Former Blue Jackets Head Coach Ken Hitchcock, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, will participate in a ceremonial puck drop prior to Thursday’s game at Nationwide Arena against the New York Islanders, the club announced today.
Hitchcock, who entered the Hall of Fame last November, ranks sixth on the NHL’s all-time wins and seventh ingames coached lists as he amassed an 849-534-88-27 record in 1,598 career contests with the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers between 1995-2019. He led his clubs to 14 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final with Dallas in 1999 and 2000. The Stars captured the franchise’s lone Stanley Cup championship in 1998-99.
The Edmonton, Alberta native became the fourth head coach in Blue Jackets history on Nov. 22, 2006 and led Columbus to a 125-123-36 record in 284 games behind the bench from 2006-10. He led the Blue Jackets to the franchise’s first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 41-31-10 record and currently ranks second on the club’s all-time games coached list and stands third in wins.
Thursday’s game between the Blue Jackets and Islanders is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage on Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports + and the Bally Sports app begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.
