Hawks' Sharp endorses new Blues coach

ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp is among those that endorses Ken Hitchcock's move to St. Louis. Sharp, who played for Hitchcock with the Philadelphia Flyers, said the Blues are getting a good man, someone who helped elevate his game.

"He transformed my game a little bit. I think him along with John Stevens, the coach in the minors at the time, really taught me to play the right way," Sharp said. "He's probably mentioned that over there ... playing the right way. I learned that from him and I was thankful I got to play under him for two years.

"He'll have St. Louis playing great. I know that. It's not a good thing he's coaching in out division, but we need to play better and beat these guys. ... He has a proven record of building teams and building winners. ... They're going to get used to having team meetings and they're going to get used to the details and the finer points of the game. Those are all things Hitch is the best at."

Hitchcock said Sharp was one of those players that adjusted to his style.

"Patrick and I, we're pretty close," Hitchcock said. "I think the tight ship is skill level is not relevant. Everybody has to be a worker. That's kind of what I'm very determined at. I don't do a lot of yelling and screaming and embarrassing people. I'm relentless in that. To me, like any good coach in any sport is to have everyone play on the same page when the other team has the puck."

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