Welcome back to Blue Jackets News & Rumors. I hope your summer has gotten off to a good start for you. Plenty of time left before things start to pick back up again. But as promised, we’d be around if there was news to talk about.
On this Thursday morning, we have a couple things to talk about. We begin with a somewhat surprising piece of news involving one of the Blue Jackets’ most respected coaches.
McCudden Leaves Blue Jackets’ Organization
On Wednesday morning, the Blue Jackets announced that long-time assistant coach Kenny McCudden has resigned his position to pursue other opportunities. He had one year remaining on his current deal with the team.
McCudden had been with the Blue Jackets since June 2015 primarily working with the players on skating and skills. Here is what he and GM Jarmo Kekalainen each had to say about this news.
“It has been a great honor to be part of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization and I want to thank everyone I have worked with – management, coaches, players, support staff – for a wonderful eight years,” McCudden said. “This was a difficult decision, but it is the right time for me to move on and take advantage of other opportunities.”
“Kenny and I had a long conversation about his desire to either sign a contract extension or look at other opportunities that might be available to him,” Kekalainen said. “In fairness to our new head coach Mike Babcock, I want to make sure everyone gets to know each other before deciding on extensions so Kenny decided to leave the Blue Jackets to pursue those opportunities. He is a terrific person, and we are very appreciative of everything he has done for our organization. Kenny has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to help our players improve and we wish he and his wife, Cathy, all the best in the future.”
Talk to anyone that’s had any interaction with McCudden and you’ll hear the same thing. There are very few who are as nice and genuine as him. From upper management on down to the players and everyone involved on the team, everything had a deep appreciation and respect for him as not only a coach, but as a person.
On a personal note, it didn’t matter if he was on the ice or in the press box, it was always more than just hi when we crossed paths. It was always “How are you doing today?” and “Great seeing you as always sir.” And he meant it. He genuinely cared about those he got in contact with.
There should be no shortage of opportunities for McCudden given his vast experience at different levels. No matter where he turns up next, he will be a valuable asset to them. Meanwhile it will be interesting to see how the Blue Jackets decide to fill the void left by McCudden. Babcock said that both Pascal Vincent and Steve McCarthy would return to the bench this season. Jared Boll could see an expanded role or they may choose to bring someone in. With Babcock in place, don’t be surprised if they bring someone in, it’s someone Babcock is familiar with.
Cleveland Monsters Unveil New Logo Set
It has been quite a couple of days for the Monsters. They first announced their home opener which will be Oct 20 against the Syracuse Crunch. They then announced their full schedule on Wednesday afternoon which includes a 10-game homestand that starts at the end of January and carries into February.
But it is what they did Wednesday morning that got a lot of attention. As first announced on Cleveland’s 92.3 the Fan by Tony Brown and then announced by the team shortly thereafter, the Monsters will have a new logo set starting in the 2023-24 season. If you saw their outdoor classic game, it will look familiar to you.
The main colors are black, blue and gold. The black and blue resemble the kind of hockey Cleveland is known for, a tough, physical brand of hockey. According to Sr. Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ben Adams, it goes beyond just a color change.
“Black and Blue Hockey is about more than just the evolution of our colors. It’s about the brand of hockey played by our Monsters and the toughness of the city this team represents.”
You Might Also Like
- Jakub Voracek Announces Retirement From the NHL
- Blue Jackets Need Major Shake Up For Sake of Winning
- 17 Blue Jackets’ Thoughts From End of Season Media Day
- First NHL Shot, First NHL Goal for Blue Jackets’ Del Bel Belluz
- Projected Lineups for the Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets – 4/16/24
Monsters President Mike Ostrowski acknowledged that the team has gone through incredible growth and are making this change from a position of strength.
“We are incredibly fortunate to usher in this evolution of the Monsters brand from a position of strength coming off a season where we saw incredible growth across our entire business. Cleveland’s continued interest in Monsters Hockey coupled with the expectation from our great fans to always be innovative and creative made it the perfect time to unleash this new look, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it in action for the upcoming season.”
You can watch the video release of the new logos and some background below. My take? It’s crisp, clean and looks real sharp.
Side Dishes & Desserts
- The Blue Jackets are still looking for a 3rd goalie that can play in the AHL and come up to the Blue Jackets in case of injury. While the team is reviewing all of their options, don’t be surprised if this takes more shape in the midst of training camp when teams have potential roster decisions to make.
- Don’t you just get the feeling the Blue Jackets are up to something? Yes, it’s summer and action is light. But behind the scenes, Kekalainen is on record as saying they will remain busy looking at all of their options. A perceived logjam of forwards and perhaps a logjam on defense could mean some guys are available. Can anyone definitively say what the order of the four centers will be come opening night? What about all of the potential bubble options on the wing? Just a gut feeling but don’t be surprised if they have at least one other move outside of goaltending in mind. Remember, there is pressure to erase the bad taste of last season and this is still a young team.
- This edition of Blue Jackets News & Rumors is over. Now go back outside and play.
