List of Columbus Blue Jackets head coaches

The Columbus Blue Jackets are an American professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They play in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] The team joined the NHL in 2000 as an expansion team. The Blue Jackets have played their home games at the Nationwide Arena since their inaugural season.[2] The franchise is owned by John P. McConnell and Don Waddell is their general manager.[3][4]

The Blue Jackets have played their home games at the Nationwide Arena since their inaugural season.

There have been 10 full-time head coaches for the Blue Jackets franchise. The team's first head coach was Dave King, who coached for three seasons. Ken Hitchcock coached the team to its first playoff appearance. Scott Arniel was the head coach of the Blue Jackets from 2010 through 2012.[5] Todd Richards was named interim head coach on January 9, 2012, and would remain with the team for more than 3½ seasons.[6] John Tortorella became the head coach on October 21, 2015, and left the team following the 2020–21 season with the Blue Jackets' highest winning percentage (.568).[7] Tortorella was replaced by Brad Larsen,[8] who served as head coach for two years before being fired at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season.[9] Mike Babcock was subsequently hired to replace Larsen;[10] however, Babcock resigned before coaching a game for Columbus, after allegations of improper behavior via the Spittin' Chiclets podcast led to an NHLPA investigation.[11] After Babcock's resignation, Pascal Vincent was subsequently named head coach.[11] Vincent was subsequently fired after just one season as head coach, later being replaced by Dean Evason.[12]

# Number of coaches[a]
GC Games coached
W Wins = 2 points
L Losses = 0 points
T Ties = 1 point
OT Overtime/shootout losses = 1 point[b]
PTS Points
Win% Winning percentage
* Spent entire NHL head coaching career with the Blue Jackets

Coaches

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Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2023–24 season.

# Name Term[c] Regular season Playoffs Achievements Ref
GC W L T/OT Pts Win% GC W L Win%
1 Dave King 20002003 204 64 106 34 162 .397   [14]
2 Doug MacLean 20032004 79 24 43 12 60 .380   [15]
3 Gerard Gallant 20042006 142 56 76 10 122 .430   [16]
Gary Agnew* 2006 5 0 4 1 1 .100   [17]
4 Ken Hitchcock 20062010 284 125 123 36 286 .504 4 0 4 .000   [18]
Claude Noel 2010 24 10 8 6 26 .542   [19]
5 Scott Arniel 20102012 123 45 60 18 108 .439   [20]
6 Todd Richards 20122015 260 127 112 21 275 .529 6 2 4 .333   [21]
7 John Tortorella 20152021 447 227 166 54 508 .568 31 13 18 .419 Jack Adams Award (2016–17) [22]
8 Brad Larsen* 20212023 164 62 86 16 140 .427   [23]
9 Mike Babcock 2023[d]   [26]
10 Pascal Vincent* 2023–2024 82 27 43 12 66 .402   [27]
11 Dean Evason 2024–present                     [28]

Notes

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  1. ^ A running total of the number of coaches of the Blue Jackets. Thus, any coach who has two or more separate terms as head coach is only counted once.
  2. ^ Before the 2005–06 season, the NHL instituted a penalty shootout for regular season games that remained tied after a five-minute overtime period, which prevented ties.[13]
  3. ^ Each year is linked to an article about that particular NHL season.
  4. ^ Babcock resigned two and a half months after being named head coach, without coaching a game for the Blue Jackets.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ "Teams". NHL.com. Lincoln Hockey and the National Hockey League. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  2. ^ "Blue Jackets Franchise Timeline". Lincoln Hockey and the National Hockey League. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  3. ^ "Front Office Staff Directory". Lincoln Hockey and the National Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  4. ^ "Players". Lincoln Hockey and the National Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  5. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets Coach Register". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  6. ^ "Jackets dismiss Arniel; name Richards coach". NHL.com. January 9, 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "CBJ, John Tortorella mutually agree to part ways". NHL.com. May 9, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "CBJ name Brad Larsen head coach". NHL.com. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  9. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets relieve Brad Larsen of his duties as head coach". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  10. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets name Mike Babcock ninth head coach in club history". NHL.com. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Mike Babcock resigns as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets; Club names Pascal Vincent head coach". NHL.com. September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Evason hired as Blue Jackets coach, replaces Vincent". NHL.com. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Official Rules" (PDF). NHL.com. Lincoln Hockey and the National Hockey League. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  14. ^ "Dave King Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  15. ^ "Doug MacLean Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  16. ^ "Gerard Gallant Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  17. ^ "Gary Agnew Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  18. ^ "Ken Hitchcock Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  19. ^ "Claude Noel Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  20. ^ "Scott Arniel Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  21. ^ "Todd Richards Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  22. ^ "John Tortorella Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  23. ^ "Brad Larsen Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  24. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets name Mike Babcock ninth head coach in club history". NHL.com. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  25. ^ "Mike Babcock resigns as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets; Club names Pascal Vincent head coach". NHL.com. September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  26. ^ "Mike Babcock Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  27. ^ "Pascal Vincent Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  28. ^ "Dean Evason Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2024.

Further reading

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