COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus Blue Jackets’ next president of hockey operations and general manager will be introduced on Wednesday afternoon.

The team hosted a news conference with Don Waddell, who will take both roles after six years with the Carolina Hurricanes. “I would not have taken this opportunity unless I felt I could make a difference,” said Waddell on Wednesday.

Waddell replaces former general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who was fired in February, and will step in for former president of hockey operations John Davidson, who will transition into a senior adviser role after an 18-year career as a hockey executive.

During Waddell’s six years in Raleigh, the Hurricanes won three division titles and made the playoffs in each season, getting as far as the Eastern Conference finals in 2023. “I’ve known Don for many years, and he is one of the great gentlemen in our business,” Davidson said.  “He is a very smart, dedicated professional who has shown a great ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal and achieve success.”

Waddell will hope his success in Carolina will translate in Columbus as the Blue Jackets look to turn a four-year playoff drought into a consistent run of success.

Columbus has gone back-to-back seasons with last place finishes in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. In that span, the team has had three different head coaches including Mike Babcock, who never coached a game after being fired three months after being hired. The team replaced Babcock with current head coach Pascal Vincent.

“In the next few weeks, I want to spend as much time with Pascal as I can,” said Waddell. “You don’t walk into a new place where people have been here and make changes without having a reason to change.”

The Jackets own the fourth overall pick in the NHL draft, which will take place June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas.