Howson named new GM for Blue Jackets
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

Scott Howson started his playing career for the old Toledo Goaldiggers and grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan.

Today, Howson, 47, is the General Manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He comes to Columbus from Edmonton, where he was the Assistant General Manager.

“I’m pleased to be back in Ohio,” he said. “I have one simple goal—to build a championship team that consistently performs at the highest level. A team in which our passionate fans can be proud of.”

Howson, a Toronto native, emphasized that there is no timetable on how long it will take for the Jackets to reach a championship level. Coach Ken Hitchcock said that their vision is not for the team to make the playoffs one year, get beat in the first round, and not return for four years.

“We’re going to build a team and once the team is up and running, we’re going to add pieces to the team,” Hitchcock said. “We have great pieces in place because of what Doug (MacLean) and Jim (Clark) did. They played these guys ahead of the curve.”

Howson said that the impression of the Columbus franchise outside of Central Ohio is mixed. He said that some believe it’s a team ready to make an impact. Others, he said, say the franchise is a long way off from being a playoff-caliber team.

“I think people are impressed with what they have done here in terms of the fan base; the building is beautiful; the Arena District is beautiful,” Howson said. “People believe (we) have a lot of good young players and perhaps the right structure hasn’t been in place yet. These things take time. I think people think it’s a good place an we have to make sure that the team is built the right way.”

In Edmonton, Howson was responsible for all aspects of the club’s hockey administration, including player contracts, personnel decisions, the collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap. He was in the Assistant GM role for six years and the team posted five-straight winning seasons. The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 and lost in seven games to Carolina.

His first task as GM will be the NHL Draft, next weekend at Nationwide Arena. He said that he would allow the Jackets scout staff to make decisions, but he will have the final say. Edmonton has three first-round picks, so Howson is pretty verse to who is available.

After the Draft, Howson will have to decide which free agents the Jackets will look to resign, then start looking at the free agency period that begins July 1. He admitted that he sees holes in the Jackets’ roster.

“Filling those holes through free agency is one way,” he said. “In Edmonton, we made some pretty big trades after the lockout. There are many avenues to improve your team, weather that’s trades or free agency.”

Unlike MacLean, who was the face of the franchise, Howson said he was reserved and understated. He doesn’t like the limelight. He said that he believes in being a consensus builder. He will ask his support staff, including Hitchcock, what their opinions are before making decisions.

“I will count on everyone, including Hitch, as resources,” he said. “He has been in the league for 10-15 years. He’s a great resource. I will use him and the entire hockey operations staff.”