Blues, Hitchcock OK one-year deal

After careful deliberation, the St. Louis Blues are sticking with veteran coach Ken Hitchcock for another season.

The Blues and Hitchcock announced they agreed to a one-year contract Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“This is unfinished business for me,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t want to coach to coach, I want to coach to win. I couldn’t find a better spot.”

Hitchcock and general manager Doug Armstrong referred to the term “detoxing” since the Blues were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Instead of sweeping personnel changes, they promise increased commitment.

Armstrong said he wouldn’t break up the core, including captain forwards David Backes, T.J. Oshie, and Patrik Berglund, and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, just to make a change.

Heading the list of the offseason objectives is resigning Vladimir Tarasenko, among the NHL goal-scoring leaders, to a long-term deal.

Hitchcock said the half-ice game that works so well in the regular season won’t work in the playoffs. He wants to see more “reckless” play.

Hitchcock took over as Blues coach during the 2011-2012 season. He has led St. Louis to an NHLbest 175-79-27 regular-season record since then. The postseason has been a different story.

Under Hitchcock, the Blues have made it past the first round of the playoffs just once in four tries, and never past the second.

Elsewhere

The investor attempting to build a new arena in Seattle says his group has yet to be presented with a plan that would have a hockey franchise as the first occupant of the facility. Chris Hansen said that, despite speculation about Seattle being a potential NHL expansion market, there has yet to be any formal proposal that would allow for arena construction to begin with only a hockey franchise secured.