The St. Louis Blues aren’t waiting around.
The Blues have fired head coach Ken Hitchcock, naming associate coach Mike Yeo their new head coach in Hitchcock’s stead. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong on Wednesday announced the move, which will take effect immediately.
Hitchcock served as St. Louis’ coach since the 2011-2012 season, compiling a 248-124-41 record with the Blues. He signed a one-year contract with St. Louis last May and was expected to step down after this season, as the team hired Yeo last summer with the expectation he’d take over for Hitchcock in 2017-18.
But the Blues have decided to expedite the process, firing Hitchcock amid its 24-21-5 start that has it in danger of missing the postseason for the first time in six seasons. The 65-year-old Hitchcock currently sits fourth on the NHL’s all-time regular season win list with 781, just one behind Al Arbour.
Yeo is back in the head-coaching ranks after four-plus seasons with the Minnesota Wild, who fired him midway through the 2015-16 season.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
