Rick Nash has made it no secret. It is his desire to eventually become a general manager in the National Hockey League. On Friday morning, the Blue Jackets helped Nash take one step closer to that reality.
Nash was announced as the Director of Hockey Operations. In addition, Zach Abdou was hired as Senior Manager of Hockey Operations. Basil McRae will serve as the Director of Pro Scouting. Our Nick Arnold detailed those changes here.
What will Nash be responsible for in his new role?
“Just similar to what we’ve been doing to keep growing within the organization” Nash said. “It’s just a title. I’ll still be doing everything I can to help this organization win.”
Before this announcement, Nash served as the Blue Jackets’ Director of Player Personnel. He also served in the front office on Team Canada at the recently completed Men’s World Championships. Once things got settled down for GM Don Waddell, things started to come together for this opportunity.
“I just went about my job and we talked about it over the last couple of weeks,” Nash said. “It was just ongoing. Not much has changed from my job description other than hopefully being around the team a little more.”
Ever since former GM Jarmo Kekalainen made the decision to bring Nash into the front office, he’s quickly risen up the ranks. From learning everything within the day-to-day hockey operations with the Blue Jackets to doing it on the national stage for Team Canada, Nash continues to soak everything in. His experiences are helping him prepare not only for becoming a GM in the future, but to help the team now.
“You get to meet a lot of different players, a lot of different management when you go to these tournaments,” Nash said. “For my personal growth, I get to deal with all the GM’s where I’m asking permission to talk to their players, all the agents. When you build those teams, you’re working inside a budget too on different premiums. You learn that pretty fast. There’s a lot of things you can experience.”
“You also gain a lot of knowledge at those tournaments and you’re around hockey for a month. So I feel like it’s beneficial for our organization that we have people involved in that when Chris Clark did it two years ago for Team USA. So it’s very important.”
Nash’s rise shouldn’t come as any real surprise given how highly thought of he is. From the GM all the way down through the players, they all recognize how important he is.
“He’s going to be involved in every decision that we make for this hockey team and (it) started with the coaching search,” Waddell said. “(He was a) big part of that. Rick is a true professional. I think he cares himself very well. He’s very knowledgeable. He’s a quiet guy. When you ask him a question, he gives you his real thoughts and very thoughtful answers. I wouldn’t be a smart person running this team if I don’t surround myself with people like Rick Nash.”
“Well if you ever spoke to him first, he’s an incredible man,” coach Dean Evason said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with him with Team Canada this summer in Prague. I’ve watched how he conducts himself around the team. I’ve watched his meetings. He’s not a super vocal guy or a guy that comes in loud. But when he speaks, everyone listens. Don and the entire organization recognize that. We’ve got him in a position where he can help us put together a hockey club that hopefully someday wins the Stanley Cup.”
“Rick, where do you start?” Sean Kuraly said. “Nash has meant so much to this city. He was our first superstar and kind of the guy that everyone wanted to be when you were playing, when I was growing up playing here. And it’s just so important I think to have a guy with that background in this organization. To have him working on our common goal with us I think is really important. We’re darn lucky to have him in this organization and we’re looking forward to having him around and get better.”
Nash never won the Stanley Cup as a player. That is part of his motivation of why he’s chosen the front office path. In his words, “this is the next best chance to get my name on the Cup. That’s why I do it.”
Don’t be surprised if you see Nash in the GM role sooner rather than later.
Another Sillinger Gets Opportunity
With injury comes opportunity. That is true of anyone involved in professional sports. For the Blue Jackets, Justin Danforth is working his way back from wrist surgery. Although he has been cleared, it will take him some time before he’s ready to play.
That leaves an opening on the Blue Jackets’ fourth line along with Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. It turns out another Sillinger is skating in that spot. It’s not Cole but it is his brother Owen.
Owen signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1. His play with the Cleveland Monsters opened this opportunity for him.
Owen isn’t at Blue Jackets’ camp just to have fun. He’s there to earn a spot on the opening-night roster. If that happens, he and Cole would share the moment together. It’s everything Owen has worked his whole life for. What did he do to earn this chance?
“I think it’s just my overall competitive edge and the way I handle myself and the way I treat my teammates,” Owen said. “I think it has been a long road for me and I’m proud of myself for what I’ve done so far to be here. I just look forward for this opportunity to show staff and the management that I belong here.”
Owen’s linemates Olivier and Kuraly had some praise for him in the early going.
“They’re a pretty good hockey family over there,” Olivier said of the Sillinger’s. “As the younger Silly has been with us, he’s always been awesome and mature beyond his years. (For) Owen, I think it’s his first entry-level contract and we’re all very happy for him because he’s a guy that works his ass off and he came in ready this year. Our line, we always try to play with high pace. With (Justin Danforth) out, someone’s got an opportunity here and in practice at least it seems like he’s making the most of it. He’s doing a good job with us.”
“He’s got that competitive spirit and he works and he wants it,” Kuraly said of Owen. “That’s all you ask. A linemate, someone that’s just going to work and show up everyday and he’s putting his best foot forward. You love to see it. He’s a good person and a good player. He knows how to play the game and he’s smart. He checks a lot of the boxes. It’s been fun the first day I saw I was playing with him. I was excited about it.”
Owen really put himself on the map during the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs last season. He helped the Cleveland Monsters to the Eastern Conference Finals before eventually bowing out in Game 7 overtime to the Hershey Bears. For him, there’s one important aspect of that memory that he carries with him.
“(Just) how well that group came together throughout the playoffs,” Owen said. “Each and every individual stepped up their game. Even when guys went down with different injuries, different positions had to be played. Looking back on it, just the overall group of players and the group of people that we had and how hard we worked to come up a little short. I’m just proud of each and every individual that was on that team.”
Whether Owen makes the opening night roster remains to be seen. But his body of work earned him an NHL contract. He took the offseason to work on his strength and speed. He’s been rewarded with the first chance to fill in for Danforth. If all goes according to plan, a second Sillinger will be listed on the Blue Jackets’ roster in October.
In Owen’s mind, “that’s the goal.”
Side Dishes
- Waddell really thinks highly of Abdou, the new Senior Manager of Hockey Operations. “I say Zach’s one of the smartest guys I ever worked with. I couldn’t give him anything that he couldn’t figure out how to accomplish. Zach is just another layer that will help us in the front office.”
- Waddell and Nash each said they both like the pace of these early practices. “I like the pace of the way Dean runs practice,” Waddell said.
- Our debut Sunday Long Read of 2024-25 will have much more on Kent Johnson. But yes, he got quite the haircut. It’s short. So short even he didn’t realize it was that short. But no fear. He intends to grow it back. And yes, he comes into this camp looking much stronger.
- An update on the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Memorial. The items that were left in front of Nationwide Arena are now all inside the arena in a single area. Fans will eventually be able to walk right past it when attending a game. It is located currently on the main concourse level.
- Saturday will bring Day 3 of camp with a pair of practices at the same times as before. Group 1 goes on at 9:15 A.M. and Group 2 goes on at 12:15 P.M.