Chris MacFarland, assistant general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, is joining the Avalanche in the same capacity. I got word of the move from a source in Columbus, and it was confirmed by Avs vice president Jean Martineau. MacFarland is from Bronx, N.Y., and joined the Blue Jackets in 1999. He was named assistant GM in 2008, and last season worked with co-assistant GM Bill Zito under GM Jarmo Kekalainen.
MacFarland is reportedly friends with Adam Foote, the a former Blue Jackets defenseman who is Colorado’s volunteer defensive specialist.
The Avs already have two assistant GMs in Craig Billington and Greg Sherman, who work under GM Joe Sakic and coach/VP hockey operations Patrick Roy, and Martineau said Billington and Sherman will remain with the organization.
“No subsequent moves,” Martineau said in a text. “Just an addition to the hockey operations staff.”
I formal announcement is forthcoming.
The Blue Jackets just put out the following release, without saying where MacFarland is going:
Chris MacFarland, a long-time member of the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey operations staff, is leaving the organization after 16 years of service, Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
“Chris MacFarland has been an important member of this organization for many years and his contributions to our hockey club have been significant,” said Kekalainen. “He has been presented with an exciting opportunity outside our organization and while we are sorry to see him leave, we thank Chris for his years of service, hard work and commitment to the Blue Jackets and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
MacFarland originally joined the Blue Jackets in 1999 and served as the club’s manager of hockey operations from 2001-07. He was promoted to assistant to the general manager in July 2007 and a year later was named the club’s assistant general manager.
With the Blue Jackets, MacFarland assisted the club in all hockey-related matters including scouting, player contract research and negotiations, salary cap management and arbitration, collective bargaining agreement administration, budgeting and team scheduling issues. He also oversaw hockey operations efforts of the club’s minor league affiliates.
