Ken Hitchcock signs new deal, and makes a major announcement.

As was reported late last night, veteran head coach Ken Hitchcock has agreed to the terms of a new one year deal and will remain the head coach of the St. Louis Blues.

The Blues made the announcement official on Tuesday when they released the following official statement:

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the Blues have signed Head Coach Ken Hitchcock to a one-year contract.

Hitchcock was originally hired by the Blues on Nov. 7, 2011, becoming the 24th head coach in team history. The Edmonton, Alberta native will enter his sixth season behind the Blues bench in 2016-17. During his tenure with the Blues, Hitchcock has guided the team to four of the top five regular seasons in franchise history and earned five consecutive births in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

It wasn't the one year deal that was the story today however, as Hitchcock appeared to indicate that this will be his final year in the National Hockey League, effectively preemptively announcing his retirement at the end of next season.

"This is my last one year deal, not coaching after this year, said Hitchcock. "I'm done. I'm not coaching after this year."

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