VOORHEES, N.J., May 14 (UPI) -- Ken Hitchcock was named the new head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday, agreeing to a four-year contract.
The decision came after a long interview session Monday with Board Chairman Ed Snider and General Manager Bob Clarke.
Hitchcock's goal was obvious: lead the Flyers to their first Stanley Cup title since 1975.
"This is a really proud moment for me. There is a feeling for me of coming home," said Hitchcock, who was an assistant coach with the Flyers from 1990-93.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it is believed he received a deal worth close to $1.5 million annually.
With a payroll of $55.5 million, the Flyers were expected to reach the Stanley Cup Finals this season, but flopped in the playoffs, scoring only two goals in losing to the Ottawa
Senators, four games to one, in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Now the Flyers have a high-profile coach in Hitchcock, who led the Dallas Stars to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 1999 and five straight division titles to match a star-studded roster which features Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair, Keith Primeau, Adam Oates and Mark Recchi.
"Ken was the best coach available and we consider him one of the best coaches in the National Hockey League," Clarke said. "He has been successful at every level right from kids' hockey on through to, and including, the NHL. We are very lucky to get a coach like Ken for our hockey club."
Hitchcock, 50, replaces Bill Barber, who was fired on April 30 amid player unrest after the disastrous showing against Ottawa.
Primeau, the team captain, publicly criticized Barber, claiming the coaching staff was not open to suggestions, and put the onus on the players to make the adjustments.
With Hitchcock, the Flyers will get a coach known for being a master strategist with an emphasis on backchecking and a strong work ethic.
"He's an ideal fit for us," said Primeau. "We all know the track record he had in Dallas. He is a system guy and we want to have a solid system we can play."
Hitchcock made comparisons between this veteran-laden Flyers team and the Stars club he guided to a Stanley Cup title in 1999 and a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2000.
That team included Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Derian Hatcher and Ed Belfour.
"I see a desperation here to win that I saw in Dallas," Hitchcock said. "I see it in the comments of the veteran players, by the few conversations with players I've run across. I see a desperation by the older players to win, and that's the same characteristics I saw when I went to Dallas. They were willing to do anything to win."
However, the Stars eventually grew tired of Hitchcock's rigid system. Dallas was swept in four games in the Western Conference semifinals by St. Louis in 2000-01, and Hull, who believed his goal-scoring ability was stifled by Hitchcock's system, signed with Detroit as a free agent.
Despite five straight division titles, Hitchcock was fired last Jan. 25 with the Stars in seventh place in the Western Conference with a 23-17-6-4 record. However, the move failed to inspire the Stars, who failed to make the playoffs under Rick Wilson.
Hitchcock most recently served as an assistant coach for Canada's 2002 World Hockey Championship team, and won a gold medal as an associate coach with Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Hitchcock served as coach of the Stars for parts of seven seasons after being hired in January 1996, compiling a record of 277-166-60 with two Presidents' Trophies and a postseason mark of 47-33.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Hitchcock served three seasons as an assistant with the Flyers from 1990-91 to 1992-93. He left to become coach of the Stars' International Hockey League affiliate, the Kalamazoo-Michigan K-Wings, for three seasons until being named coach of the Stars.
Philadelphia won the Atlantic Division and finished second in the conference with a 42-27-10-3 record in 2001-02, but suffered their fourth first-round exit in the last five years.
Before the trade deadline, Clarke acquired Oates from the Washington Capitals for a first, second and third-round draft pick along with goaltending prospect Maxim Ouelette. But the deal backfired on Clarke, especially since Oates is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Flyers somehow were shut out in three straight games by Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime after winning the series opener, 1-0, in overtime. They finally scored again in Game Five, but suffered a 2-1 overtime loss.
