Jeff Blashill not a finalist for Columbus Blue Jackets' coaching vacancy
The Blue Jackets' coaching search has one less name attached.
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The Dispatch learned Tuesday that Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill, former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, is not in the mix to run the bench in Columbus.
Blashill, 50, was thought to be a finalist for the top job with the Blue Jackets along with former Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan, former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft and former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason.
Sources within the NHL who spoke with the Dispatch tabbed McLellan as the leader of the pack a couple weeks ago, but the team is still without a head coach. The Blue Jackets are the only NHL team looking for a head coach, so the league is focused on who will get the job next and what staff decisions they make.
Former coach Pascal Vincent’s entire staff of NHL assistants plus the Jackets’ staff with AHL Cleveland remain in limbo until a decision is made.
Should McLellan not land the job, the decision will likely come down to Woodcroft, Evason or another candidate whose name hasn't been connected to the Blue Jackets yet.
Woodcroft, 47, was one of McLellan’s longtime NHL assistants at multiple stops before replacing Dave Tippett in Edmonton in February 2022. He has an NHL record of 79-41-13 in 133 games over parts of three seasons with the Oilers, who made the playoffs in his first two seasons while led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Evanson was fired this past season after Edmonton got off to a poor start. Evason, 59, coached the Wild for parts of five seasons and went 147-77-27 in 251 games, qualifying for the playoffs the first four years. He was also fired mid-season.
Blashill went 204-261-72 in 537 games over seven seasons while coaching the Red Wings, qualifying for the playoffs once. He has worked as a Lightning assistant for coach Jon Cooper the past two years and knows Blue Jackets president of hockey operations/general manager Don Waddell through coaching stints for USA Hockey at the men’s world championships.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets not considering Blashill for coaching job
