Doug MacLean

Crunch Chronicles

On Episode 60 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Doug MacLean. MacLean served as the first General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He helped usher the Blue Jackets into the NHL for the inaugural season in 2000-01, and it was his relationship with Crunch Owner Howard Dolgon that led to the affiliation between the two clubs. MacLean was the Blue Jackets' General Manager through the 2006-07 season. In that span, the Crunch qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs four times and won a division title in 2002. After his time with Columbus, MacLean transitioned into media, where he spent a decade with Sportsnet as a host for Hockey Central. Recently, MacLean co-authored a book with Scott Morrison titled "Draft Day" on the history and importance of the NHL Draft. The book became a bestseller and is available here. On the show, MacLean discusses the origins of the affiliation agreement between Syracuse and Columbus, what he liked about Syracuse and more.