John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations / Alternate Governor

John Davidson is the president of hockey operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets and oversees all hockey operations activities for the club. He rejoined the organization on May 20, 2021 after originally serving in that capacity from October 24, 2012 to May 17, 2019.

During his initial tenure with the club, the Blue Jackets posted a 285-209-46 record (.570 pct.) over seven seasons, registering 42-plus wins in five of of the last six campaigns and earning four Stanley Cup Playoff berths. Columbus enjoyed the best season in franchise history in 2016-17 with a 50-24-8 mark (108 pts.) and in 2018-19 swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to record the first playoff series win in club history.

Davidson spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons as president of hockey operations for the New York Rangers. The team went 64-51-11 over that span and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2015-17.

Davidson also spent six years as president of hockey operations with the St. Louis Blues from 2006-12. He joined a Blues team that posted a 21-46-15 record (57 pts.) in 2005-06 and led a turnaround that saw the club average 39 wins and 90 points per season, culminating with a 49-22- 11 mark (109 pts.) and Central Division championship in 2011-12.

Prior to his successful management career, Davidson enjoyed a long and distinguished broadcast career that earned him the prestigious Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster by The Hockey Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted on Nov. 9, 2009 and for whom he is the past chairman of the Hall’s selection committee. The NHL and USA Hockey honored Davidson with the Lester Patrick Award for his contributions to ice hockey in the United States in March 2004.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Davidson was the fifth overall pick of the 1973 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He spent two seasons in St. Louis and eight with the New York Rangers, including 1978- 79 when he helped New York reach the Stanley Cup Final. When injuries forced him to retire during the 1982-83 season, he embarked on his broadcasting career with the MSG Network. In addition to his duties with the Rangers, he went on to provide analysis on Hockey Night in Canada, as well as the NHL’s national television rightsholders, and covered numerous All-Star Games, Stanley Cup Finals and the 1992 (Albertville, France), 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway), 1998 (Nagano, Japan), 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2006 (Torino, Italy) Olympic Games.

Davidson enjoyed a successful junior career as a goaltender with the Calgary Centennials prior to being selected by the Blues with their first pick, fifth overall, in the 1973 Entry Draft. That year, he became the first goaltender to go directly from junior hockey to the NHL as he appeared in 39 games with St. Louis during the 1973-74 season. After two years with the Blues, he joined the Rangers in June 1975 and went on to play eight seasons in New York. In 1978-79, he went 20-15-4 with a 3.52 goals- against average in 39 games and then went 11-7 with a 2.28 goals-against average in 18 playoff games to lead the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals. He was forced to retire due to injuries during the 1982-83 season.

Davidson was born on Feb. 27, 1953 in Ottawa, Ontario and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He and his wife, Diana, are the parents of two daughters, Lindsay and Ashley, and have five grandsons.