Blue Jackets’ Olivier’s Extension Shows Belief in Where Team is Going

Olivier is a special player in one sense. He’s not only one of the toughest players in the NHL, he can contribute in other ways. His 12 goals is a sign of the kind of impact he has on games.

“Well, I know one thing: We don’t get pushed around at all,” Waddell said. “We have a few smaller guys and we’re not overly physical. Guys play hard, but Mathieu certainly has stepped up when the time is needed. As the season progresses and that, he probably doesn’t have as many fights as some people think he should have because nobody wants to fight him. Let’s face it: He’s, if not the heavyweight of the league, he’s right up there, of course. You want to make sure your skilled players are comfortable with being able to play the way they are capable of playing, and knowing that Mathieu’s on the bench or on the ice is just an assurance for our players.”

“I think this type of role that he plays and can’t forget he’s got 12 goals this year too. He’s playing fourteen, fifteen minutes a night. He’s got a lot of trust in his play. He kills penalties. I think the old days of just having a 12th forward that can only fight, I think those days are gone. I think your tougher players in the league if you look around the league, most of them all can play pretty well, and that was the important thing. His toughness is obviously great, but Matthew could play the game too, and that’s what makes this guy a little more special than some other ones we’ve valued.”

Waddell also opened up on a key concept of his when it comes to trying to keep teams together. When the time comes to discuss contracts, it’s all about respect.

“I don’t want to speak to the past. But the way I’ve always operated is that you treat these players with respect,” Waddell said. It’s not that you cater to them, but you respect them as people and get to know them as people. We just had the mothers trip. The timing maybe wasn’t perfect with the outdoor game and the trade deadline, but I thought it was important for me to get there and be around the families. There’s a personal side to every decision that is made. Money drives most contracts, but you build relationships out with the players and the families and I truly believe you get the benefit of the doubt. It doesn’t always mean you’re going to keep everybody, but I think it’s important to know them as a player, but respect them as people.”

Olivier’s Thoughts

It was always Olivier’s desire to stay in Columbus. The way he’s grown as a person and player after being acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators will always stick out for him.

Olivier called his new contract a humbling experience.

“It’s a really good day for my family. Securing some years here is something I’m grateful for, and I’m truly humbled to sign that contract and to be able to stay in Columbus for years to come.”

Olivier liked what he saw from the door. That love for the team and city only grew with time.

“It was definitely part of my journey and the process of becoming a steady NHL player,” Olivier said. “I thought the first day I got to Columbus, I liked everything about it – the guys in the room, I liked the city. A couple of guys brought me into the city for an OSU game and that really opened my eyes to a bunch of stuff. Then, it just kept getting better and better as we stayed here. I couldn’t be more fortunate than to stick around in a great city like Columbus for some years here.” 

Perhaps what’s most exciting from Olivier’s perspective is the chance to win. The Blue Jackets are in the thick of the playoff race now. There is a strong belief the team is on the right path for much more. That helped him make the decision to stay.

“That was part of my intention, as well, for wanting to stay here is I believe in what we’re doing,” Olivier said. “The last two years we’ve been at the bottom of the East, but I knew that we had some pieces that could make it work eventually, and it feels like this year … we were turning a corner. We’re making a really … a realistic push to make the playoffs here, which is our goal. I couldn’t be more proud of our group and the way we’ve been playing this year, and to me, it’s kind of a no-brainer to want to … I started out a couple years ago and went through the trenches with these guys, and now it’s starting to pay off. And to me, that’s something that’s really important. That’s something that’s very cherished personally but also as a team.”

Olivier Wants More

Now that the contract is secured, Olivier will turn his attention to his continued growth as a player while helping the Blue Jackets get to the next level. He says his biggest area of growth since arriving in Columbus has centered around his identity.

“I think I’ve developed a lot of stuff around my identity as a hockey player, which everyone knows I’m a physical guy that can stand up for my teammates. I hit, block shots, but I feel like the biggest growth that I had as a hockey player was really just developing everything else around that and trying to make myself as valuable to this team as I can and then contribute in any way that I can. As the year’s gone on, I’ve gotten more and more opportunity and really appreciate that. I was able to keep developing what I wanted to over the years. Right now it’s working well. I mentioned this before. It’s a day in, day out thing and every day is a new (day). You got to start over. So that optic and the way to look at it doesn’t change.”

Olivier might be an enforcer, but today’s game mandates enforcers also be good at hockey. While he says it’s been like that for a while in today’s NHL, he knows he still needs to evolve more.

“There’s a narrative going around guys that fight that some of them can’t play which is not true. Those are all good hockey players now in this league and everyone tries to play the role that they’ve been given. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do was to keep evolving the stuff around it and become a very complete hockey player. This year, I’ve taken a step in that direction and I intend to keep doing that as my career goes on here in Columbus.”

Final Thoughts

Olivier joined Damon Severson and became the second Blue Jacket to have a contract go past 2030. Players like Olivier are hard to find. That’s why Waddell made it a top priority to sign him.

Just knowing Olivier is around is a big deal for the Blue Jackets. Teams know they will have to answer to him if the situation warrants.

Wednesday’s contract reinforced belief in what the Blue Jackets are doing under Waddell. Gone are the days of everyone wanting to jump ship. Now are the days of players choosing Columbus for everything it has to offer.

Olivier is the latest example of a player being happy with the Blue Jackets. His signature on his new contract proved it.