EDMONTON, AB - From the moment he took office in November as Oilers head coach, Ken Hitchcock had an arsenal at his disposal.
Taking the mantle of bench boss came with inheriting the club's extensive coaching and training staffs, from the assistant coaches all the way to equipment managers. The job of making them all work in tandem to his liking would also be a task.
The transition proved seamless.
"I think for me, I didn't know one coach very well here when I came in," Hitchcock said in his Sunday exit interview with the media. "I didn't know the support staff, and I got to tell you this became a very tight-knit group. I'm really impressed with the job they did to help me, the way we were able to formulate game plans, and the way we were able to work together.
"They worked really well in cohesion with [Todd McLellan], then it wasn't long before we were able to put things together and work in cohesion too. It was a really good group to be around, very professional, and very accomplished."
BLOG: Hitchcock "invigorated" by Oilers opportunity
"Just to see how important the game is and how much it means in this city and Northern Alberta has really given me a new perspective on the game of ice hockey," Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock said.
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