By Aaron Portzline (The Athletic)
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations, and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Blue Jackets:
Item #1: The experience factor
During the process of interviewing candidates to replace coach John Tortorella, the Blue Jackets were deeply impressed by Pascal Vincent, who has been a rising star in the American Hockey League ranks for some time now. It’s no leap to suggest that Vincent would have been the choice if Brad Larsen hadn’t accepted the job.
Vincent was still in the running to be head coach of the Arizona Coyotes when the Blue Jackets circled back to offer a fall-back plan. Would he still consider joining Columbus in a different capacity?
When Vincent was ruled out by the Coyotes — they eventually hired Andre Tourigny out of the Ontario Hockey League — talks rekindled with Columbus. Vincent was named Blue Jackets associate coach two weeks ago.
Then, last week, Larsen filled the other opening on his staff by hiring longtime NHL player Sylvain Lefebvre to coach the defense and penalty kill. Lefebvre has spent the last nine seasons in the AHL, the last three as an assistant with Anaheim’s affiliate in San Diego.
Recent Comments