CALL THE COPS, HITCH MAKES A CITIZEN'S ARREST

If he doesn’t get another job behind an NHL bench (which is as likely as Lady Gaga settling on a sexual orientation) the former Stars coach might think about law enforcement or, gulp, mall copping. “Ken Hitchcock, Mall Cop”. That has a ring to it, and he’s proven in past that he can grow the stache.

Anyway, here’s the account compliment of the Penticton Herald

Unlikely hero saves the day - NHL coach Ken Hitchcock
By Special to The Herald
Friday, September 3, 2010

Former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock checked a teenage shoplifter and held him until officials blew the whistle.

The Stanley Cup-winning head coach, who spends part of his summers in Kelowna, was sitting in a parked car Wednesday morning outside clothing shop Cruzwear Unlimited on Bernard Avenue in Kelowna. A 14-year-old boy left the store with three pairs of shorts as employee Sherrie Lessare grabbed his backpack and held on.

When she called for help, Hitchcock and a man riding a motorcycle seized the thief and pinned him against the store window.

Lessare phoned the downtown security patrol while the two men detained the teen.

“They were both just wonderful people,” she said later. “Both guys, no questions asked, just came and helped.”

The motorcyclist grabbed the teen‘s arm, but he broke away. Hitchcock straight-armed him against the window as he struggled.

He continued holding the boy until members of Downtown On Call arrived. They banned the youth from the store and told him he‘d face a trespassing charge if he returned.

Hitchcock returned to the store 30 minutes later to check on Lessare.

“There are awesome people out there,” she said.

Lessare had no idea who Hitchcock was. She described him as “distinguished,” tanned, wearing walking shorts and expensive white runners.

Through a friend, Hitchcock declined an interview request.

At 58, Hitchcock has a career record of 436-278-105 in 13 seasons as an NHL head coach with Columbus, Philadelphia and Dallas. He coached his teams to six division titles in nine full seasons. He won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and was nominated for the Jack Adams Award as top coach three times.

Columbus sacked him part way through last season. A former coach with the Kamloops Blazers, he was an assistant on Canada‘s gold-medal team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The thief had visited the store a month ago. Suspecting he was up to no good, Lessare followed him around until he left.

On Wednesday, he showed up when she opened at 10 a.m.

Lessare saw him drop an empty hanger. She saw he had a pair of shorts folded in quarters and asked him to leave. He insulted her and walked out with three pairs.

“He‘s the third one I‘ve caught,” Lessare said.