Report: John Davidson "Blindsided" By Don Waddell Hire; Denied By Blue Jackets

In a now-deleted post on X, Anthony Di Marco of TheFourthPeriod.com says former President of Hockey Ops John Davidson "wasn't aware of Don Waddell's hiring and was "blindsided" by the move." He also says that Mike Priest is the one who "spearheaded" the hiring. 

In a new post, Di Marco says that CBJ sources have "vehemently denied" what his sources told him, and that Davidson was involved in hiring Waddell.

Waddell was named the new GM on May 28th and then introduced on the 29th. In his press conference and subsequent interviews, he mentioned a few times his relationship with Mike Priest.  

Former President of Hockey Ops John Davidson was made a senior advisor and alternate governor. At this time it's unclear exactly who he will be advising. Davidson has been with Columbus since 2012.

John Davidson said a few times that he would be involved in the process of looking for a new GM. He also said he would step aside as President of Hockey Ops if that's what it took to hire the right person. And that's exactly what he did.

People who follow the team will undoubtedly have questions about this. And based on the decisions made in the past by the front office, many wouldn't be shocked if it was true. 

One thing Columbus can't afford is distractions. It seems like the Blue Jackets are always in the news for the wrong reasons. Their image is the first thing that needs to be cleaned up if they want to be an attractive destination for players, coaches, and fans. 

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