Blue Jacket News and Rumors: Changes in Personnel, World Championships, etc. – Hockey Writer – Columbus Blue Jacket

The Columbus Blue Jacket may have been completed in the 2024-25 season, but the work will never stop. Between the upcoming World Championships and preparing for the 2025 NHL Draft, the team has a lot in their game.

One of these projects involves decisions about the future of some of its support staff. This is where we started this version of Blue Jacket News and Rumors.

Staffing changes

The hockey writer was able to confirm that there were no long-term staff members who kept four blue coats. This includes two of the team since its inception.

• Strength and Adjustment Coordinator Kevin Collins.
• Jamie Healy, Master Equipment Manager.
• Video coach Dan Singleton.
• Assistant Athletic Coach Naoto Goto.

In each case, it is decided not to renew its expiration contract. As GM Don Waddell pointed out on Brian Hedger on the Cannon Fodder podcast, GM Don Waddell told him that they have 51 contracts that expire and they have to make a decision.

Since the above four are not retained, it is expected that all others will be retained. This means retaining any additional assistant coaches. Jared Boll and Steve McCarthy are in this situation. Last week, he played his first game at Cleveland at Cleveland with head coach Dean Evason and assistant GM Josh Flynn.

At this point, there is no news about who will replace the unreserved. Waddell had the opportunity to put his stamp on his blue jacket after evaluating his possessions for a season.

The most notable thing is Collins. He joined Blue Jackets in June 2010 as a strength and conditioning coach for the team. Questions have been raised in recent years about team injuries and how to deal with them. Past regimes ruled that injuries were more “lucky” than anything. Wadell decided to make changes immediately.

World Championships

We wonder if Blue Jackets’ Exit Visit Day will join the Canadian team’s upcoming world champion. By then, neither player had formally asked. It seems we have more clarity now. They are not alone.

According to athletic Aaron Portzline, Fantilli and Johnson will play for Canada. As TSN's Darren Dreger first reported, Evason will serve as head coach for the Canadian team.

#cbj Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson will play for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships in Sweden and Denmark.

– Aaron Portzline (@aportzline) April 28, 2025

With Evason as head coach, it is no surprise to hear Fantilli and Johnson join the team. At the time of writing, the Canadian team has not officially announced the rest of its staff or their lineup. Given that the competition begins on May 9, this will be quick.

This year's World Championships will be held in Sweden and Denmark.

Side dishes

• The Cleveland Monsters will play against the Laval Rockets Wednesday night at the Rockets Arena after completing four games on Monday night with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though the Rockets are the regular season AHL champion, the monsters are open at home. This is due to the distance between the two teams. If it is more than 300 miles apart, a high-seed team can choose the 2-3 series in the 5 best matches. Laval selected this option so Cleveland will play 1 and 2 at home.
• In this series, the monster will see a familiar face in Pascal Vincent. He helped the Rockets coach the AHL's best record after being fired by Blue Jackets. Think there will be some extra motivation here?
• The Monsters and Rockets played four times in the regular season, winning twice per team. Rockets starter Cayden Primeau is in the NHL with issues with Game 5 on Wednesday and Samuel Montembeault. If Canadians are eliminated, Primeau will step back to help his team move forward.
• The Minnesota Wild is providing Las Vegas Golden Knights with everything they can handle. They played 5 games at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night. Reminder that if the wild is eliminated, we can clearly understand where the blue jacket will be chosen among other first-round picks as they have wild picks from David Jiricek's trade. Don't be surprised if Blue Jackets are looking to upgrade their NHL roster to possible.
• As for Wadell, he wore a scout hat while traveling to U-18 in Texas this week. We are only over a month away from Buffalo's NHL combines, and we are probably two months away from Los Angeles' NHL draft. It may be quiet now. But it won't last long.