DALLAS, TX. — Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock is retiring, ending a 22-year career as the third-winningest coach in NHL history.
Hitchcock will become a consultant for the team he led to its only Stanley Cup championship in 1999. The 66-year-old says it was "the right time to step away and let the younger generation of coaches take over."
Hitchcock returned to Dallas this season after 15 years away, with stops in Philadelphia, Columbus and St. Louis. General manager Jim Nill hoped Hitchcock could get the Stars back to the playoffs, but a late-season slump kept them out for the second straight year and the eighth time in 10 seasons.
Hitchcock's 823 wins are third all-time behind Scotty Bowman and Joel Quenneville. He's fourth in games with 1,536.
