HIGHLIGHTS
- Nashville asked the Hurricanes for permission to speak with GM Eric Tulsky about their vacant job and were denied
- The Predators have held in-person interviews with four other candidates, including Carolina’s own Darren Yorke
- Full breakdown of the GM search, the candidates involved, and what it means for both organizations below
The Predators want Eric Tulsky. The Hurricanes aren’t interested in making that happen.
Nashville asked Carolina for permission to interview Tulsky as part of their GM search, and the Hurricanes said no. Elliotte Friedman reported the news during Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada, adding that Carolina wouldn’t comment when he reached out.
“The Hurricanes would not talk about this when I asked about it today,” Friedman said. “It is kind of funny timing because Keith Pelley mentioned Eric Tulsky’s name, but during their search, Nashville asked for permission to speak with Carolina’s GM and they were denied.”
Tulsky has been running the show in Carolina since taking over as GM and has built one of the deeper rosters in the league. He came up through the analytics side of the game, which makes him an attractive target for a Nashville franchise looking to modernize after Barry Trotz’s tenure. Trotz announced his retirement in February, opening up the job.
The Predators haven’t been sitting around waiting, though. Friedman reported that Nashville held in-person interviews this week with Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson, Stars assistant GM Scott White, Oilers assistant GM Bill Scott, and Darren Yorke from Carolina’s own front office. Yorke runs the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, and has been with that organization for 17 years.
So Carolina blocked Nashville from talking to their GM but let them interview Yorke. That’s a clear signal about how they view Tulsky’s importance to what they’re building.
Nashville’s had a rough season and the rebuild under new leadership will define the next era in that city. Whoever gets the job inherits a roster that needs work but plays in a market that spent aggressively under Trotz and has shown it can support winning hockey. The GM search should wrap up sometime after the season ends.
