In case you have somehow missed it, the Carolina Hurricanes are the winners of the 2026 Stanley Cup. As Blue Jackets fans, we can't help but be jealous. However, we also have a reason to be hopeful. After all, that famous Canes culture was left mostly in place thanks to the leadership of Don Waddell.
Waddell, of course is the current general manager of the Blue Jackets. He is hoping to do a lot of the same things here that he did in Carolina. Clearly, his process can still be effective in this age of hockey. But, just how much of the Canes' success falls on his shoulders? Honestly? Quite a bit.
Don Waddell helped turn a stagnant team into a perennial contender.
The Carolina Hurricanes have not always been one of the model franchises of the NHL. In fact, they missed the playoffs for 9 years straight, from 2009-2018.
It was in January of 2018 that the team sold primary ownership to Tom Dundon, who made it clear very early on that he wanted to change the perception around his new franchise.
One of the first things the Canes did under their new owner: they made a change at the GM position. NHL legend Ron Francis had been at the helm for nearly four years, but he was let go of less than two months after the sale of the team.
The team was stuck in what I can only call "no-man's land". They weren't good enough to compete for a playoff spot. They also weren't bad enough to land high draft picks. Worse, even when they did land high draft picks, they were opting for the "safe" player, and not generating any real interest in the team. To be clear: they were boring.
Two months after they relieved Francis, in stepped Waddell, who had already been working within the organization. He did not take long to start putting his stamps on the roster, working diligently that summer to ship away some of the floundering pieces that the team had acquired with Francis at the helm.
It started with a bit of a blockbuster deal, as he sent Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm to the Calgary Flames, in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Michael Ferland, and prospect Adam Fox. Yes, that Adam Fox. It continued with the trade of Jeff Skinner for futures, and Viktor Rask in exchange for Nino Niederreiter.
Quietly, he worked to clean out a lot of the fluff; while simultaneously bringing in guys who fit into specific roles within the organization. Sound famiilar?
It paid off. The Canes made the playoffs in their first season under Waddell's guidance. In fact, they never once missed the playoffs while he was there, making the cut in all six seasons with him at the helm, reaching the second round three times; and the conference finals twice.
I don't think it's a stretch at all to say that Waddell's experience, guidance, and personality, combined with his understanding of building teams, all made a big difference in Carolina. In fact, I'll go one step further and make the statement: the Canes would not be what they are today, without Waddell having been a part of it.
The Canes are successful because they found the perfect mix. For every "alpha male" such as Rod Brind'Amour, and every "stat geek" such as Eric Tulsky; it takes a team to bring it all together. Waddell played helped make that all work in unison.
Lets hope he can achieve the same levels of success here in Columbus.
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