Hitchcock was hired November 22, 2006 to replace former Jackets head coach, and Doug MacLean favorite, Gerard Gallant. In just over three seasons with the Blue Jackets, Hitchcock compiled a record of 125-123-36. Last season he led the franchise to its first playoff appearance, only to be swept in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings.

In 14 seasons as a head coach with Dallas, Philadelphia and Columbus, Hitchcock has a record of 533-349-88-70. He led the Dallas Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup title. On February 19, 2009 he became the 13^th coach in NHL history to win 500 career games by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“This season has been very disappointing for the Blue Jackets organization and our fans and the responsibility for that rests with all of us from management to the coaches and players,” said Howson.  “Hitch worked tirelessly to build an identity for this team that was missing before he arrived and deserves a great deal of credit for those efforts.  He earned and received the opportunity to turn things around this season, but unfortunately that has not happened and it has become apparent that change is in the best interest of our organization.”

Noel joined the Blue Jackets prior to the 2007-2008 season. Before that, He spent four seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals where he compiled a regular season record of 183-94-12-31. In 2003-2004, Noel led the Admirals to the Calder Cup championship and received the AHL’s Coach of the Year honors.

“Claude Noel is a good hockey coach with a proven track record in the American Hockey League.  He knows our team and is deserving of this opportunity,” said Howson.

Noel will look to attempt to salvage what has been a dismal season for the Blue Jackets starting Thursday against Hitchcock’s former team the Dallas Stars. For those of you keeping track at home, Hitchcock’s first game behind the Blue Jackets bench was against the Flyers.

I’ll do some digging and have a list of potential replacements with some background tomorrow.

Bart Logan

bartftc@gmail.com

Twitter: BartFTC

Cause for Concern?

There is no doubt that the Detroit Red Wings represent, in today’s NHL, the closest thing to a Montreal Canadians-esque dynasty. Be it Stanley Cup championships 1996-97 and 1997-1998, The Russian Five/Steve Yzerman dynasty years from 2001-02, and, most recently, 2007-08, the Red Wings – OK, for those of us who’ve experienced it, no, not their fans – personify excellence and class. However, there may be signs that the preeminent dynasty is starting to shows some chinks in their armor.

Although it’s very early in the season, and the Wings did just come off of the dreaded European (season opening) trip with an 0-2 record — having since gone 3-1-1 — there are reasons for some potential concern in the Motor City.

First off, there’s the issue of Ozzie (Chris Osgood), who carried the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup title in 2007-2008. The question I have, as mentioned in a previous article previewing the Western Conference, is this: Which Ozzie are we going to see? Will it be last regular season’s Ozzie, who many Red Wings fans proclaimed as the worst goalie in the NHL (His statistics, including goals against average and save percentage, support that claim.)? Or, will it be the Ozzie of last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, in which he returned to the Ozzie Red Wings fans knew and adored? If it’s the former, all is good; if it’s the later, it could result in a very long season.

Which leads me to my next questions: Who’s the backup? Moreover, where’s Conk (Ty Conklin)? Gone are the days in which the Red Wings could rely on having not only one, but two stalwart goaltenders – Ozzie and Dominic Hasek, Ozzie and Ty Conklin, heck, Osgood and Mike Vernon (that’s serious knowledge, Red Wing myopians). But the cornerstone, in addition to their world class talent, was their consistent one-two punch of netminders. Jimmy Howard might be the answer. Lord knows Ken Holland has uncovered and developed some pretty decent, previously unknown, talent. Some guys named Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom come to mind, but the lack of a dependable backup could present a problem.

Ken Holland was criticized in some NHL circles for not acquiring a backup or starting goaltender during the March trade deadline or during the UFA signing period. So, should Ozzie and Howard falter, expect a possible trade to take place.

Then there are the injuries. Already, injuries have claimed Johan Franzen — scheduled out for 4 months, with a Torn ACL — and Andreas Lilja — out for the season, with a severe concussion. Although a team like the Red Wings has stellar players waiting in the wings (Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson), they will be required to step up and fill the void left by these dependable veterans.

Another cause for concern is simply one that goes with the spoils of success — the salary cap. While Detroit is, and will be for years to come, a destination for interested players, in order to retain their elite players, they began to experience the restriction that is the NHL salary cap. And while players like Hendrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nik Lidstrom, Johan Franzen and others have taken the “hometown discount,” in order to remain with this championship team, as recently as last season, it resulted in having to keep Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm in the minors when they could have been gaining valuable experience.

And while they were able to re-sign Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams, they had to do so at a considerable hometown discount. Thus is life in today’s NHL.

Finally, there were stretches late last season — the 8-0 shellacking by the Nashville Predators, then, on the following Saturday, the 8-2 loss by the Columbus Blue Jackets — that had more than a few Red Wings fans concerned about whether, come playoff time, they could, once again, “flip the switch.” Well, naysayer’s, they certainly did, but not without some consternation, particularly in their second round war against the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks, taking it to a game seven showdown in which the Red Wings prevailed.

I believe, had the Wings faced a more seasoned first-round opponent – sorry to say, but, for the CBJ, it might have been a case of the “deer in the headlights” – say, their 2nd round opponent, the Ducks, perhaps Ozzie would have had his confidence and abilities tested, and that would have definitely factored into how things actually turned out – meaning, an earlier sendoff. But, as the CBJ didn’t pepper Ozzie, for games 1-3, the result was a return of his confidence, and, as we all know, confidence, for a goalie, is 90+% of the battle (and this comes from a former collegiate pitcher – trust me, I know).

Now, in reviewing all of my points, it would lead one to believe that I am in the camp of the impending downfall of the Detroit Red Wings. To quote Lee Corso, “Not fast, my friend!” Need I remind anyone that this was the same team who was one post-hitting shot away from reclaiming the Stanley Cup? Need I also remind all that they still have a world of talent, and they, above all, have one Niklas Lidstrom, quite possibly the premier defenseman of his generation? At 39, Lidstrom, so long as he stays healthy, is the piston which makes the Red Wings run.

So, while there’s reason to believe the Red Wings will be in the mix come SC Finals time, there are also signs that, if the goaltending situation isn’t stabilized, it could potentially spell trouble in the Motor City.

The ’09-‘10 season is one that will start a week earlier due to the sixteen-day Olympic break in February, and sees the Jackets play more Saturday night games than ever before.

Following the home opener at Nationwide Arena, the Jackets will play three straight road games at Vancouver, San Jose, and Phoenix. The team will head out west again on October 20 for an extended road trip that includes stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim, and LA.

The Jackets will face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins at home on October 30, then head to Washington to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the nation’s capital on November 1.

Wednesday November 11 marks the first game against the Detroit Red Wings, at home in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena.

Later that month, the Jackets will be all over the map with their longest road trip of the season beginning November 19 in Dallas and ending the 26^th in Ottawa to face the Senators. Along the way, the team will make stops in Nashville, New York to face the Rangers, and Montreal.

In December, the CBJ will play back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on the 26^th and then back here at Nationwide on the 28^th. The Jackets will conclude 2009 with a New Years Eve game in Columbus against Nashville.

The month of January may be one of the toughest months of the season for the CBJ with nine road games and only six at home. The month includes a home and home with division rival Chicago on the 14^th and 16^th, and sends the Jackets to Boston for a game against the Bruins on the 21^st.

February, which is shortened because of the Olympic break, has only six games on the schedule including five straight at home before the sixteen-day break beginning the 15^th.

Columbus will play eight at home and six on the road during the playoff push in March then will end the season with three games against Detroit in April culminating in the final game of the year at home verse the Red Wings on the 9^th.

Eastern Conference foes on the schedule include the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, a home and home with the Washington Capitals, as well as games against the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Ottawa Senators.

The Jackets have a schedule that sees them playing away from home a lot early in the season, but allows them to play more home games down the stretch. With the way the schedule is set up, early season road trips could be pivotal to in determining where the Jackets are positioned come the post-season.

For the complete schedule, visit www.bluejackets.com.

Nash was drafted number one overall back in 2002 when the club decided to trade up to the first spot in order to obtain the Ontario native. He has been reminding Jackets management why they selected him ever since.

Nash has been a star since the moment he put on the Jackets sweater. In his NHL debut on October 10, 2002, Nash scored a goal in a 2-1 win over Chicago and went on to make the NHL All-Rookie team at the conclusion of the ’02-’03 season. In only his second year, Nash tied Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the league lead with 41 goals and, along with the other two, was awarded the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leagues most prolific goal scorer. At a mere 19 years of age, Nash was the youngest player to lead the league in goals.

After scoring what many commentators called “the goal of the year” on January 17, 2008 vs. Phoenix, Nash went on to sore three goals in the 2008 All-Star Game including the fastest goal in all-star history only twelve seconds into play. On March 7^th, 2009, Nash recorded an unassisted hat trick in an 8-2 rout of the Detroit Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena. It was the first time a player recorded three unassisted goals in one game since Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored 4 back in 1948.

In only six NHL seasons, Nash has scored 194 goals, and recorded 161 assists for a total of 355 points. He is also a four time NHL all-star and was named MVP at the 2007 World Championships with team Canada in Moscow.

Although his impact on the ice is undeniable, his impact off the ice is even greater. At the NHL awards last week, Nash was named 2008-09 NHL Foundation Player of the Year. An award that is presented annually to a player “in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community.”

Since his arrival in Columbus, Rick Nash has always been one of the most active Blue Jackets in the community. Nash established the #61 club, which according to bluejackets.com encourages kids to make good choices and develop healthy habits and rewards those that do. “Through the #61 Club Good Health Challenge, he provides more than 30 tickets to every Blue Jackets home game to students who make 61 healthy choices in a month.”

Nash also gave $100,000 to The Ohio State University Athletics Department to finance a student-athlete scholarship and donated $25,000 to the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund in memory of the Jackets founder.

“Being a professional hockey player is a privilege and I am extremely fortunate, as it has afforded me many opportunities to give back. I am honored to be this year’s recipient of the NHL Foundation Player Award and am grateful that this honor will directly benefit the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund, Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation and the Pelotonia Tour,” said Nash.

Nash also donates $15,000 annually to Santa’s Silent Helpers, an organization that provides holiday meals and gifts for 350-400 central Ohio families experiencing financial difficulties. These are just a few of the charitable works Nash has done since becoming a Blue Jacket.

In his honor, the NHL has pledged to donate $25,000 to the charitable organization of Nash’s choice.