NHL Notes: Ken Hitchcock is returning to coach the Dallas Stars

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Ken Hitchcock is returning to coach the Dallas Stars, a person with direct knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press.

The Stars are expected to announce the hire Thusday, but the person confirmed the move on condition of anonymity Wednesday.

Hitchcock won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999, coaching there for parts of seven seasons from 1995-96 through 2001-02. He has since coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues (see full story).

Sidney Crosby has NHL's best-selling jersey
NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby has the best-selling jersey in the NHL for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

The league announced Wednesday that shop.NHL.com sales show the Pittsburgh Penguins captain leading the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews for the most popular jersey this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews makes his NHL debut on the list at No. 4, followed by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The league says sales of NHL merchandise on shop.NHL.com during the 2016-17 regular season were up 14 percent year-over-year, while jersey sales rose 11 percent during the same period.

Weight loses interim status, Islanders' coach
NEW YORK -- Doug Weight said he hadn't thought about whether he wanted to return as coach of the New York Islanders while the season was winding down, but hoped to make a quick decision.

It took him just two days.

The Islanders announced Wednesday that Weight, promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach in January, was a permanent hire (see story).

Marcoux out as Hurricanes' goalie coach
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes are parting ways with goaltenders coach David Marcoux.

General manager Ron Francis said Wednesday that the team will not renew Marcoux's contract when it expires over the summer. Marcoux spent three years on Carolina's staff.

The Hurricanes ranked 18th in the league this season by allowing an average of 2.8 goals despite allowing only giving up 28 shots per game -- the fifth-best average in the NHL. They missed the postseason for the eighth straight year -- the longest active drought in the league -- and have made the playoffs just once since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Francis said goaltending is "certainly an area we've got to look at real closely and fix for next season."

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