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New Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddle believes his new team needs a culture change to regain success.
On May 28, Waddle was named president of hockey operations and general manager of the Blue Jackets, succeeding Jarmo Kekäläinen.
During Kekalainen’s 11 years as general manager, the Blue Jackets went 410-362-97 and advanced to the playoffs five times, but only made it past the first round once.
“I’m not saying that’s the case for everybody, but losing has become something that’s acceptable, and it’s not the case anymore,” Waddell said. SiriusXM NHL Internet RadioThursday. “We still have a long way to go, but our goal every year should be to win the Stanley Cup, not just win a few games.
“It’s a mentality. I think what happened last year, talking to everybody, is that things weren’t going well, there were a lot of injuries at the beginning of the year, they were out of the game pretty quickly. And then they just finished the season, and we have to change that. »
Columbus finished last in the Eastern Conference with a 27-43-12 record and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
The season got off to a rocky start after Mike Babcock took over and resigned as head coach before one game, forcing senior assistant coach Pascal Vincent to take over.
Subsequently, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, star forward Patrick Ryan and rookie Adam Fantilli were seriously injured.
Veteran guard Eric Gudbranson responded to Waddle’s comments Thursday, saying the goal should be higher.
“We have to get something out of every day, we can’t waste every day,” Gudbranson told Dave McCarthy. NHL.com“We can’t afford it. We’ve been doing it for the past two years and it hasn’t worked well. We need to change our culture in the right direction. »
Gudbranson and Waddle both believe the team has a good group of veterans who can help build around young players like Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger and David Giricek.
The team also added centre Sean Monahan, who was known for his leadership skills during his time with the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets.
“Whenever we talk about free agents, the best sources are their former teammates,” Waddle said. “Everyone says if you can get him, he’ll be a good guy on the ice and in the locker room, too. »
Gudbrunsen added: “The hockey player is outstanding and we desperately need him, but the person is a big part of what comes with it.”
The last major change the Blue Jackets made to turn things around was Dean Evason replacing Vincent as head coach.
Evason most recently served as head coach of the Minnesota Wild but was fired after 19 games last season, when the team started the year with a 5-10-4 record.
Under Evason, the Wild went 147-77-27 in five seasons and made the playoffs three times but failed to advance past the first round.
While interviewing for the job in Columbus, Waddle saw a coach with a passion for the Blue Jackets and a desire to hold the team accountable.
“His passion wasn’t to get back to the NHL at the first opportunity, he wanted to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets,” Waddle said. “When I brought him in for the formal interview, there were five of us in the room, and we all said he was the guy who was going to take us to the next level. »
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