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Ken Hitchcock | Center

Team: St Louis Blues
Age / DOB:  (61) / 12/17/1951
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Blues GM Doug Armstrong called his team's goaltending situation "cloudy."
Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak are both candidates for the number one role and signed through next season, but they'll also have to compete with 22-year-old Jake Allen. "I think anything could happen," Armstrong said. "It was a difficult year for both Elliott and Jaro, and I think Jake took great advantage of it. He’s proven to us now that he has to go in the equation. Brian got off to a poor start, resurrected himself, had a great finish. Jaro, unfortunately, had injuries. We were giving him the ball and then ... he got injured again, and the season progressed and he didn’t get back in the net. So it’s a cloudy issue right now to be honest with you, our goaltending situation, because of how the season has progressed. It’s a positive cloud in one sense, in that Jake has given us things we have to look at." It's possible that the Blues will trade Halak or Elliott to clear the logjam. May 15 - 11:20 AM
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Date:
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock and GM Doug Armstrong both mentioned the need for the team's "homegrown" players to take a big step next season.

There's been a lot of talk about the Blues not possessing an elite finisher, but St. Louis also has multiple former first-round picks on the roster. Players like T.J. Oshie, Chris Stewart and Patrik Berglund need to develop into more consistent offensive players in the postseason while youngsters Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko get more experience under their belts.
Related: Chris Stewart, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 14 - 11:17 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

It doesn't sound like the St. Louis Blues are going to make sweeping changes following their first-round exit.

"My belief in playoff success is you knock on the door, you get to the door enough times and sooner or later you get through," Blues GM Doug Armstrong said. "Where we're at now is we're at the door consistently for two years, we're going to get back there. If we put ourselves in this position year-in and year-out, at some point we'll get through." He added that he feels the team is moving in the right direction.
Source: Bellevue News-Democrat
May 13 - 9:41 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

Ken Hitchcock says the St. Louis Blues should be "disappointed in the opportunity we missed."

The Blues lost four straight games after taking a 2-0 lead in the series against the Kings and it's hard to blame Hitchcock for being as upset as he was after Friday's series-clinching 2-1 loss. "I hope our players, when they pause and reflect on it, are really pissed off," Hitchcock said. It was the second straight year the Blues were bounced by the Kings, but what has to be really frustrating is how well they played for long stretches of the series. We don't imagine the sting of this loss will fade anytime soon.
Source: Jeremy Rutherford on Twitter
May 11 - 1:38 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock likes the way his team is playing despite the fact that they're down 3-2 in their first-round series.

"I think we’re going to play really well, I really do," Hitchcock said. "I said that (Wednesday) and I felt the same way (Thursday). We’ve just got to keep going. It’s one game. You’ve got to win on the road if you’re going to win in the playoffs. Just keep playing the same way, make a couple of adjustments and hope that the players keep their spirit and that they’re not discouraged by playing well and losing." Every game in this series has been decided by just one goal, but the Blues have now lost three straight games. They need to win in Los Angeles on Friday, but the Kings were 19-4-1 at home during the regular season and 2-0 in this postseason run.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 10 - 10:15 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

The St. Louis Blues are prepared for a first-round rematch with the Los Angeles Kings, who swept them out of the playoffs in the second round last spring.

The Blues have had a lot of difficulty with the Kings, who have eight straight over St. Louis dating back to last year's sweep. "Look, we haven't beaten them in two years," coach Ken Hitchcock said Monday. "I think we're really hungry for this series. It's a matchup that quite frankly if we're going to go far, the confidence if we could win this series would be astronomical."
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Apr 30 - 12:15 PM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

The St. Louis Blues have a 9-2 record in overtime and shootout games this season.

That includes Thursday's 2-1 shootout victory over Phoenix. Their ability to earn that extra point has been vital this season. If they had even gone a mediocre 5-6 instead, they would not be in the top eight in the Western Conference right now. St. Louis has excelled in general when it comes to close games this season and that could be a positive indicator of how they'll do in the playoffs.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Apr 19 - 11:08 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

The St. Louis Blues aren't too concerned about playoffs positioning, they just hope they get a spot.

"Our players look at what happened and are thinking maybe it could be us … if we can just get in," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We’re going to have some real tough games here the next little while. But I think everybody feels that if you can just get in, you’ve got a chance. We’re just trying to get in right now." St. Louis is in a pretty good spot in that regard. They have a three-point cushion over the ninth place Detroit Red Wings and have played in one less game. The Blues are a team to watch in the postseason. They have strong goaltender and a balanced squad. That hasn't translated in the regular season success, but if there's a team that will be the 2013 version of the Kings, then the Blues are a good candidate.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Apr 18 - 11:06 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

While the St. Louis Blues are struggling offensively, they have been great of late on the penalty kill.

The Blues have not allowed a goal in their last 23 chances with the man-disadvantage, a span of 10 games. They are seventh best overall in the NHL at 84.7 percent efficiency.
Source: Bellevue News-Democrat
Apr 16 - 11:38 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock needs one more victory to reach the 600 plateau.

Only 10 coaches in NHL history have reached 600 victories, and when Hitchcock joins them, he will become one of six to have spent part of his career with the Blues. The list features Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, Mike Keenan, Joel Quenneville and Jacques Martin.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Apr 13 - 11:39 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

The St. Louis Blues held a team meeting after their 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

The Blues have lost two straight and rank seventh in the Western Conference. "The issue for us is the way we manage the game," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said, "We’re at our best when we manage the game across the board well, and we’re not managing the game. We’re opening ourselves up. A good goalie can come in and beat us, and we don’t want to be like that. Goalies are going to play good against us, but we want to still be able to win hockey games, even when the (opposing) goalie is playing well. We’re not doing it on a consistent basis. Since our 6-1 start, we’re one game under .500. That’s reality. And we want to be better, so we’re trying to get better." They'll face a tough opponent in the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday before going on a stretch where they'll play just once over six days.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Mar 27 - 9:36 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

After a frustrating 3-2 loss at Vancouver on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues boarded a bus that whisked them deep into the night, 80 miles north to a Whistler Mountain chateau.

They arrived past midnight and will stay until heading to Edmonton on Friday afternoon. The setting is a ski vacation postcard, cozy fireplaces, quaint villages and Chai Lattes. "More than anything, we’re trying to get 100 percent commitment in our team," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "And some of it is on the ice and some of it is a connection off the ice. As much as we’re putting in three quality days of work here, from a team-building standpoint, from a chemistry standpoint, the guys are going to do their stuff off the ice to hopefully get closer."
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Mar 21 - 11:37 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

With his star rookie Vladimir Tarasenko out with a concussion, St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock is angry and concerned about the vulnerability of young NHL players in general.

"I think there’s a bigger picture for me here," Hitchcock said. "It’s not so much Vladi, it’s all the young players who are in unsuspecting situations. It just seems like there’s a lot of young players that are getting hurt because experienced players know where they can catch them in vulnerable situations. I wish there were a way that we could let the young guys play a little bit and not try to put them in unsuspecting (positions). I don’t think in a million years (Tarasenko) thought he would get hit in that situation." In Tarasenko’s case, Colorado's Mark Olver was not penalized on the hit, and the NHL’s Player Safety Department saw no evidence afterward that deemed it worthy of a suspension or fine. Hitchcock scoffed. "It’s a blow to the head," he said. "I don’t care how it got there, whether it was a legit hockey play ... it was a blow to the head. I don’t give a damn about the rule. I’m just saying from a young player’s standpoint. . ."
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Feb 24 - 11:31 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

The St. Louis Blues were due to arrive home on Tuesday morning after flight delays in Vancouver Monday.

The Blues played in Vancouver Sunday night and decided to remain in the British Columbia city overnight before returning home Monday morning. But flight delays forced the Blues to remain in Vancouver as the flight finally left early Tuesday morning, St. Louis time. They are due to arrive around 7 AM CT and will play the Sharks on Tuesday evening. The Blues could be tired so it may be a good time for the Sharks to break out from their long losing streak.
Related: Sharks
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Feb 19 - 8:03 AM
Ken Hitchcock - C - Blues

St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock vented some frustration over his team's recent play following their 5-1 loss to Detroit on Thursday.

"We’re cheating all over the ice," Hitchcock said. "We’re cheating to get on the offense, we’re cheating to score. We’re cheating each other and we’re cheating the game, and we’re paying the price for it." The Blues have lost three straight games, including two crushing defeats at home. All the same, they still have a respectable 6-4-0 record this season.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Feb 8 - 10:48 AM

Depth Charts

All Positions
PosRoleName
C1David Backes
2Patrik Berglund
3Alexander Steen
4Scott Nichol
LW1David Perron
2Andy McDonald
3Jaden Schwartz
4Andrew Murray
5Vladimir Sobotka
6Evgeny Grachev
RW1T.J. Oshie
2Chris Stewart
3Vladimir Tarasenko
4Jamie Langenbrunner
5Ryan Reaves
6Adam Cracknell
7Chris Porter
D1Alex Pietrangelo
2Kevin Shattenkirk
3Jay Bouwmeester
4Kris Russell
5Barret Jackman
6Jordan Leopold
7Roman Polak
8Taylor Chorney
9Ian Cole
10Jeff Woywitka
11Jani Hakanpaa
G1Brian Elliott
2Jake Allen
3Jaroslav Halak