@Aportzline Aaron Portzline
Puck-rakers: #CBJ's woeful start could lead to GM, coaching changes by Monday; Hitchcock, Button among those contacted
"The Blue Jackets, off to a woeful 1-9-1 start, may be on the verge of making substantial changes.
Multiple NHL sources have informed The Dispatch early Sunday that Jackets president Mike Priest has contacted Ken Hitchcock about returning as the club’s coach, and that former Calgary Flames general manager Craig Button has been contacted about taking on the same job with the Jackets."
Last edited by CBJBrassard16: 10-30-2011 at 02:50 AM.
I really am curious on what will happen with this situation though, ill probably join you guys from time to time to see whats up. Definitely know what you guys are going through for sure though.
Even if the speculation becomes fact, I fear it will merely prove what a number of people have been saying for two years (and which I only bought into last season).
The rebuilding of this franchise has to start at the very top: As long as Mike Priest is President, this organization will continue to flounder.
I have great respect for Hitchcock but to un-fire him would seem to me like an admission of cluelessness.
I hope I'm wrong, and that things get fixed and this team starts moving toward respectability. But I'm not going to be able to pretend to believe that Button and/or Hitchcock is/are the answer.
There's a reason Button has been behind the analysts desk for a few seasons, the speculated moves, if they were to happen, don't fill me with a ton of confidence, but at least the GM candidate would be from outside the organization....
Hitchcock can't offer us much, maybe the team plays and wins a few more games, but the coaching change will be the most cosmetic of the two, the fans are angry, I just don't see how Hitchcock helps us out in the short term much. RyJo will be on the next plane back to Portland, Brass banished to the fourth line, book it.
I also have a hard time believing something like this gets leaked unless its all but a "done deal".... Hitchcock has been speculated since the season mostly because he's still on the payroll and it makes finanacial sense to look their for a Interim coach, but speculating on Howson's potential replacement, even if its just in an interim basis, ratchets things up big time.
Portie has thrown things against the wall before, he better hope he trusts his sources with this one, it has potential to explode, big time, if he's been chasing a rumor only.
Last edited by KeithBWhittington: 10-30-2011 at 06:56 AM.
If you're gonna fire both GM and Coach than you must fire the President as well.
I have no problem with firing Arniel, clearly he is not getting the job done and this team seem in total breakdown mode when it comes to assignments-showing a breakdown in system.(Though I'm not sure what Hitchcock is gonna do, the team totally broke down in front of him as well)
And what's the point of hiring a new GM now? Unless he makes all the right moves somehow... he could potentially screw us long term a la Maclean.
Man, this really sucks, I can't believe this is HOW the season started.
Here is another topic I started thinking about after I read that article.
Veteran players like Nash and Umberger signed extensions w/ NTC after buying into what Howson was building. Obviously that isn't working. If Hoson goes and the way this season has begun, is it feasible to think players like Nash and Umberger will "quit" on the team and want out in the same way Carson Plamer forced his way out of Cincinnati? The Bengals are obviously a far better team this season without any quitters on it.
To me an argument could be made that they both have quit already.
I can see that side of it as well. I just wonder if there could be a complete housecleaning of players coming as well where nobody is offlimits. We might as well rebuild like a new expansion team.
I can see that side of it as well. I just wonder if there could be a complete housecleaning of players coming as well where nobody is offlimits. We might as well rebuild like a new expansion team.
