Stars bring back Hitchcock as coach

The Dallas Stars are bringing back Stanley Cup-winning coach Ken Hitchcock, hoping to turn themselves back into a championship contender.

Hitchcock is returning to Dallas and will be named coach at a news conference Thursday. A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed the hire to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team hadn’t announced it.

Hitchcock, 65, won the Cup with Dallas in 1999, coaching there for parts of seven seasons from 1995-96 through 2001-02. He has since coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues.

“Congrats Ken Hitchcock on the (Stars) head coach job,” 1999 Cup winner and Stars legend Mike Modano tweeted. “My schedule is pretty open.”

Hitchcock was fired as Blues coach in February and replaced by Mike Yeo. Even before that, St. Louis had announced it was Hitchcock’s final season there and that Yeo would take over.

Hitchcock replaces Lindy Ruff, who was fired Monday after four seasons in Dallas. The Stars missed the playoffs this year after winning the Central Division last season.

The Edmonton native is fourth on the NHL’s all-time wins list, one shy of legendary New York Islanders coach Al Arbour for third. Hitchcock can now pass Arbour back with the team that he led to its only title in franchise history. In all, Hitchcock has 781 wins, 474 losses, 88 ties and 111 overtime or shootout losses in 1,454 regular-season games. In addition to the Cup in 1999, he led the Stars to the final in 2000.

Dallas considered former Florida Panthers coach Gerard Gallant and others for its vacancy but went with the affable Hitchcock.