“We’re in a position where we have a lot of talent and need to get to the next level,” Davidson said. “Experience is important, but it doesn’t have to mean that you’ve already been a general manager. You could be with a franchise as an assistant general manager and add great experience there working with good people and doing some winning. That’s what I think experience means.”
It could also mean experience gained from somewhere other than an NHL front office, which might be good news for Mark Hunter, GM of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Hunter, 61, has already had his name mentioned as a possible candidate by TSN insider Elliotte Friedman, and he's got built-in connections with the Blue Jackets.
“I’ve seen very experienced managers come out of junior that have been very good,” Davidson said. “There’s a lot of different areas you can look to, and there’s a lot of different levels of experience that are important and would work.”
Davidson pointed to Kelly McCrimmon as an example.
Davidson’s former team, the New York Rangers, are another rebuild success — even though he and former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, now executive vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens, were fired just one season before it fully came to fruition.
So, does that mean candidates who’ve “been there, done that,” elsewhere in a rebuild get a leg up in the Jackets' GM search?
Maybe.
“If you find somebody who’s been through the same, exact thing and gotten them to the next part of the racetrack, that’s great,” Davidson said. “I can sit right here, right now and say, ‘I’d like to have an individual who has this, this, this and this,’ but try to find it. It’s hard. We have to go through a very detailed process of trying to find that right person who’s going to be here for a long time, and it’s hard to find people. You don’t see many of them changing their jobs (in the NHL) that often.”
While the Blue Jackets are doing their best to keep interviews private, Davidson said candidates of all backgrounds will be considered if they impress he and Priest enough to warrant a call or visit.
“Male, female, I don’t care what they are or where they’re from as long as we think that person can do the job,” Davidson said. “That’s the only attitude to have. It’s the right way to think.”
Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Eric Tulsky, for example, had no hockey background before his advanced mathematical mind paved a path to an NHL team’s executive suite a decade ago. Now, his name is usually listed as an option for open GM roles. There are also five female assistant GMs in the NHL plus a growing list of minorities working in front office roles.
“You don’t have to follow the cookie cutter avenue unless you find the exact right person,” Davidson said. “There’s nothing that says, ‘We’re going to do it this way.’ We’re going to do what’s right to get us to the next level.”
Davidson, it should be noted, went outside the box 11 years ago while hiring Kekalainen as the NHL's first European-born GM.
Is Davidson, who's 70, planning to retire?
That’s a question being asked more because of the Jackets’ turbulent season, but Davidson — who's recovered from a difficult back surgery ― doesn’t seem like a guy who's playing out the string. Things could change, but Davidson said he's re-energized and committed to getting the Blue Jackets into the discussion of the NHL’s top young teams.
“I’m driven to be part of the solution and make us win,” he said. “If ownership feels different, they’ll let me know. From my end, I just went through 2-1/2 months of (pain). (My doctor) in Columbus was great. He’s got me back on my feet, so I have a lot of energy right now. It wasn’t good, but I really want to be a part of the solution. I think I can help. If somebody up above me feels different, then we’ll take a different track, but I’m committed to Columbus. I’m committed to the Blue Jackets. I love it there.”
