Aside from chasing the Stanley Cup, the Blue Jackets had two main goals in hiring John Davidson as the team's president of hockey operations back in 2012.
Coming off a 29-46-7 season in 2011-12, finishing with an NHL-low 65 points, Columbus sought to gain stability as a winning franchise and establish a culture change throughout the organization - from the ice to the front office to every level in-between.
Six years later, the only thing the Blue Jackets are still seeking is the Cup - which speaks volumes as to why Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen were each signed to multi-year contract extensions that were announced Thursday - along with a contract extension for assistant GM Bill Zito, who was also promoted to associate GM.
"Under John Davidson's leadership, our club has made great strides over the past six seasons and this long-term commitment speaks to the confidence that our ownership group, led by John P. McConnell, has in his vision for our team," Blue Jackets President Mike Priest said in the press release to announce the new agreements. "The plan implemented by our hockey operations senior management team is working and we are pleased that these talented and committed individuals will continue to lead our hockey-operations efforts for years to come."
Culture shift, stability are key factors in front-office extensions
Davidson, Kekalainen and Zito have cultivated winning attitude in Columbus as Jackets chase the Stanley Cup.
© Dave Sandford