Columbus Blue Jackets name head coach after Jay Woodcroft interview

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Liam McCormick
July 22, 2024 (12:53)

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Moments ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets named Dean Evason as the next head coach of the team.

Dean Evason is a highly respected veteran coach in the NHL, who most recently coached the Minnesota Wild from 2019-2024. In 2021, he led the team to an impressive record with 53 wins, but never once took the team past the first round of the playoffs. Evason's also known for his meaner-looking demeanour towards referees and even other coaches.

According to multiple sources, the other final candidate for the job was former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft. He has an impressive record of 79-41-13 in less than two full years as a head coach, and had a younger and more progressive voice that was popular with fans and players. On a younger team like Columbus, Woodcroft may have been a good fit. With this hire though, it's clear that the Blue Jackets were going for more veteran leadership that Dean Evason can provide. It makes sense, given their last big coaching hire was Mike Babcock.

Plenty of Oilers fans were pulling for Woodcroft to get back into the NHL quickly as a head coach, but that evidently will have to wait. Woodcroft had an incredible run with the Oilers, and potentially could've been coaching the Stanley Cup Final this year, but was really done in by poor goaltending from Jack Campbell. Still sooner rather than later, another team will take a chance on the popular former Oilers coach.

Source: Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets name head coach