Davidson, Richards talk puck with ticket holders
Blue Jackets season ticket holders sat in for a town hall meeting with John Davidson and Todd Richards
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PrintMany of the Blue Jackets season ticket holders in attendance for Monday's "town hall" meeting with John Davidson shared the same feeling: they had waited a long time to hear from the man who has been there and done that before.
Experience is what Davidson brings to Columbus and he shared some of his vision for the franchise at Nationwide Arena, detailing how he plans to go about building assets for the organization so the club is well-positioned to be flexible in the years ahead.
With a deep draft, three first-round picks in that draft, and good young players already in the system, Davidson said that though the Blue Jackets' future is bright, they will not stray from the process of getting to where they want to be.
Davidson was asked about how he plans to help transform the Blue Jackets to a championship-caliber team, and pitch to free agents that playing Columbus is their best choice.
"I think this is a great city, and I think this is a great sports city," Davidson said. "There are great fans here and I think the facility here is fantastic. I want to make sure that I stamp everywhere I go that we're as good as anyone else in this 30-team league, and why should we take a back seat to anybody?"
The chance to hear firsthand about where the team is headed was welcomed by fans like Michael Chakerian, who admitted he was anxiously awaiting Davidson's arrival once the rumors started percolating over the summer.
"It's a situation that I think is great for us as an NHL city," Chakerian said. "When you have an event that comes forward like this, where you get to listen to your president and listen to the coach.
"It's a great opportunity for us, and I really liked a lot of what I heard tonight."
In addition to Davidson fielding questions from the crowd, Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards took to the microphone and gave his thoughts on the roster, their style of play, and some of the positives eminating from a strong start by the Springfield Falcons.
Richards said he's looking forward to working with the current Blue Jackets roster and likes its blend of skill and competitiveness.
"I want to be a fast team," Richards told the group. "We want to be quick in transition and I want to be on the attack and go back for pucks (to start the breakout). One of the great things LA did last year that allowed them to win the Cup was that when pucks were dumped into their zone, they had a plan."
