Zak MacMillan

"CBJ"

Harrisburg, PA • United States • 23 Years Old • Male

CBJ---Everyone Extended

In this today, we will hit the news and noteworthy information on the contract extensions on the front office and coaching staff, and tournament and training camp notes.

Front Office staff and management were all given new contract extensions, including President John Davidson, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, and associate general manager Bill Zito.

Davidson has been the President of the Blue Jackets since the 2012-2013 season, leaving a job with the Blues to join the Blue Jackets. Since being President, he built the staff below him,
and protecting and supporting the transactions they have done. JD has been bringing in the right people that help contribute to his clubs successes. In the six years he has been President,
the Blue Jackets have made the playoffs three times (2014, 2017, 2018). The past two playoff visits, they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, meaning it could have been them instead.

Jarmo Kekalainen has been the general manager of the Blue Jackets since the 2012-2013 season. Kekalainen has been responsible for helping build the franchise, bringing in the younger core
pieces of the franchise, including Alex Wennberg; Sonny Milano; Oliver Bjorkstrand; Pierre-Luc Dubois; Gabriel Carlsson; and Zach Werenski through thr NHL Entry Drafts. JK was also a big
player in two of the team's biggest trades, including the Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones swap; as well as the Brandon Saad-Artemi Panarin blockbuster.

Bill Zito was the assistant general manager last season, running the Cleveland Monsters the franchise the past four seasons. Zito was at the helm when the Cleveland Monsters won the Calder
Cup two seasons ago, seeing the rise in the development in those drafted players Kekalainen brought into the organization, plus pushing players like Lukas Sedlak; Markus Hannikanen; Anton
Forsberg; Joonas Korpisalo; and Markus Nutivarra into the NHL level.

Head coach John Tortorella was also given an extension as well. Tortorella has lead the Blue Jackets into the playoffs in two of the three seasons he has been in charge of the Union Blue.
Tortorella's system is one where who buys in works, and those that do not are called out, benched, or dealt. The younger players on this team have followed his defensive shot blocking
structure with lots of discpline very thoroughly, and it has paid off for the team performance.

All four contract extentions are two year contract extensions, expiring in the 2020-2021 season.

What do these extensions mean?

Ownership has lots of faith in the guys they have. They believe they can carry the success and make this team a Stanley Cup contender for years to come. Right move on the ownership to
believe in what they see. Davison and Kekalainen have known each other for a decade and a half, developing elite talent on two different franchises, and contiuing that faith in the Union
Blue shows a lot of accompolishment between these men. Zito has been able to build a winner in the development system, and shows that he can handle the general manager role with being the
associate. Tortorella has been a winner in the past, and his system with this team is working in the present. Very great work done by the ownership.

Familiar Face Invited

The Columbus Blue Jackets have inited winger Trent Vogelhuber to training camp. The former Blue Jacket draft choice spent the past couple of seasons wih the Colorado Avalanche, and is
looking to come back home.

More to come...
Fans! Follow me on Twitter @djzjmac12161...

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