GENE'S BLOG: Hitch In Their Plan

SAN JOSE, CA - I was laying in bed when it happened and apparently when the day ended Ken Hitchcock should have been in bed. At least that's what the new Edmonton Oilers coach felt was his rightful spot or at least would have been if he hadn't been hired as the Edmonton Oilers head coach. From a firing to a hiring to a victory to wrap up a memorable day, for many reasons, in the history of the franchise. After it was all done the new coach hinted it was past his bedtime. Heck, it was past my bedtime. If you consider the 4-3 OT result in favour of the Oilers ended at just after 10:00 PM Pacific Time which was after midnight Central Time. That is the time zone in which Hitchcock started his day.

Do you know the way to San Jose? In the case of the new bench boss, the answer is yes... It's a 4-hour direct flight from Dallas. Quite the day for the man known as 'Hitch.' A 9:00 AM flight, 11:00 AM arrival, 11:30 AM meet with the coaches, 12:00 PM meet with the team, 12:15 conversation with the assistants, 12:30 PM meet the media, 2:00 PM lunch/game prep, 4:45 PM bus to the rink, 5:00 PM pre-game meeting, 7:30 PM puck drop, 10:00 PM win one as the 15th head coach in Edmonton Oilers history. What a day. A long day but a good one for Hitchcock. Not as good for Todd McLellan.
People would often ask me, and I'm sure others who are around the team, 'What kind of a coach Todd McLellan is or was with Edmonton?' My response was always, 'I can't really tell you what kind of coach he is but I can tell what kind of guys he is. A good one. A real good one.' As you see someone day after day after day for more than three years you get to know them as more than just the coach. Todd was always first class with me and I never saw him act differently with others. From strangers to friends to anything in between, he had a way to make you feel like he cared and he did. On Tuesday, I lost count of how many times "He's a good man," was uttered. He is and he's a good coach but the dots (and the Oilers) weren't connecting the way they should.

In comes Hitchcock. A familiar face, name and person around the game. It would take someone with a resume as long as Ken's or something along those lines to step into this situation. It isn't easy and he isn't easy to play for as said by Hitchcock himself. As much as players like to have personal success, they want to win. It's a results-driven business. The better the results the better everyone feels. It showed Tuesday night as the last goal was the goal that led to a winning feeling. As we waited outside the Oilers room you could hear clapping and cheering. Things you only hear after a game or, more specifically, a win. The Edmonton Oilers, in a day filled with emotion, ended it with the best emotion of all... Happiness.
Peter Chiarelli hired McLellan and unfortunately, he also had to fire him. This isn't a Donald Trump TV show where he yells 'You're fired,' and they go to commercial. There is no break. I noticed it most during the first intermission of the game against San Jose. Chiarelli looked tired and worn out. What else would you expect? It's a tough time from top to bottom in the organization. A difficult day that turned into a productive night. While he was up past his bedtime Tuesday night, you have to think the 66-year-old Hitchcock slept like a baby knowing there's a Hitch in the Oilers plan.