It’s widely believed that last season, the Dallas Stars simply lost respect and will for head coach Lindy Ruff. Which of these players can improve the greatest under the new regime?
On Thursday morning, the Dallas Stars confirmed reports that they had appointed veteran National Hockey League bench boss Ken Hitchcock to head coach of the Dallas Stars.
The rumors of Hitchcock, formerly a Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars, rejoining the underperforming organization were prevalent. The firing of Lindy Ruff directly after the season finale on April 8th opened the door for Hitchcock.
Hitchcock, the owner of the fourth-most head coaching wins in NHL history, has a reputation for being extremely difficult to play for; the 67-year-old implements a heavily defensive system based on discipline and maturity.
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However, given his previous success with the Stars of old – featuring league superstars Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen, he deserves a chance with the newest crop of talent after 15 combined years away from Big D.
With the various systemic issues that arose from the Lindy Ruff-led staff, many of Dallas’s top dogs underwhelmed this season, something Hitchcock vows to change. But who, out of this talented core, can take the biggest leap under Hitch?