Blue Jackets Name New GM

The Columbus Blue Jackets have named Thomas Gidlow as the new GM and Team President after a 40-34-8 season saw the team miss out on the 2017 playoffs by just six points.

The 33-year old Gidlow has been out of hockey for the past five years. The hiring comes as a bit of a surprise, as no indications to this point saw Gidlow as a candidate for the position.

"I have a habit of showing up when you least expect it," quipped Gidlow. "I was approached by ownership who wanted someone they could trust, and who they knew would dedicate themselves to rebuilding this great franchise."

"It was an easy sell to me."

Gidlow inherits a Columbus team that nearly made the playoffs in 2016-17. A 3-game losing streak at the end of the season killed any chance of that happening, and now the club is set to lose 18 players from their 38-player roster between the NHL team and the AHL club in Cleveland to unrestricted free agency.

"It will be somewhat of a blank slate," says Gidlow, who immediately went to work doing his diligence on the league and the Blue Jackets. "I will be researching the landscape of the MRFHL and seeing what we can do to start solidifying things ahead of Sunday night's draft."

The Entry Draft looms large in the background for Columbus. The Jackets still own all of their 2017 selections, but could they be after moving them or acquiring more?

"We'll see," said Gidlow. "I want to be good now, but I want to get this team back to some stability here. We need a makeover across the board, and we need more depth. I don't see any reason why we won't fully be open for business by Saturday night."

That gives Gidlow just 24 hours to start his engines ahead of the draft. Will Columbus be making big splashes in the lead up and at the event? The new GM provided a short, one-word answer to that query.

"Guaranteed."

Chip Whitley, Columbus Beat Reporter