Blue Jackets axe fumbling GM Scott Howson

Columbus, OH, United States (4E Sports) – General manager Scott Howson has been fired as by the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday.

Howson spent five seasons with the Jackets and made the playoffs once, where it was swept in the first round by the eventual Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings.

In his five seasons with Columbus, he made fourth place finishes in the first two, and fifth place finishes in the last three.

The team had a franchise-record slow start last year, the worst by an NHL team in nearly two decades, and was on their way to a fourth straight losing season.

While Howson made a big splash by signing a big-name free agent in James Wisniewski, he also made dubious transactions. Among them was trading superstar Rick Nash for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first round pick in this upcoming draft. It didn’t prevent the team from a 4-7-2 start that pulled them to last place in the Central Division.

Howson’s axing comes only four months after John Davidson joined the Blue Jackets as president of hockey operations.

No interim manager has been named as of yet.

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