Former Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell was in Columbus this afternoon for his first media availability since being hired as the Blue Jackets' new general manager and president of hockey operations.
Here's some of the highlights from his availability:
On taking the opportunity in Columbus: I wouldn't take this kind of opportunity at this point of my career unless I felt like we could make a difference and there's a lot of good pieces here.
On his motivation to keep going: I'm driven. I know time doesn't mean anything, but I'm a 5 a.m. person. I love my morning. I get so much passion for what I do and what I think is possible here. I could have rode off into the sunset, but I'm not even close to that. I've got lots of energy and again, I would never come to this potential opportunity if I didn't think there was going to be a great outcome.
On similarities between Columbus and Carolina: When I took over in Carolina, it was the same as here. We had some pieces. It wasn't like we had to blow it all up. We had some pieces and had to draft good and sign some key free agents. I thought about that these last couple of days of how many players of when we took over, I think in Carolina there is five guys left now after six years. So there was natural turnover, but those five or six guys that we had were pretty core guys and I see the same thing here. Very similar. You just have to get some breaks.
On making a lateral move to Columbus: I don't know if it's lateral. I had a little bit more going on there. Luckily Mike [Priest] runs a good business here and I don't have to worry about that part of it. But there's things that happen through a course. I was there 10 years, 6 years as a general manager at the end. The best way I can always say is, you just feel at times that it's time to make a change. When I made the decision to step down there, I wasn't sure exactly what my next move was going to be. I knew Columbus obviously had an opening, but I didn't know if Columbus would have an interest in me and I didn't know if I would have an interest in Columbus. Once I stepped down, I had contact with three teams... I think it was just time for me to move on. I don't really have... we're in the middle of a billion development there and running the hockey team and the building and everything, it wasn't the work, I just felt like I needed to move on.
On ownership: There's no excuse from an ownership standpoint. They give you all the tools, all the resources to make it work. I think that's a driver too. We've been here since 11 o'clock and the things that we've seen in less than two hours in how they do things is just mind boggling because I'm not used to that.
On the outdoor game: Besides winning the Stanley Cup, it's probably the best experience I've ever had in the National Hockey League. Our fans absolutely... it was off the charts. I can't say enough things about it. It's something that you're going to get to do once in a great while and I know our fans, we had a little difference, 60,000 seats and the league gave us 30,000 seats and in less than a day we were sold out and they ended up selling all the tickets. I know you have a bigger stadium here, but I can't say enough good things about how the fans are going to enjoy that day. The NHL puts on great events.
On if there's any restrictions placed on him by Carolina with the upcoming draft: No. When I spoke with Tom Dundon a week ago on that Friday when I resigned, it was a clean, no restrictions whatsoever.
On leaving as Rod Brind'Amour was extended and his level of involvement with that deal: Well the level of involvement was I did it. No doubt about that. That's a different situation with Rod. Rod played there as a player, won a Cup there, family lives there. Didn't want to go any place. He wanted to stay in Carolina. So regardless of what was in the back of my mind, we started doing this back in January which I had no thoughts that I was going to leave at the end of the year. I was the general manager and I wanted to make sure... the owner wanted him to stay, he wanted to stay, so I had to fulfill what I do as the general manager and make sure that happened. Again, we pretty much had that done months ago and then we got close to the playoffs and he wanted me to get all his assistant coaches done so that's why the timing. We just decided we weren't going to do it in the playoffs and do it at the end of the season.
On working for Tom Dundon: Well first, if you look at sports on general, the new owners that are coming into the league, most of them are... first of all, they're younger than ever. The amount of money, these people have obviously done well in their career to get into sports and they think differently. The one thing I'll say about Tom, Tom and I, we worked together for six years. We had lots of discussions, we had some debates, but we were always supportive of each other when the decision was made whether it was his feelings or mine. But one thing with Tom that I learned too was just to think outside of the box. We get stuck sometimes in our mind and again I was running the business side too, but he always would say, 'Maybe there's a better way to do that,' and the same when you come on your team. Maybe there's a better way to build your team and such. So Tom and I are on good terms. I used to talk to him eight to 10 times when I worked for him and I still talk to him a few times a day when I don't work for him. It's all good though. The one thing I do feel good about from a business standpoint and a hockey team standpoint, I'm leaving them in a good spot. That makes me feel good about that.
Carolina fans, how do you feel about Waddell's move to Columbus? Let us know in the forums!