'I really want to be here': Pascal Vincent shares desire to remain Columbus Blue Jackets coach
Uncertainty looms for the Blue Jackets after the end of the 2023-24 season.
After a 27-43-12 campaign and a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Blue Jackets are still looking for a general manager to replace Jarmo Kekalainen, who was fired Feb. 15.
But Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said he knows one thing is certain. He wants to remain in Columbus.
"I control what I control. And I really want to be here," Vincent said. "I think this team is on the verge of, if we do it right, we can be quite successful for years."
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Vincent was named as the Blue Jackets' 10th head coach after Mike Babcock resigned before the season due to alleged violations of players' privacy.
Before the 2023-24 season, Vincent signed a two-year deal. And Vincent said he has high expectations for his second season.
"The goal is not to make the playoffs," Vincent said. "The goal is to make the playoffs every year, to put yourself in a position to make the playoffs every year and then to make the playoffs. Do I think this team is turning a corner? 100%. Do I want to be here? 100%.
"And more than that. This city is amazing, the fans are amazing, the ownership. I mean we have the support, we have the tools, we have the resources that you need to have in order to be successful. Now it's just to build on top of that."
The Blue Jackets finished with a minus-63 goal differential, the fourth lowest in NHL. They ended the season losing four of their last five games but finished the season with a 6-3 home win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With players such as Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger on the roster, Vincent was adamant about the Blue Jackets and how they are trending in the right direction. It's something he said he has put time and energy toward and will continue to do so until he's told to stop.
"Do I want to be here? Yeah, I want to be here bad," Vincent said. "And getting to know the players, what they need, what we think we need as an organization, where they are at in their career, building those relationships, that's investment. And when you really care about something, you invest all of yourself. I didn't fall short of that. I invested everything I got. And I am still going to do it until the day I am being told, 'No. Don't show up to the rink tomorrow.' Hopefully that comes in many, many years."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Pascal Vincent shares desire to remain Columbus Blue Jackets coach
