Coaches Join the Battle

Today the Columbus Blue Jackets  completed their coaching staff for the 2012-13 NHL campaign.  Joining Head Coach Todd Richards are Associate Coach Craig Hartsburg and Assistant Coach Keith Acton.  They join current Assistant Coach Dan Hinote.  This is welcome news, and the more you look at the additions, the better they look.  The new coaches bring a wealth of experience with them that spans several franchises.  The diversity and breadth of their experience adds a lot of depth to the coaching staff and will give them needed perspective on how things should be in Columbus.

Hartsburg has been a head coach several times (see Puck Rakers for details), and Acton spent most of the last 10 years with the Maple Leafs.  Hartsburg coached draft prospect D-man Ryan Murray for two years in juniors with the Everett Silvertips, and had this to say about him "He's just a really intense guy, " Murray told NHL.com.  "Every day he teaches you to work hard.  You can't take a shift off when he's your coach or you're going to hear about it.  He really taught me that you have to play consistent if you're going to play at a high level.  He taught me that if you're going to play at a high level you have to play hard every night and you have to show up every single day".  (stick tap to @RedditCBJ for the tip on this quote).

He sounds like the kind of guy the CBJ needs.

GO JACKETS!!