Blues Extend Ken Hitchcock’s Contract, Release Assistants Agnew, Hirsch

The St. Louis Blues suffered an early exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but Ken Hitchcock’s job is safe, at least for another year.

Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced that his team has extended Hitchcock’s contract for the 2014-15 season.

Armstrong also announced that assistant coach Gary Agnew and goaltending coach Corey Hirsch will not return next season, while associate coach Brad Shaw and assistant coach Ray Bennett will remain with the club.

Hitchcock, who took over in St. Louis in 2011, led the Blues to a franchise-record 52 wins and 111 points in the regular season, finishing tied for third-best record in the Western Conference with the Anaheim Ducks.

Things looked promising for Hitchcock and his squad after the Blues won the first two games of their Western Conference quarterfinal matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, but the defending champions roared back to win four straight and send St. Louis to an early exit.

The 62-year-old has 657 wins in his 18-year career, good for second among all active NHL coaches behind Blackhawks skipper Joel Quenneville.

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