Hours after their season-ending loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Brad Larsen. They additionally introduced that they aren’t renewing the contract of goaltending coach Manny Legace.
Larson was named the eighth coach in franchise historical past on June 10, 2021. Under his watch, Columbus compiled a 62-86-16 file. The Blue Jackets had been a shocking 37-38-7 throughout Larsen’s first season however completed the 2022-23 season with the fewest factors (59) within the Eastern Conference and had been tied with the second-fewest factors in the complete NHL.
Injuries decimated the 2022-23 Blue Jackets, who had been anticipated to compete for a playoff spot after buying longtime Calgary Flame left winger Johnny Gaudreau this previous offseason. Gaudreau was one of many few Blue Jackets regulars who stayed wholesome, nonetheless, as proper wingers Patrik Laine and Jakub Voracek and defenseman Zach Werenski had been amongst Columbus’ key gamers that missed important time with accidents.
Goaltending was additionally an ongoing concern for the Blue Jackets, as they completed thirty first of 32 groups within the NHL in targets allowed.
“This season has been extraordinarily disappointing and the accountability for that lies with all of us,” Jarmo Kekalainen mentioned on Saturday, through a group insider. “These choices had been tough and never made flippantly given our respect for each Brad and Manny as coaches and other people.
“Brad has been a part of our group for greater than a decade, and we’re extraordinarily grateful for his laborious work and lots of contributions – each on and off the ice – throughout that point. We want nothing however the perfect for Brad and his household sooner or later.”
A former NHL participant, Larsen started his time with the Blue Jackets’ group in 2010 because the assistant coach at AHL Springfield. He then spent seven seasons as Columbus’ assistant coach underneath head coaches Todd Richards and John Tortorella. During that span, the Blue Jackets reached new heights that included three 4 consecutive playoff appearances from 2017-20. The 2019 Blue Jackets gained the franchise’s first-ever playoff sequence after brooming the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning within the first spherical.
A former goaltender who gained a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002, Legace broke into teaching in 2012. He spent 5 seasons because the Blue Jackets’ goaltending coach after having the identical position with the group’s minor league associates, the Cleveland Monsters.
Kekalainen mentioned that the group will take a “deep have a look at all the perfect candidates” in terms of discovering the Blue Jackets’ subsequent head coach.
“I do not assume we will rush into something,” he mentioned. “The sooner the higher, clearly, however I feel we will do thorough search.”
