The Columbus Blue Jackets’ most prolific player in franchise history is continuing to climb the ranks even though his playing career is over. On Sept. 20, the team announced that Rick Nash has a new title for the 2024-25 season: Director of Hockey Operations.
Blue Jackets’ current general manager (GM) Don Waddell had this to say about Nash in a press release:
“Rick Nash is an extremely bright guy who has become an important part of our hockey operations leadership group. He is very passionate about the Columbus Blue Jackets and this community and has been a great resource for me since I arrived here in late-May. Rick made a significant impact on this organization as a player and will continue to do so in his role as director of hockey operations.”
Nash has been speculated as a candidate to take over as the team’s GM years down the line. That would further a trend of franchise players returning to manage their former team, as we’ve seen with Rob Blake and his Los Angeles Kings, Joe Sakic and his Colorado Avalanche, and Steve Yzerman and his Detroit Red Wings. Nash has received some experience to that end, most recently having been named the GM for Hockey Canada’s team in the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
In their press release, the team writes, “In his new role, Nash will be involved in all aspects of the team’s hockey operations department and will continue to oversee the development and advancement of players throughout the organization.”
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Among other front office changes, the team named Basil McRae as the Director of Pro Scouting and Zach Abdou the Senior Manager of Hockey Operations. McRae played almost 600 games in the NHL as a winger before retiring in 1997. He’s been with the Blue Jackets in various roles since 2013, most recently serving as assistant GM. He has also been a part-owner of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights since 2001, which was when Nash played for the team.
Abdou, 27, is someone with whom Waddell is familiar from his time as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes. His previous role as Hockey Operations Coordinator with the Hurricanes was focused on supporting management in their day-to-day activities. He previously worked as a portfolio management analyst and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. The Blue Jackets say he’ll assist the department with forecasting and budgeting, database management, and contract analysis.
A flurry of roster changes are also soon to come as training camp roles on in Ohio. With the start of the hockey season just around the corner, expect more news to start to flow again.
