Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell had been working much of the summer without a contract after his most recent deal had expired at the end of June. That created some speculation that he could be a contender for the now-vacant Minnesota Wild job.
That possibility is now gone.
The Hurricanes announced on Monday afternoon that the team has signed Waddell to a long-term contract extension to remain as the team’s general manager.
“Don’s leadership and experience are invaluable to our organization and I’m happy we were able reach an extension,” said team owner Thomas Dundon in a statement released by the team. “Don and I have a great relationship and he is someone I trust. I’m excited to continue to build a championship team with Don.”
Added Waddell: “I’m thrilled to sign an extension with the Hurricanes and I look forward to continuing the success we experienced last season. We have a first-class organization, a great fanbase and a team we feel is built to contend for the Stanley Cup. My family and I are excited to stay in Raleigh for years to come.”
The 2018-19 season was Waddell’s first full year as the general manager of the Hurricanes and it was a tremendous success. The team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season and reached the Eastern Conference Final. The emergence of Sebastian Aho as an all-star scorer and Waddell’s mid-season trade for Nino Niederreiter were two of the biggest driving forces behind the Hurricanes’ success.
Waddell was a finalist for the NHL’s general manager of the year award.
There is a great foundation of young talent in place for the Hurricanes to build on and as long as they can get competent goaltending should continue to be a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.