One year after returning to the team he led to a Stanley Cup title in 1998-99

One year after returning to the team he led to a Stanley Cup title in 1998-99, Ken Hitchcock has retired as head coach. The 66-year-old got his start in head coaching in 1995-96 with the Stars and stayed in Dallas for most of seven seasons, then began a second stint with the franchise this season. But after a 42-32-8 finish in 2017-18, the Stars' second consecutive year without a playoff appearance, Hitchcock is moving to a consulting role in Pierre-Luc Dubois Women Jersey the front office, Friday. "We were honored to have Ken as our head coach and it was fitting that he finished his coaching here," Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said. "He is a certain Hockey Hall of Fame coach and he left a lasting legacy wherever he went. He will forever be a Dallas Star and I look forward to his continued friendship." Third on the NHL's all-time leaderboard for coaching victories with 823, Hitchcock also led the , and St. Adam Clendening Men Jersey Louis , taking the latter to five straight postseasons starting in 2011-12. But he is best known for his time with the Stars, coaching a franchise-best 585 games, 319 wins and .614 points percentage. The man behind the Stars' only Stanley Cup championship in 1999, he took Dallas right back to the Final in 2000, adding to his 47 career playoff wins, another team record. "Ken Hitchcock is an icon when it comes to head coaches, not only in hockey, but acro s all of sports," Stars general manager Jim Nill said, . "He poured his whole life into better understanding in-game concepts and strategy, inspiring players and enhancing teams." Nill and Hitchcock teamed up to headline the 2017-18 NHL offseason when they went big in free agency to catapult a 2016 division-winning club back into the postseason picture, but the Stars' late-season struggles kept them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.