Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach Craig Hartsburg announced Wednesday that he will retire from coaching.
Hartsburg has been a coach for 27 years and will trade in a spot on the bench for a role with hockey operations inside the Columbus organization.
The 56-year-old coach has previously been a head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators, posting a career record of 201-208-69.
“My priority now is to spend more time with my wife, children and grandchildren,” he said, citing the difficulty of leaving family behind each fall when camp starts.
“I’ve been very fortunate to spend the past 30-plus years in the game as a player or coach and have enjoyed every minute of it,” Hartsburg said in a release. “I have really enjoyed my time in Columbus, working with both John Tortorella and Todd Richards, and appreciate the opportunity to continue to be part of the organization in a role that will also allow me to devote more time to my family.”
“Craig Hartsburg has been a great asset to our coaching staff over the past four seasons and we are very grateful for all of his contributions to our club,” said General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen. “While we are disappointed that he will not be a part of our coaching staff next season, we understand his desire to spend more time with his family and are happy that he will continue to contribute to our hockey operations efforts moving forward.”