EDMONTON, AB - Ken Hitchcock is living his best life.
The Oilers head coach has more than just enjoyed directing his hometown Edmonton Oilers. So much so that the bench boss went on to hail his experience with the Orange & Blue as better than winning the Stanley Cup, which he did with the Dallas Stars in the 1998-99 season.
"It's better because, for me, hockey's been so important in my life," Hitchcock said from the Oilers Hall of Fame Room on Monday.
"It's given me everything. It's given me friends for life. To see and coach in a community where it means as much to the community as it does to me is an experience I've never had before. I said to people: We've either been the three or four sport in every city and, in some cases, five. To go through it where you're (number) one, and everything centres around that team, it's a fun experience. It's been that since the day I got here."
Hitchcock admitted that it took time to get used to the buzz that follows the Oilers but has since gotten used to it.
"It was a little overwhelming at the start, just from a scrutiny standpoint, but I'm comfortable with it now and wouldn't change it for the world," he added.
In 55 games manning the Oilers bench, Hitchcock owns a record of 24-24-7. Over his career as a coach in the NHL, Hitchcock is 847-530-88-126.
BLOG: Hitchcock enjoying an experience of a lifetime
"To see and coach in a community where it means as much to the community as it does to me is an experience I've never had before," said Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
