Waddell resigns as Hurricanes GM, Tulsky named interim replacement

Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell resigned from his post Friday, the team announced.

Assistant general manager Eric Tulsky will take over for Waddell on an interim basis with the support of fellow assistant Darren Yorke. The organization has begun a full search for a permanent GM.

Waddell's contract was set to expire.

The club had reportedly granted Waddell permission to speak with other teams, as he interviewed for the Columbus Blue Jackets' GM vacancy on Thursday. Carolina and Columbus represent the NHL's only two GM openings.

"This morning, I spoke with (owner Tom Dundon) and informed him that I have come to the decision that now is the time for me to move to the next chapter of my career," Waddell said.

"I have loved my experiences in the Triangle over the past 10 years, and together with a strong team, on and off the ice, we have accomplished many great victories. I am grateful for the support I have received from so many loyal Caniacs. This organization is in strong, capable hands and well-positioned for the future."

Waddell joined the Hurricanes on the business end as team president in 2014 before taking over as GM in 2018. He comes from a hockey background, though, having served as GM of the Atlanta Thrashers from 1998-2010.

The Hurricanes made the playoffs in each of Waddell's six years as GM, winning three straight division titles from 2021-23 and making the conference finals in 2019 and 2023.

Tulsky, who holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics from Harvard and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Cal, has long been considered a bright, up-and-coming executive and has interviewed for other GM openings around the league in the past.

He got his start with the Hurricanes' front office as a consultant in 2014 after the club took notice of his usage of analytics as a blogger. He's been working his way up the food chain ever since, becoming a hockey analyst for the team in 2015, the manager of hockey analytics in 2017, and the vice president of hockey management and strategy in 2018 before being named assistant GM in 2020.