The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired head coach Pascal Vincent. The team made the announcement late Monday.
Vincent will not have survived the arrival of a new administration. Jarmo Kekalainen was thanked and Don Waddell now occupies the role of president of hockey operations and general manager.
The name of Vincent’s successor has not been announced.
Promoted to head coach in disaster on September 17 after the firing of Mike Babcock, Vincent led the Jackets to a 27-43-12 record, good for 29th overall. The Jackets’ setbacks – and the fiasco surrounding Babcock’s short-lived stay in Columbus – however, caused a major housecleaning, which initially took Kekalainen away.
At his inaugural press briefing two weeks ago, Waddell refused to comment on Vincent’s future in the Ohio capital.
“In a week or two, I’m going to meet everyone, including Pascal. I knew Pascal’s teams, but this is the first time I met him, Waddell admitted. I need time with him, and I don’t want to impose a deadline on myself. The draft and free agents are easy because there are dates. For the rest, we’ll have to get our answers. »
The Blue Jackets were Vincent’s second professional employer. He joined in 2021, first as assistant coach, before being promoted despite himself. Previously, the 52-year-old spent a decade in the Winnipeg Jets organization, as an assistant in the NHL, then as a head coach in the American League.
