Ken Hitchcock: 'This is like coming home for me'

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said he wanted to move quickly on getting a new head coach, and he did. Nill and the Stars made it official Thursday that Ken Hitchcock, the man who led Dallas to the 1999 Stanley Cup, will be behind the Dallas bench once again.
"Ken's resume speaks for itself," Nill said. "Talking with him, I was so thrilled and excited about his passion to get back to coaching. He's recharged, and he wants to make a difference. I know he is the right man for the job."
Hitchcock, who was let go by the St. Louis Blues in February, will take over for Lindy Ruff, who parted ways with the Stars after the team decided not to renew his contract. Hitchcock returns to the team that gave him his first NHL coaching job back in 1996.
"This is an emotional day for me because this is like coming home," Hitchcock said. "This means the world for me."

Nill said Hitchcock received a multi-year contract to coach the Stars and that he'll move into a consulting job when he's done coaching.
"This is a deal where he's going to be with us for a while," Nill said.
Hitchcock is 781-474-199 (.606) in his career with the Stars, Philadelphia, Columbus and St. Louis, ranking fourth all-time among NHL coaches in wins. He guided the Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup Final in 2000. He coached the Stars over seven seasons (1996-2002), compiling a 277-154-72 (.622) record and is the franchise's all-time leader in wins and playoff wins (47).
"I can tell you this is really not about what Ken accomplished here," said Stars president Jim Lites. "It's.**