In the Stars

Hitchcock’s firing a surprise only in the timing

Not even a Stanley Cup ring could keep Ken Hitchcock from the ignominy of a midseason firing. But in a conversation with CNNSI.com, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber says there was more than enough writing on the wall.

CNNSI.com: Explain the logic of signing guys in the offseason who don’t fit a coach’s system, getting rid of them in favor of guys who might and then firing that coach when the team is four points from a division lead.

Farber: Well, Ken Hitchcock’s shelf life must have been up in Dallas. He is a man with a plan and a vision, a man who believes in details. His only problem is that he can nag his players to the point of distraction. Some of the jagged edges were smoothed over, but his prickly relationships with so many of his players made it an uncomfortable room. As one of his former players told me, “I really like Hitch, but the problem is that he doesn’t really trust his players.”

CNNSI.com: When did things begin to crack with the Stars?

Farber: The Stars tried to reinvent themselves after completely running out of gas against St. Louis in the playoffs last year. They needed more offense and had their hearts set on signing Jeremy Roenick to be a cornerstone of a revitalized team. Remember, owner Tom Hicks is attracted to name players and Roenick was the big name out there. Of course, Roenick signed with Philadelphia at the start of the free agency period and Dallas was caught short.

They signed four unrestricted free agents, none of whom would be described as Hitchcock players and they decided they didn’t have room for an aging Brett Hull, who had scored 39 goals the previous year. The Stars called a do-over, trading three of those players -- Donald Audette, Jyrki Lumme and Valeri Kemensky. Only Pierre Turgeon, who has been slumping, remains.

You could see there was a problem in back-to-back games in late October when they played road games in Detroit and on Long Island. In both of those games the Stars allowed something in the neighborhood of 45 shots. That’s simply not how Hitchcock coaches. The team was no longer getting the message or willing to sacrifice. That was going to bode ill long term for the Stars.

CNNSI.com: Is this a case of taking a sometimes uncharted ship and ripping the rudder right off?

Farber: Certainly this is a short-term move. To my knowledge Rick Wilson has never expressed a strong interest in becoming a head coach, and somehow I can’t see him staying long term in this job unless the Stars play a lot better than they have been. Hicks thought a new voice was necessary in Dallas. But it seems to me that the Stars aren’t in any better position to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup today than they were yesterday.

CNNSI.com: How does Ken Hitchcock affect a locker room over the long term?

Farber: Oh, some of his players found him insufferable. He just hammered them. He was very, very critical. Jere Lehtinen, for example, took it to heart. Famous story: Hitchcock once got upset with the line of Modano, Hull and Lehtinen, and shooed them off the ice during a practice. Hull and Modano showered and changed, but Lehitinen was still sitting in his practice uniform a half hour later wondering what he did wrong. There was a lot of rolling of the eyes with Hitchcock.

But he got them to a Stanley Cup, and he got them to another final that, privately, he didn’t think he could win, the series against the Devils. Some members of the organization didn’t like that assessment, but Hitchcock thought New Jersey had tougher players and better skaters.

CNNSI.com: Is the Stars' roster their biggest problem?

Farber: They signed a bunch of players, many of them playing in the wrong position up front. They really haven’t developed players in the way, say New Jersey has, despite also having late-round draft picks. Brendan Morrow still could be that player, but doesn’t seem to be making much progress this season. The Stars tried to fill in the blanks with their moves. And this is a lightning-bolt attempt to slow the deterioration of a franchise that was very noticeable last year, especially in the playoffs.

CNNSI.com: Do these moves also mean the end of the Ed Belfour era?

Farber: Ed Belfour is an unrestricted free agent, but I’m not sure it does mean the end of him in Dallas. Depending on the circumstances, with a new coach more to his liking, who knows?

Hitchcock was a great defender of Belfour in many ways. He was willing to change the practice time because Belfour has a very exacting routine. Belfour needed more time in the morning and they accommodated him. Hitchcock always went out of his way to defend him publicly, despite whatever was said privately; he stuck up for Belfour after the Mansion at Turtle Creek incident, for instance. And even though there were incidents between the two, Hitchcock made an incredibly strong pitch that swayed Wayne Gretzky and got Belfour on the Canadian Olympic team over Phoenix goalie Sean Burke.

CNNSI.com: What are the chances of us seeing Mike Modano just going off, end-to-end rushes, etc.?

Farber: I think people mistake what Hitchcock was trying to do. I think he helped Mike Modano become a better player and to win a Cup. Modano is a phenomenal talent who was given the responsibility of playing most nights against the other team’s top line. If Wilson decides to change those responsibilities, maybe Modano gets a few more opportunities, but that won’t make him any more of a player.

CNNSI.com: What's next for Ken Hitchcock? There have to be a number of teams that wouldn’t mind his services.

Farber: Oh, he goes to the top of the list. He’s got the portfolio, despite the reputation. Pat Burns wouldn’t mind coming back and he thought he might have the Carolina job if it opened up, but Hitchcock jumps ahead of Burns now because of that Cup.

CNNSI.com: As for the Stars, what can we expect of them?

Farber: I don’t know where they turn. Clearly, this is not a Stanley Cup favorite. This is a playoff team, but it’s a team that has to settle in and develop players, spend free agent money as wisely as they did on Belfour, who remains probably their best signing in terms of free agency.

CNNSI.com: Do you expect a big trade involving any of the centers?

Farber: It’s not a terrible team. I’m not sure about that. If someone wanted Turgeon, maybe, but there’s a good bit of talent there. The defensive corps are solid, if not great. Still, you could see this coming. I didn’t expect it during the season, I expected it to happen once Bob Gainey left, but the process has been accelerated. It shows you that Tom Hicks isn’t going to wait around.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

Related information
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.