Hitchcock returns to hometown as Oilers head coach

The hiring of an Edmonton Oilers head coach will see the team hitch its wagon to leadership with local roots.

Some of Ken Hitchcock’s earliest coaching years were spent in Sherwood Park, coaching the Midget AAA Alberta Chain to league and provincial championships in the late 1970s and early 1980s. When the Edmonton-born coach moved to the WHL, Hitchcock had a record of 575 wins, 69 losses and 11 ties.

“I think his record probably spoke for itself, that's why he ended up doing what he did,” said Mike Roth, of Sherwood Park’s Sin Bin Sports.

“His name is definitely known by everybody in this community,” agreed Roth’s colleague, Riley Perka.

Perka played on the AAA team a few years ago. Now, he’s behind the bench, using Hitchcock’s legacy as motivation.

“That’s the kind of bar that we want to reach every year, and he definitely set the example for that.”

With files from Jeremy Thompson 

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  The Oilers' new head coach, Ken Hitchcock, was born in Edmonton and spent some of his early coaching years with Sherwood Park teams.