Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: It Has Happened In the Past, Just Not Documented
Previous entry: Now We Can Talk Kovalchuk
Hitchcock Fired
by Paul on 02/03/10 at 04:18 PM ET
Comments (12)
COLUMBUS, OHIO – 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, club General Manager Scott Howson announced today.
Noel, 54, joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant coach on June 28, 2007 after spending four seasons as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals. During that time, he led the club to a 183-94-12-31 regular season record, three 100-point seasons and two West Division titles. He also compiled a 33-21 record in the Calder Cup Playoffs, including two appearances in the Finals (2004, 2006). During the 2003-04 season, the club compiled a 46-24-7-3 record and went 16-6 in the playoffs en route to capturing the organization’s first Calder Cup championship. That year, Noel was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year.
“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 Howson. “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.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ken+Hitchcock,
Comments
They may have just accelerated a move out of town, and that’s too bad…the people of Columbus love ‘em.
Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 02/03/10 at 04:59 PM ET
What’s the current franchise life support list?
Tampa, Atlanta, Phoenix, and now Columbus?
Posted by some kid from brooklyn on 02/03/10 at 05:21 PM ET
Second year slump for a goalie and inconsistent play of your star leads to one of the best coaches being fired? How does Mason and Nash fall on Hitch, GM’s always looking to save themselves.
Not a good move, Hitch deserved another year.
Posted by Roboshow from Calgary on 02/03/10 at 05:35 PM ET
Tampa, Atlanta, Phoenix, Columbus…you forgot the Islanders and Panthers.
Posted by Grin from right over here on 02/03/10 at 05:35 PM ET
What a shame.
Posted by mike from austin on 02/03/10 at 05:40 PM ET
He’s an excellent coach, but no coach looks that great when the goaltending is slumping badly. He’s taught that team a lot in a relatively short time.
He will get another job as soon as he’s ready, I think, and Columbus will likely regret firing him.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/03/10 at 06:18 PM ET
Don’t forget the Predators. They look for all the world like a franchise that’s never going to draw more than 15k fans a night no matter how good the team does.
And to comment further on the Hitchcock firing, it’s an absolutely atrocious decision that doesn’t make any sense on any level. It’s far too late in the season for the BJ’s to make the playoffs, so trying to turn the team around in the short term isn’t a viable excuse.
The problem is that Mason has taken a huge step back, which shouldn’t surprise anybody, and that their roster is a bit of a mess.
Really, the guy who ought to be doing gigantic facepalms right now is Rick Nash. That idiot just signed a long term deal and he’s stuck with that franchise through 2018.
Good call, Rick.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 02/03/10 at 06:23 PM ET
It’s hardly HItchcock’s fault that the GM has a man-crush on defensemen that couldn’t outskate a one-legged turtle…
Posted by Primis on 02/03/10 at 07:31 PM ET
I don’t know where I fall on this…being a quasi-Blue Jackets fan, I’ve watched the team all year (I’m assuming most of you haven’t and are going off Hitch’s reputation alone). All of the young jackets have regressed, not just Mason. Brassard and Voracek are shells of their former selves (Brassard all year, Voracek recently, and I’m discounting Filatov for obvious reasons).
I have been a Hitchcock supporter, but watching the team all season leads me to believe he’s a dinosaur coaching pre-lockout strategy and today’s been a long time coming. Maybe there’s something to the fact that Hitch has been let go after a handful of years at every stop. The CBJ sure seemed to have stopped paying him any mind this year.
Thanks for letting me post some drivel.
Posted by VandyBuck on 02/03/10 at 07:43 PM ET
Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I think there’s reason to question Hitchcock’s adaptability when team progress stagnates or regresses. Even player development seems rather old-school from the outside. It might be a good idea to inject a bit of youth and fresh ideas in the organisation. But, apparently, Claude Noel gets his shot at being coach for the remainder of the season.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 02/03/10 at 08:03 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Top Five Norris Trophy Candidates
Malkin, Luongo dazzle during Tuesday’s action
Rangers-Devils game involves a little bit of controversy
Jets’ Evander Kane retroactively diagnosed with a concussion
Video- Rangers Thought They Tied The Game
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
God, what an idiotic franchise.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 02/03/10 at 04:54 PM ET