In today’s NHL rumors rundown, while the Columbus Blue Jackets look to confirm their next head coach, the team is also making an associate coaching change. Meanwhile, Jeff Jackson revealed when the Edmonton Oilers plan to hire their new GM. The city of Calgary and the Calgary Flames are set to start construction on a new arena. Finally, Shane Pinto comments on why he was suspended for gambling issues.
Blue Jackets Not Renewing Boumedienne’s Coaching Contract
The Blue Jackets will not renew the contract of assistant coach Josef Boumedienne, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Boumedienne, whose contract expires this season, will not return next year. He started with the organization as a European scout in 2013, then became the director of European scouting from 2016 to 2021, and served as the director of pro scouting from 2021 to 2023. He joined the coaching staff last season.
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Columbus has experienced significant personnel changes this offseason. In late May, they appointed Don Waddell as their general manager and subsequently fired head coach Pascal Vincent after all other head coaching positions had been filled. The team is close to resolving their coaching search, with Dean Evason and Jay Woodcroft as finalists. A decision is expected by the end of the month. However, with Boumedienne’s departure, they now face another vacancy to fill.
Oilers Getting Closer to New GM Hire
In an appearance on the Bob McCown Podcast, Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations and interim GM Jeff Jackson confirmed he has no interest in becoming the full-time GM. Jackson mentioned that several interviews for the GM position have taken place and, while he didn’t set a firm timeline, he hopes to announce the new hire within the next seven to ten days.
Jackson is currently serving as interim GM following Ken Holland’s departure when his contract expired late last month. He noted that he’s enjoyed the process of being the GM, but doing that job requires being with the team on a day-to-day basis and that doesn’t work for his family, which is something he told owner Darryl Katz when he was hired.
Flames Going to Start on New Arena Build
Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that the Calgary Flames and the city of Calgary are laying the groundwork for a new arena, with construction set to begin on Monday. This is expected to be a lengthy process, with the goal of having the new facility ready by the start of the 2027-28 season. Calgary will contribute $330 million towards addressing infrastructure concerns.
The past few seasons have been challenging for the Flames, but there is optimism that the new arena will bring positive changes. It will be interesting to see the final design of the building. The Saddledome is currently the second oldest arena in the NHL, with only Madison Square Garden being older. However, the latter underwent significant modernization a decade ago.
Pinto Reveals Details About His NHL Suspension
Nearly a year after Shane Pinto’s suspension, details have emerged about why he was banned for 41 games at the start of last season. Pinto confirmed on the Empty Netters podcast that his suspension resulted from proxy betting, with a friend using his sportsbook account to place bets. “I had my buddies, because I was in Canada, just place bets for me in America. I wasn’t a Canadian citizen, so I couldn’t really use a Canadian sportsbook. That’s proxy betting, so that’s obviously a big no-no. It was an illegal act, so, obviously, it was a pretty big deal,” Pinto explained.
Acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, Pinto and his agents did not contest the suspension. He received a call in early September for questioning but was not officially suspended until late October. Already frustrated by his contract situation, Pinto felt relieved to have a strong final 41 games of the season.
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