Hitchcock’s retirement from coaching lasted only a few months. Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli, desperate to save the season and his job, had no trouble persuading the NHL’s third all-time coaching winner (825 wins) to replace Todd McLellan after the Oilers had negated a solid start by losing six of seven games. The thoughtful and blunt Hitchcock, an Edmonton native, is 1-1-1 since he took over last Tuesday, including an overtime loss at Anaheim and a 5-2 loss to the Kings that was a one-goal game in the final minute. He’s emphasizing defense, a difficult task with the Oilers’ weak defense corps, but he has players’ attention.
What we learned in the NHL last week: Ken Hitchcock is back; Ron Hextall is out
