For the fourth time in four summers, the Columbus Blue Jackets are searching for a new voice.
The club fired head coach Pascal Vincent on Monday after just one season behind the Columbus bench.
In his lone season as the Blue Jackets' bench boss, Vincent led Columbus to a 27-43-12 record. No other changes are imminent with the coaching staff, according to a statement issued by the team.
“As I spent time with Pascal over the past few weeks, I found him to be an outstanding person and smart hockey coach who worked very hard last year under trying circumstances, but I believe a change behind the bench is in our team’s best interest,” Don Waddell said in a statement.
“On behalf of the organization I want to thank Pascal for his work ethic, professionalism and contributions during his three seasons with the Blue Jackets.”
Vincent's short tenure as head coach began less than a month before the start of the 2023-24 season, following the resignation of Mike Babcock during training camp. Babcock replaced Brad Larsen, who was with the Blue Jackets in a head coaching capacity for two seasons.
Waddell said at his introductory press conference earlier in June that he hadn't spent time with Vincent yet, adding that he wanted to get to know him better before deciding if he would coach the team moving forward.
The Athletic reported that the two met for five hours last week.
The 52-year-old Vincent had been with the organization since 2021, joining as an assistant coach on Larsen's inaugural staff. He had one year remaining on his contract.
