The Columbus Blue Jackets announced a slew of front office promotions Thursday morning, as well as the naming of former Blue Jacket Rick Nash to serve as a special assistant to general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen.
Bill Zito, associate general manager, will keep that title and has also been promoted to senior vice president of hockey operations and alternate governor. Basil McRae (formerly director of player personnel) and Josh Flynn (formerly director of hockey administration) have been each promoted to assistant general manager. Chris Clark will assume McRae’s role of director of player personnel, moving from his previous gig as director of player development.
Rick Nash, after months of learning about the CBJ front office and hockey operations department up close, “will assist the club’s hockey operations department in a variety of areas, including player evaluations, prospect development and player recruitment,” according to a press release.
Nash: “As assistant general manager…”
Jarmo: “Assistant TO the general manager” https://t.co/9EkPf6ABlY pic.twitter.com/8mzoHhD1Il— Pale Dragon (@PaleDragonCbus) June 13, 2019
Nash played for the Blue Jackets from 2002 until 2012, you may remember. He still holds the franchise records for goals (289), points (547) and goals in a season (41, which he shares with Cam Atkinson’s 2018-19 campaign).
With the departure of John Davidson to New York several weeks ago, the Blue Jackets needed to reorganize the hockey operations department, and this looks like the answer. There will be more to come, but for now, how do you feel about having Rick Nash back with the franchise in an official capacity?