Stars fire coach Ken Hitchcock 01/25/2002 By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News Ken Hitchcock, the winningest head coach in Stars history, was fired Friday. The team made the announcement Friday morning before a game with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Longtime assistant coach Rick Wilson will replace Hitchcock, at least on an interim basis. The Stars also announced Doug Armstrong will replace Bob Gainey as general manager. Gainey, who had announced earlier this season that he would step down as GM, moves into his consultant role. Gainey said at a news conference Friday that the decision to fire Hitchcock was "not something that arrived in a flash." He blamed the "ongoing sputtering" of the team for the move. ``Everybody connected to the group has some responsibility,'' Gainey said.``Ken is paying a price today.'' The Stars are 23-17-6-4 and four points out of first place in the Pacific Division. Dallas had lost three of its past four games, including a 4-2 loss Wednesday to Vancouver. After the game, players were critical of the team’s recent play. “You got to want it, and collectively now we don’t,” captain Derian Hatcher said after Friday's game. Said defenseman Darryl Sydor: “We have to start digging down and playing with our hearts, playing with pride, playing for the Dallas Stars. That crest has got to mean a lot to you. Right now, we’re not playing with that. We’re just going through the motions and you can see what’s happening.” Tellingly, Hitchcock had a 30-minute on-ice meeting with star center Mike Modano after practice Thursday. Modano looked tired, muttered to himself and sounded more frustrated than he’s been in a long time. He spoke at length about his disappointment with the Stars play this season. But players denied they had quit on Hitchcock. Player complaints about Hitchcock’s system and coaching style have increased this season. He was criticized by players like Donald Audette and Benoit Hogue after they were traded this season. And other free-agent signees like Pierre Turgeon and Rob DiMaio have struggled, which maybe had as much to do with Gainey’s approach as Hitchcock. For all the criticism of his methods, Hitchcock has won five consecutive division titles, and one Stanley Cup in 1999 followed by a trip to the Finals in 2000. The Stars were swept in the second round of the playoffs by St. Louis last year. He became the winningest coach in franchise history last season. Hitchcock recently coached his 500th game against Florida. Only Toe Blake, Fred Shero and Glen Sather in NHL history had more wins after 500 games than Hitchcock. This past summer, Hitchcock signed a three-year, $3.2 million contract with the Stars that is scheduled to run through 2003-04. With his record and contacts, he’s unlikely to stay unemployed long. Hitchcock is also scheduled to be an assistant coach for Team Canada in upcoming Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
