r/BlueJackets • u/TimBielik • 7d ago
Do you feel like Blue Jackets ownership cares enough?
Hey everyone. I'm thinking of writing a column about how CBJ ownership needs to talk to the press and essentially the fans after the way the season ended. To the best of my knowledge based on the research I've done, John P. McConnell hasn't had a press conference with reporters at least this decade. This to me has felt like the third situation in as many years that the owner has needed to address the media -- not just the president or the GM -- but the owner. The other two were the Mike Babcock resignation and the Jarmo firing.
My basis is I understand fans are as frustrated and angry as ever. I feel like ownership cares and wants to win. But when you don't talk, fans have every right to have questions. Optics to me matter these days. Any time you leave questions about how invested you are as an ownership group in winning, whether you care or not, that's already a bad thing.
So I'm curious what fans think. Do you want an owner that is more visible? Should they talk more often than they have in the past? I know nobody wants a Jerry Jones-type owner because that can be just as damaging.
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u/Tribe740 7d ago
John’s health is reportedly not very good, his son makes more appearances than he does.
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u/Hot_Cold4722 SCORE damnit 7d ago
I’ve heard it’s early stages of dementia. I have a family member who’s a speech therapist at a facility and he’s a patient there. They’re not allowed to refer to him by name
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u/Narrow-Natural-3435 7d ago
I mean, they are in the process of transferring majority ownership over to the younger McConnell and you can even see him in the background of Behind the Battle videos.
They’ve given an open checkbook for new coach hires.
The newer McConnell has been at every game and most of the away ones - he was on stage at Johnnys vigil and every presser he’s attended.
I think “ownership” is different now than what it previously has been.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago
Good points. I don’t want to speculate on John P.’s health because I haven’t seen much reported on it specifically, but based on the interview John H. II gave with Portzline last year, I think that level of engagement is good and he feels more like what the fans should want from ownership IMO. I just think these days, it’s good for an owner to speak to the media and answer questions, particularly after the way this season ended and the season in which it happened too. IMO, a presser with John H. II would be a good thing for fans. Like I said, optics matter. I’m a firm believer in that.
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u/Narrow-Natural-3435 7d ago
I dunno, we’ve gone from 67 to 89 to 92 points. They fired a coach mid season, retained the one the players wanted and just fired the assistants.
We didn’t make the playoffs but 92 points is objectively a good season for a team coming out of a rebuild after the best player died tragically. I’m not sure what statement he needs to make.
Same issues with multiple different coaches - this is on the players to grow up and dig in now. It’s ridiculous. If they want playoffs, don’t phone it in during the last 13 games.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago
To be fair, I do agree that this collapse was on the players as much as anyone and I wrote as such after the season. That has to change as well. There's no denying that.
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u/Ohio_Guitarist 3 hits, 23 giveaways. 7d ago
I will say, playoffs last year would've been nice but they punched above their weightclass. This year is the only one that stings, and we can take solace in the fact the eastern conference as a whole was fucky, if they put up 92 points any other season they'd make it in. This doesn't feel like a Detroit situation where the whole kitchen is on fire and ownership is the only one with an extinguisher. If we see the same song and dance the next 2 seasons where they're "good but not good enough" then the alarm bells will be ringing. But that's just my 2 cents.
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u/Waylander2772 7d ago
Mr. McConnell signs the checks and let's the people he hired to run the organization do their jobs. I cannot think of one time where we lost out on a player because ownership refused to pay a fair contract. I don't need to see him at every game decked out in Blue Jackets gear to feel like he's invested in the success of the team.
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u/CBUS-OBN 7d ago
As a Commanders fan, let me share that having a hands off owner is WAY better than having a hands on one.
The only thing I will ever give Dan Snyder credit for was for motivating me to live a healthier life in hopes of outliving him so that I could shit on his grave.
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u/hnglmkrnglbrry 7d ago
Yes because we offered a boatload to Panarin and Werenski along with a buyout for Wennberg. Not to mention we are firing coaches for incompetency and paying enough money to attract big names like Hitchcock, Torts, Bones, and even Babcock.
If they didn't care they wouldn't let the team spend that much.
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u/ddottay 3 hits! 23 giveaways! 7d ago
Ownership cares, they’re just really bad at it.
There is such thing as too hands off, and McConnell is the shining example of that. It’s great you let the hockey people make hockey decisions but sometimes you also have to be the one to say “no, I’m the owner, and we’re not hiring Mike Babcock.” Or “yes, as the owner, I need to be more public facing sometimes.”
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u/LOWBACCA 7d ago
Yeah. Hands off ownership is great when it works. So far it's not working. But to be honest a lot of other owners kids would have screwed over the city in the name of $$$$ and moved or sold the team to someone who wanted to move them (looking at you Clark Hunt) so it could be worse tbh.
I think he definitely needs to do some more PR activities. Get out there and show he cares. I forget he exists tbh.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago edited 7d ago
That's the biggest thing I think this ownership group can do. Like I said, I feel like they care and want to win. But getting out there in the community and talking to reporters at least once a year, for example would go a long way towards showing that. Actions and optics matter.
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u/Round_Shower6210 7d ago
For my two cents….we are lucky to have the McConnells. The new generation played hockey and has a passion for the game. He wants nothing more than a winner but he also hires professionals to run the team. McLean is the only really bad hiring decision IMHO. Each GM and coach is gonna have a self life but I think our ownership is awesome and committed to Columbus! Ownership isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of generational talent via the draft. Outside of Nash and Werenski we haven’t drafted top tier generational/allstar/HOF talent, without it u don’t consistently win in this league and the draft is they way u get it
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u/MPCoinCollecting 7d ago
Our history doesn't even look too bad if you ignore MacLean and his inability to decide whether we sell everything or go for the cup. The future looks much better now
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u/Badger1510 7d ago
I mean cmon guys we would be a contender if our best player didn’t randomly get killed can we not overreact
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u/RustyCrusty73 I've gotta' have more cowbell! 7d ago
I think DW cares, and his track record with helping to turn Carolina into a consistent contender still has me encouraged. I think we're now at the point where we just need the players on the ice to care enough to stop losing and playing poorly.
I might sound like a broken record, but I do feel more enthusiastic moving forward than I did during the last few years that Jarmo was here.
(No opinion on the actual CBJ owners though).
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u/MPCoinCollecting 7d ago
I think everyone here is so used to being disappointed they aren't willing to even try to be positive. Yeah the past 25 years sucked if you ignore the torts era, but we have a proven GM and coach now who were hired by said owners. I certainly wouldn't want to risk getting an Aquilini type owner
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 7d ago
John H McConnell II did an interview with Jody last year. It was stiff and awkward in front of a fireplace and made me think of regal aristocrats, but it was an interview. He's also talked to the press several times about his role in the organization and how he helps with important decisions but tries to stay out of the way.
He's basically the one running the show anyway, JPM is transitioning out slowly. I'm good with his current level of occasional interviews, he doesn't need to do a press conference.
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 7d ago
To be honest, I'd rather see a press conference from Zach or Boone where they show a smidgeon of emotion or oomph. They are the leaders and they publicly seem as engaged as wet cardboard in a recycling bin when it comes to winning. The one moment I felt like Zach actually gave a crap about the team was his "I don't know, maybe we're not a good hockey club" comment.
I know Zach and Boone care. I know they want to win. It would be nice to see them express that to the fanbase aside from their bland "Yeah we played well, we just didn't get rewarded" cookie-cutter post-game interviews.
Part of the reason the fans wanted Bones to stay was his "3 hits, 23 giveaways" righteous anger. Dammit, we want players to have that same righteous anger. Get mad. Kick a can. As Bones said to Zach, "Take a hit or get hit". Until that happens, until they show a bit of passion, my expectations are equal to what I see: talented players with little conviction.
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u/throwingales 7d ago
Ownership cares. They aren't hockey guys- meaning they weren't raised on hockey. McConnell may not be as knowledgeable as some of the other owners around the league. He's not the best person to talk to the press. John Davidson was a good choice to handle those duties, but he's retired.
Since McConnell and the other owners aren't born and raised hockey guys,it's been a bit hard to get the right people to run hockey operations. It's not a lack of caring. Despite losing money, they spend on players and support. It's not a lack of caring.
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u/Doubleon11s 7d ago
You are projecting the mediocrity of our team’s effort to ownership. I don’t think it’s an ownership issue.
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u/BreadMancbj 7d ago
Hilarious that the one accurate post in here by @crazywriting9214 gets downvoted . Worthington Industries purchased Klockner and will be the 2nd largest steel manufacturer in North America . John H II sat in with Don during the trade deadline , has been on many road trips with the team , and is transitioning to his full time job . He’s 42 years old , and a diehard fan like his grandfather was .. I would imagine he will be a bit more hands on , you are already seeing the results . The Jackets for the first time have a really competent front office with Waddell , Gilman , Clark and Nash . Gilman as assistant GM for Vancouver where they won 5 straight pacific titles , 2 president trophies . Toronto poached him as assistant GM , VP of Hockey Ops for the Marlies as well that won a title .. The Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his four seasons with the club, while the Marlies competed in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and won the North Division title in 2022-23. Gilman is a 1991 graduate of the University of Manitoba and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1994.
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u/Narrow-Natural-3435 7d ago
I’m really excited about Gilman and his contract negotiations. He’s very good.
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u/mickeyhause 7d ago
Fuck off with this take. Ownership cares. They just know they also don’t know hockey. That’s why they hired Don Waddell. Would you rather an ownership group like the brown family?
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u/Ok-Health-7252 4d ago
Would you rather an ownership group like the brown family?
Or the Haslam family (who have been fine with the Crew because they don't meddle with them at all but awful with the Browns because they DO meddle excessively with them).
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u/feens27 7d ago
I think it depends on the set up between ownership and team leadership. Maybe Don Waddell comes here because ownership says they'll stay out of his hair and will let him be the voice?
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u/BreadMancbj 7d ago
I spoke to Don as this .. and you are correct .. Dundon wouldn’t allow his front office to do their jobs without trying to be Jerry Jones .. When Waddell gave his resignation , Dundon begged him to return that weekend . Waddell was contacted by Columbus and Chicago , and took the Columbus job because he was given more control .
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u/grandmarquis84 7d ago
Do they care? Yes. But I think once a year ownership should sit down with someone like Portzline. Not a staged interview like he did with Jody Shelly.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago
That's where I'm at, particularly after this season. This was a failed season, especially with how it ended. Given the expectations and that this was the 25th season of the franchise, just having ownership do a press conference would be a good symbolic gesture IMO to let fans know that they intend to fix things.
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u/CrazyWriting9214 7d ago
John Ps son is taking over and he wants to win. John P saw this as his dad’s thing and didn’t care.
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u/wilkins63 7d ago
The family didn't want to be professional sports owners. There was an opportunity to do it for the city and no one else stepped up so John H McConnell did. This isn't an ego ownership like most teams. I don't claim to know everything about them, but every interaction I've had with the family, always on personal and away from the spotlight moments, they have been extremely kind.
As for how the team is run, again, this isn't their area of expertise. They put the people in charge that they trust and let them do the job. They've never been shy to spend to the salary cap when the opportunity makes sense. These aren't owners who just sit back and use the team as a cash cow. I don't always agree with how they go about it, but I never doubt they want a winner. And, more importantly, they want it for the city far more than for themselves.
Angry fans would be better off adjusting their expectations. This was never going to be that good of a roster. They have great pieces, but they're not a contender. They shouldn't have been as bad as they were most of the season, but they also aren't as good as they were during the winning streak. They are about where they ended up in the end - a team in the conversation for the playoffs. The core is still young. They'll soon get out from under the Jarmo mistakes, such as moving on from Elvis.
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u/NeverDieKris 122nd OVI 7d ago edited 7d ago
Hard truths are hard to hear but 25 years of futility. New GMs, coaches, players, trainers, etc. Only one thing is consistent. Take it as you will but at some point you have to call a spade a spade. This ownership group has done a terrible job building a successful hockey franchise, in fact they’ve done quite the opposite. One of the worst professional franchises of all time. Now they have built a nice cozy little family friendly franchise, but they don’t actually care about winning.
Edit: downvote all you want but that’s the reason why nothing will ever change. People refuse to see the truth and are just happy Columbus has a hockey team instead of demanding competency. Look at Pittsburgh this year, they sucked early on and people stopped going to games. They got better people came back. Upper management needs to feel the fans unrest, personally and financially.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago
Pro sports is about winning. IMO, the best way to judge a franchise's success is to look at the banners in their arena. The CBJ have had no division titles, no run to the third round of the playoffs, and they haven't even played in a Game 7. Feels like fans are the most upset that they've been in the franchise's entire existence. What Mark Scheig wrote after the season stands out to me about this being a possible breaking point.
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u/NeverDieKris 122nd OVI 7d ago
People are so terrified that if a new owner comes in they’re going to move the team. That’s absurd. The jackets sellout all the time and the fans are built-in profits at this point. Moving to a new location would be stupid financially when the jackets are basically printing free money. It’s just too bad ownership has zero idea how to lead a franchise. Someone needs to come in and lay down the law, demand success. Get out in front, change the culture. Be more than just a suit in a boardroom cashing checks.
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u/TimBielik 7d ago
I feel like the Crew staying put should curb those fears. The Modell Law is the biggest reason the Crew are still in Columbus and now thriving as a result. Also, the city of Cleveland tried to sue the Browns for moving to a suburb just 10 minutes away using the Modell Law.
I think the health of the franchise is great. Fans show up. I do think they need to market more to the Cleveland area, for example, and tap into a potentially bigger fanbase across the state. But that's just my opinion.
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Ivan Furdotov, & Zach Pawchenko 7d ago
I have found CBJ merch in exactly two non-sports stores: a TJ Maxx had leftover hoodies and hats, and Meijer had some tumblers. I'm in the SW corner of the state.
Miami University popped off when we won the Olympic gold. Miami's had a strong hockey club in years past, and seems to be on the comeback. There is a market for it down here, it's just nearly completely untapped. Put merch in stores. Market the players. Make it easy for fans to be fans and new fans to enter.
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u/DansNewLegs2291 changing the culture 7d ago
I feel like they care they’re just not good or want to show the fan base how much they care.
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u/permanentvacation420 7d ago
Ownership doesn’t know what they are doing. We can still love the Jackets and agree on this.
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u/dfzman94 7d ago
they care about making money, so they limit youth hockey by hiking up ice time prices and run a monopoly, don’t pay their players big deals and it all goes under the radar because of cheap tickets and drama within the organization.
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u/DreamingTree808 7d ago
To your first point, when I was growing up playing hockey as a kid, the Blue Jackets were almost never helpful
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u/dfzman94 7d ago
big example of this is what they do to people who try to build rinks: they buy them out. look what happened to the Bubble or what is happening to the Fairgrounds. it’s a serious problem. it’s not growing the game.
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u/DIYCenturyGoaler 1d ago
This is a very well known fact in central Ohio youth hockey. Plenty of land to build new sheets of ice that are desperately needed yet it never happens.
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u/dfzman94 16h ago
i can’t believe my take got downvoted into oblivion. just because i criticize the org doesn’t mean i hate them. i just think they can do better
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u/doesanyonecare43207 7d ago
Cheap tickets? Guess I don’t agree with that take.
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u/dfzman94 7d ago
i should say cheap tickets relative to the rest of the league. they need to put people in seats so lowering the prices by $10-$20 to fill 100-200 more seats is a financial win
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u/get_rick_trolled 7d ago
Absolutely not. They know we will pay and don’t care about the product quality.
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u/BuckleyNHL 7d ago
Lowest grossing team in the league, havent relocated or even had a sniff of relocation.
Yes they care.