Blue Jackets Fire Coach Brad Larsen After 2 Seasons

The Columbus Blue Jackets sacked coach Brad Larsen after two seasons without a playoff berth, which general manager Jarmo Kekalainen described as “absolutely a necessary change that we needed to make.”

Kekalainen needed to explain why he believed Larsen was unqualified to lead the squad from the bench. He notified Larsen and the players of his decision Saturday morning and refused to say when he made it.

“We need a change,” stated Kekalainen. “It became clear that we needed to make a change.”

The Blue Jackets finished bottom in the Eastern Conference and 31st overall in the NHL, finishing 31st out of 32 teams. While injuries throughout the season plagued them after starting with high expectations, they decided to part ways with Larsen, who was under contract through the next season.

Since Larsen took over for John Tortorella as a coach, Columbus has lost 102 of 164 games. Manny Legace, the goaltending coach, will also leave after five years on the job.

“Out of respect for the coaches who were let go today, I’m not going to dissect their strengths and weaknesses,” Kekalainen added. “But there were a lot of factors that led us to this conclusion, and it was necessary to make these moves.”

Larsen, 45, was a Blue Jackets assistant under Tortorella and predecessor Brad Richards for seven years before being promoted.

Larsen was chosen over more experienced coaches, such as Gerard Gallant and Rick Tocchet, by Blue Jackets President John Davidson and Kekalainen in 2021 because of his communication abilities and institutional knowledge of the organization. Larsen had earned the promotion, according to Kekalainen, and was “going to be a fresh, new voice.”

Larsen stated at the time that patience would be required.

“I’m going to learn more now,” he remarked during his press conference. “I’m going to make mistakes — I promise you — but that’s part of the process.”

Without Larsen, the process in Columbus will continue. It might include Connor Bedard, the potential first-round pick regarded as the most skilled generational player since Connor McDavid entered the NHL in 2015. The Blue Jackets have the second-best chance of landing Bedard, with a 13.5% likelihood.

Winning the lottery might change the organization’s trajectory, which was founded in 2000 and has yet to go past the second round of the playoffs. Kekalainen said he would take time with the interview process and wait to see how the rest of the NHL landscape looked before appointing a coach.

He will probably wait until after the lottery is drawn on May 8 to make a hiring decision based on the outcome, even though it may alter immediate expectations.

“I don’t know if that would be the deciding factor,” Kekalainen said. “If a decision is not made by then, it will influence the type of team we have here next year.” All these factors are considered while determining who should be the next head coach.”

SOURCE – (AP)