Columbus Blue Jackets’ President and General Manager Don Waddell said that he was going to spend some time with head coach Pascal Vincent to get to know him. Apparently, Waddell had seen enough and decided now was the time to make a change.
On Monday, the Blue Jackets announced the firing of Vincent after just one season with the team. He was brought on just days before the start of 2023 Training Camp to replace Mike Babcock. Yet another failed season for the team coupled with numerous issues ultimately sealed Vincent’s fate in the eyes of Waddell.
Here is what Waddell had to say about the decision to fire Vincent.
“As I spent time with Pascal over the past few weeks, I found him to be an outstanding person and smart hockey coach who worked very hard last year under trying circumstances, but I believe a change behind the bench is in our team’s best interest. On behalf of the organization I want to thank Pascal for his work ethic, professionalism and contributions during his three seasons with the Blue Jackets.”
While the exact reasoning wasn’t shared by Waddell, it’s reasonable to believe that some sort of difference arose which caused the move to happen now. Vincent had one year left on his contract. The fact that Waddell wanted to make this move now was telling.
Sometimes, throwing around the phrase “New Era of Hockey” is quite overused. In this case, to call this a new era of Blue Jackets’ hockey is perfectly appropriate.
Blue Jackets New Era
Since John Tortorella left the Blue Jackets, they have had three different head coaches and are now seeking a fourth. Brad Larsen, Babcock and Vincent have all moved on.
John Davidson is now a senior adviser. Jarmo Kekalainen is around the team helping with some scouting. One or the other had been with the team since Kekalainen’s hiring in February 2013.
To show for it, the Blue Jackets have yet to reach a Conference Final, haven’t finished even second in their division in any given year and have just one playoff round win and one bubble win to show for their efforts. While the team had a few good years under Tortorella, that regime never got close to where they wanted to go.
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Hiring Waddell was the start. The Blue Jackets wanted someone with experience who could come in from an outsider’s perspective and give a full evaluation of the team. He wanted to take his time and be a sponge to learn about the organization. Just weeks after that proclamation, the first major domino fell.
While the other current coaches are still with the team for now, it’s reasonable to expect their fates to be determined by the next head coach. The search for the next head coach was started immediately according to the team.
That’s why this is truly a new era of Blue Jackets’ hockey. The Team President, General Manager and Head Coach have all changed from last season. It is now the Waddell show. He is wasting no time in making moves he feels will benefit the team.
Just the Beginning
It’s only the beginning of what promises to be a busy summer for Waddell and the Blue Jackets. There could be as many as a half dozen or so moves on the NHL roster not counting other roster changes throughout the organization.
There are some situations that are known to varying degrees. Patrik Laine reportedly asked for a trade. Has anyone else asked? Nothing else has been reported on that front.
With players like Denton Mateychuk and David Jiricek on the verge of the NHL, a move or two on the blue line is well within reach. Then there’s the rest of the roster and the pro meetings. We can’t rule out some decisions up front.
And does Elvis Merzlikins remain a Blue Jacket? You get the idea. There are a lot of decisions Waddell and staff still have to make over the summer before the new season. This includes what several new contracts will look like.
When you add it all up, a new manager, a new head coach with fresh ideas along with several possible changes to the roster, you get a new era of Blue Jackets’ hockey starting in 2024-25.
After the way the last few seasons have gone, this was long overdue.
