The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have hired head coach Mike Yeo, who will take over in the 2017-2018 season following Ken Hitchcock's retirement. Hitchcock announced that next season would be his last after his team was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference Finals.
Yeo coached the Minnesota Wild from 2011-2016, making the playoffs three consecutive seasons. The Chicago Blackhawks were a thorn their side, knocking them out each of those three years. The team fired Yeo 55 games into last season after they got off to a tough 23-22-10 start. The Wild had gone 3-12-4 in Yeo's final 19 games.
The young coach does have a Stanley Cup on his resume, winning one in 2009 as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spoke highly of their soon-to-be coach, saying ""for being 42 years old, he's got a lot of experience."
The team also hired Rick Wilson as an assistant. Wilson was on Hitchcock's coaching staff in 1999 with the Dallas Stars, a team that would win the Stanley Cup. He also worked on Yeo's staff in Minnesota.
The 64-year-old Hitchcock has had plenty of success in St. Louis, including leading the team to a 107-point season last year. They took down the Blackhawks and Stars, before falling to the Sharks in six games. He looks to have another long run with the team before handing them over to Yeo in two seasons.
Yeo coached the Minnesota Wild from 2011-2016, making the playoffs three consecutive seasons. The Chicago Blackhawks were a thorn their side, knocking them out each of those three years. The team fired Yeo 55 games into last season after they got off to a tough 23-22-10 start. The Wild had gone 3-12-4 in Yeo's final 19 games.
The young coach does have a Stanley Cup on his resume, winning one in 2009 as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spoke highly of their soon-to-be coach, saying ""for being 42 years old, he's got a lot of experience."
The team also hired Rick Wilson as an assistant. Wilson was on Hitchcock's coaching staff in 1999 with the Dallas Stars, a team that would win the Stanley Cup. He also worked on Yeo's staff in Minnesota.
The 64-year-old Hitchcock has had plenty of success in St. Louis, including leading the team to a 107-point season last year. They took down the Blackhawks and Stars, before falling to the Sharks in six games. He looks to have another long run with the team before handing them over to Yeo in two seasons.
