New York Islanders Coaching Options Are Plentyful

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Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock walks from the bench area after defeating the against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Ken Hitchcock

Pedigree: 21 Years NHL Experience, 1 Stanley Cup (98-99), 1 Jack Adams (11-12)

Few boast Ken Hitchcock’s lengthy body of work in the NHL. For 21 years he’s been behind the bench of various NHL teams.

In all those years Hitch has an average .606 points percentage. Which is the number of points taken from the maximum number of points possible. That’s an average of 99 points in an 82 games season.

The caveat here is if Hitchcock still has it in him to get behind the bench. At 65 years-old he isn’t a spring chicken anymore. Retirement might just be what he wants.

But the unceremonious way that things ended in St. Louis might just be enough to motivate him for another stint.

And what better way to get back on the coaching horse than with an Islanders team that is an NHL caliber coach to take that step forward not only as a team but as a franchise.

Coaches of Hitchcock’s pedigree aren’t typically sitting behind the bench for the Islanders. Getting a true NHL caliber coach would be a statement that this franchise is committed to excellence in every position.