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Pascal Vincent: Don Waddell heard “things he didn’t expect”.

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 09: Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent during the third period against the Dallas Stars at Nationwide Arena on November 09, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Late Monday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman confirmed what was already up in the air: Pascal Vincent will not be returning to Columbus next year. With the arrival of Don Waddell at the helm of the club, we suspected he might want to bring his coach along.

Obviously, it’s a shame for the coach, who has lost his position while the other 31 NHL head coaching positions are filled. But on the other hand, it’s hard to blame Waddell, who couldn’t fire him even before he arrived.

Earlier in the day, Waddell spoke to the media on a variety of topics, including the Bob Hartley case. That said, he also had a word to say about Vincent… and his comments were rather peculiar.

In fact, Waddell claims to have spoken with players about Vincent, and they surprised him with their comments:

You don’t let the players make the decision, but I heard things I didn’t expect. – Don Waddell

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Waddell didn’t want to go into too much detail on the subject, so it’s unclear exactly what he’s referring to. That said, one wonders if it has anything to do with the coach’s treatment of his veterans this season.

He even left Patrik Laine out for a game.

On the other hand, it’s also fair to wonder how much of these decisions really came from Vincent. We know that Brad Larsen was fired for being too passive in 2022-23, and Mike Babcock (not known for his appreciation of passengers, let’s say) was basically the club’s choice.

Was Vincent “forced” to adopt the same guideline as Babcock to please management (which is no longer the same as when he was hired)? Possibly.

So we don’t know exactly what Waddell is referring to, but clearly the players didn’t want to see Vincent back behind the bench next season. I can’t wait to see who his successor will be, and more importantly, whether he’ll be a “softer” coach…

Overtime

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