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Blue Jackets sign coach Richards to one-year extension

Todd Richards

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards talks to his team during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, Friday, March 1, 2013. The Blackhawks won in overtime 4-3. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP

Coach Todd Richards’ efforts to get the Columbus Blue Jackets to within a point of the playoffs have been rewarded.

The team announced they’ve signed Richards to a one-year extension to keep him in charge of the team through the 2014-2015 season.

Columbus went 24-17-7 this past season much in thanks to the play of Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky. While the Jackets struggled scoring goals, his play and the play of Columbus’ defense helped keep them in more games than not. It also made them one of the more dangerous teams to face down the stretch.

Now Richards will see what he can do with the Jackets over the course of a full 82-game season. Of course, bringing back Bobrovsky will be an important part of that and he’s still being coy with Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen about returning there.