

Who gives a (Frank)? You're being paid to win. And for three seasons there's been the expectation from fans and the team alike that we should be competing for a Stanley Cup or, at the very least, be able to get out of the first (Franking) round?

I hate to say it but until this team gets outright swept in the first round or fails to make the playoffs entirely, ownership/presidents are going to apparently keep jerking off to pictures of Army, Hitchcock, Oshie, Berglund, etc.

[Nyghtewynd]

I'm ok with this. Who else should we get to coach? I actually like what the 'cock said about being faster and reckless. This is probably his last hurrah and he may just say "f*** it" and go out guns blazing. I'm bucking the trend here and predicting that we'll see the Blues sipping beer out of the prized chalice come next year. My optimism almost annoys even myself... but I ain't giving up! Buck up, pansies! LET'S GO BLUES!

Sadly, there is no reason to believe that Hitch is telling the truth.

Nothing's going to change. And no one should pay for it.

[ecbm]

Well since there won't be a change in coaching personnel there better be a change in player personnel.

This is our only hope.

Timothy Leif, Jr...please step to the front of the line.

Sorry to disappoint you guys:

Armstrong said he wouldn't break up the core group that's been in place for several seasons, including captain David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund, just to make a change.

"There is value if we get better players in return," Armstrong said. "No trade is better than a poor trade. We're going to explore improving our team, but it has to make sense."

Who else should we get to coach?

Babcock, Bylsma, Carlyle, De Boer, Julien?, Dave Lowry, MacLean, McClellan, Adam Oates, even f'in Muller, basically anyone who isn't Hitchcock since he obviously has not worked out. Would you keep a clearly ineffective and very highly paid employee because an improvement on him isn't standing right in front of you? It's a fallacious argument. Clearly, you don't think he's ineffective. I'll ask: on what do you base that? Part of my judgment that he's ineffective is the assumption that there is someone out there who is a better fit for this club right now. Before you ask-if I knew, for sure, who that would be I wouldn't trapped in a f'ing cubicle.

"But we have good people."

Agree with your point-this club has way too much "old boys club" to it. This line here reminds me of Alec Baldwin berating Ed Harris in Glengarry Glen Ross:

You see this watch? You see this watch?...That watch costs more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much'd you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? (Frank) you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse?...You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave. I can go out there tonight with the materials you've got and make myself $15,000. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU?

Which brings me to my final point: I also think more and more that this club has a subtly concealed yellow streak a mile wide. Another part of the problem.

[Kerfuffle]

Seems more and more apparent that the main problem is the front office. The whole 'loyalty' thing is one we did for decades and winning was secondary. It took the owner to die for his son to come in and clean house and that turned us around. Clearly keeping Hitch is a signal for more of the same. I'll go on record now - you guys will win the division next year then get wiped out in the first round again.

[WaukeeBlues]

Hey guys, didn't you know?!

It's a successful business model to have no other plan than to "TRY HARDER"

RIGHT!?!?!!??!!

[WaukeeBlues]

Well since there won't be a change in coaching personnel there better be a change in player personnel.

This is our only hope.

Timothy Leif, Jr...please step to the front of the line.

Sorry to disappoint you guys:

Armstrong said he wouldn't break up the core group that's been in place for several seasons, including captain David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund, just to make a change.

"There is value if we get better players in return," Armstrong said. "No trade is better than a poor trade. We're going to explore improving our team, but it has to make sense."

What a (Franking) moron.

There's not one damn thing that's going to change before the start of next season. We'll do some negligible signings but I'll go on record we don't trade anyone involving our top six forwards or top 4 defensemen or any goaltending.

[glen a richter]

Were he made available, I would hire Dave Lowry in a second. There are plenty of guys available. All will be unavailable next season. Then what? Hitch gets another one year contract because no viable coaching candidates are unemployed? Maybe we can hire Mike Kitchen, or Davis Payne. Both of them have coaching experience. Oh, wait.

I'm disgusted by this teams lack of committment to winning. I'm also disgusted that every time I come on here now I have to look at the flipping Rangers logo on Oakland's posts. I guess I should move this into the bitching thread?

[Kerfuffle]

I agree with you guys - Armstrong appears content that the make-up of the team is correct and they just ran into bad luck and need to try harder.