Don Waddell of Detroit, Michigan has made his first major decision as the general manager and president of hockey operations of the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Tuesday, the Blue Jackets fired head coach Pascal Vincent of Laval, Quebec.
Only one season as Blue Jackets head coach
Vincent only spent one season with the Blue Jackets as their head coach. He was initially hired on June 17, 2023, when Mike Babcock of Manitouwadge, Ontario resigned before coaching a single regular season game in Columbus.
Blue Jackets struggled mightily
It is fair to say the Blue Jackets did not do well with Vincent at the helm. In 82 games, the Blue Jackets had a record of 27 wins, 43 regulation losses and 12 losses in extra time for 66 points. Vincent had a winning percentage of only .402.
Scoring goals and preventing their opponents from scoring was a major problem for Columbus in 2023-24. They scored 237 goals and gave up 300 goals. Columbus’s 237 goals were the fourth fewest number of goals in the Eastern Conference. The only three teams that scored fewer goals were the Montreal Canadiens (236), the Philadelphia Flyers (235), and the Washington Capitals (220).
Columbus’s 300 goals against were the most in the Eastern Conference and second most in the entire NHL. The only franchise that gave up more goals than the Blue Jackets this season were the San Jose Sharks, which gave up 300 goals in 2023-24.
Other offseason coaching changes
Seven other teams have made coaching changes in the last two months, since the regular season was completed. The Buffalo Sabres fired Don Granato of Downers Grove, Illinois and replaced him with Lindy Ruff of Warburg, Alberta. The New Jersey Devils named Sheldon Keefe of Brampton, Ontario their new head coach. Keefe, who was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, was replaced by Craig Berube of Calahoo, Alberta. Meanwhile, Travis Green of Creston, British Columbia, who was the interim head coach of the Devils when the franchise fired Ruff, is now the head coach of the Ottawa Senators. The San Jose Sharks fired head coach David Quinn of Cranston, Rhode Island and replaced him with Ryan Warsofsky of Marshfield, Massachusetts. The Seattle Kraken fired head coach David Hakstol of Drayton Valley, Alberta and replaced him with Dan Bylsma of Grand Haven, Michigan. The Winnipeg Jets named Scott Arniel of Kingston, Ontario new head coach as Rick Bowness of Moncton, New Brunswick retired.
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