Until recently, the pending expiring contract for head coach Rod Brind’Amour was generating off-ice headlines in Carolina. That file was taken care of recently with a long-term extension for Brind’Amour and the rest of the coaching staff. Those deals were obviously also signed by team President and GM Don Waddell.
Now, it appears Waddell’s contract is set to draw some attention. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Waddell’s deal is set to expire at the end of the league year and that the Hurricanes have granted him permission to speak to other teams. LeBrun adds that Carolina has had internal conversations about a new GM in anticipation of his eventual departure.
Waddell has been with the organization for a decade now. He was originally named President of Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the team, back in 2014. Waddell then added the GM title to his duties back in May 2018 and has held both roles ever since.
His time with Carolina isn’t the only time the 65-year-old has worked in a front office as he also held both titles at times in Atlanta before leaving the team in 2011. That type of experience along with Carolina’s recent success will be intriguing to some teams looking to add to their front office either as a GM, president, or both.
At the moment, the only GM vacancy is in Columbus, a team that is known to be looking for experience and will likely be looking to shake up their front office; bringing in someone with Waddell’s pedigree could certainly help that program. To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Waddell interviewed with the Blue Jackets today.
It’s a bit surprising to see Carolina being willing to let the managerial architect of their recent success depart or at least talk to other teams about potential opportunities. However, they do have some internal candidates who could be ready to be elevated to the top role.
Assistant GM Eric Tulsky has had interviews elsewhere over the years and could be deemed ready to take on the full-time GM role. Darren Yorke, another Assistant GM, has been with the organization for the last 14 years, working his way up from video scout to his current title which he has held for the last four years. Meanwhile, long-time Hurricane Justin Williams has been a Special Assistant to Waddell for the past four years and could be a dark horse candidate if the job does indeed become available in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, just when it looked like we were done with an off-ice contractual situation in Carolina garnering plenty of attention around the rest of the NHL, that clearly is no longer the case as now it’s Waddell’s time for the spotlight.
Leafs fire shanny promote brad, bring in Don and Tulsky
D-
Lol
or just fire shanny and bring in Waddell as Prez.
While the Canes have won many Analytics Cups (hehe), they keep getting knocked by teams not so analytically inclined. Something to consider.
Crickets.
What’s heard at PNC arena?
Why does this look and sound like T. Dundon suddenly (or not so suddenly) has lost faith in GMDW? Unless RB has suggested a change there to address the team deficiencies?
Nothing to do with losing faith in Waddell.
Dundon has his own salary cap for each position in his companies. This is well known.
Waddell feels he brings more value than the cap number Dundon has in mind. Can’t blame him. Dundon has good relationship with Waddell but can’t stand in his way from doing better for himself.
Dundon feels he can get similar performance from Tulsky (or Williams) and a Pres to be named later at much lower numbers than Waddell currently makes.
This will be win-win for all in the end.
Blue Jackets need and get a competent, experienced GM. Dundon gets to shave some expenses while (in his mind) receiving same level of performance from his executive hockey staff. Will offset the raises for Rod the Bod and his assistant coaches.
Dundon runs things in a way that most of us wouldn’t. He’s rich and his hockey team is better than most. He seems to know what he is doing.
The guy who bought the AAF and bankrupted it in two weeks?
It seems more like Waddell knew what he was doing and Dundon got lucky he was working cheap.
@Brother G — Yep, that pretty much sums up Dundon. Maybe I should’ve written it as “lost faith in Waddell’s willingness to take a hometown haircut.” That would be more in line with “the Dundon way”. But, if not for Brindy’s willingness to stay put, his team might very well be mediocre and stuck in the mushy middle.
Good to see Tom Dundon’s press secretary visits PHR (you never know who is lurking around!).
The Dundon way keeps getting knocked out in the playoffs. Maybe not the best path to keep going down.
@Gbear — Maybe TD is trying to be the next Mean Gene Melnyk? (shudders)
@Mac – For a moment I thought you wrote Mean Gene Okerlund, lol! :D
@Gbear — Pity the digital ink dried there. I’d have been up for a quick edit on that one! :)