Blue Jackets name Don Waddell president of hockey ops, GM and alternate governor

The Columbus Blue Jackets officially announced that Don Waddell has agreed to a multi-year contract and will serve as the President of Hockey Operations, General Manager and Alternate Governor.

“To our fans, we remain committed to providing all the necessary resources to build a team and organization that competes for the Stanley Cup,” said Blue Jackets Majority Owner and Governor John P. McConnell. “After spending time getting to know Don, I believe his experience and leadership will take us down the path to success.”

Waddell had been serving as the president of the Carolina Hurricanes for the past 10 seasons, pulling double duty as the team’s general manager since 2018. While Waddell served as GM, Carolina compiled a 278-130-44 record to rank second in the NHL in points percentage and third in wins. He guided them to three division titles and advanced to two Eastern Conference Finals during that time.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Columbus Blue Jackets as this is an organization that has everything you need to have success at the highest level,” said Waddell. “It’s a wonderful city with passionate fans, strong ownership, first-class facilities, and a desire to be the best. I’d like to thank the McConnell family, Mike Priest and John Davidson for this opportunity, and look forward to being part of this community.”

“Don Waddell is one of the most experienced and respected executives in our sport with over four decades of experience as a player, scout, head coach, general manager and team president,” said Blue Jackets President and Alternate Governor Mike Priest. “Most recently, he has built the Carolina Hurricanes into one of the winningest clubs in the National Hockey League. Don has every attribute we were looking for when this process began, and we are thrilled to have him lead our hockey operations efforts.”

The Blue Jackets also announced that John Davidson, who has been the club’s president of hockey operations for 10 of the past 12 years, has agreed to serve as a senior advisor and alternate governor under Waddell.

“I’ve known Don for many years, and he is one of the great gentlemen in our business,” said Davidson. “He is a very smart, dedicated professional who has shown a great ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal and achieve success. I believe this is a great day for our organization and our fans.”