"Didn't hire ChatGPT to be GM" - New Hurricanes front office hire Eric Tulsky has hilarious response regarding his analytics background

Modified Jun 19, 2024 17:06 GMT

The Carolina Hurricanes hired Eric Tulsky as their new general manager. Tulsky replaces Don Waddell who stepped down to take the GM job with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tulsky has been with the Hurricanes since 2014 as a consultant but has spent the last four seasons as an assistant GM. Although Tulsky has plenty of experience, he has never played in the NHL, but he said that isn't a reason for concern.

Tulsky is also known for his analytical approach, but he says analytics won't determine everything. Tulsky said in a press conference, via The Hockey News:

"No, honestly, I don't think this represents a huge shift for our organization. We didn't hire ChatGPT to be the GM. There are things that an NHL career brings. Certain experiences that people who played in the league have that are an advantage to them.

"There are experiences outside of playing in the league that can be an advantage to. There are 10 other general managers in the league who never played in the NHL, and four others who don't even have an EliteProspects page. So it's not like a hockey career is a prerequisite for doing this job."

Tulsky has an impressive background. According to his LinkedIn, he was a senior scientist in Nanosys and Life Technologies, and Solexant. He also graduated from Harvard University with a degree in chemistry and physics, and also earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkley

Eric Tulsky goes from blogger to NHL GM

Along with his incredible resume of being a scientist, Eric Tulsky spent his spare time as a blogger for the website Broad Street Hockey writing about the Philadelphia Flyers.

During his time as a blogger, he wrote analytical pieces where he analyzed the line matchups and players' stats, among others. While he was a blogger, the Carolina Hurricanes took notice of him and hired him as an analyst.

Tulsky admits the path he had to becoming a NHL GM is a strange and unique one:

"[I would have thought if someone had told me that] like there's no way, right. Like, I didn't get into this thinking it was going to be a job. A month or two before it became my job, it hadn't even really occurred to me that it could be a job.

"So just getting into the NHL by that route was way off the radar. Something I was not even thinking about. And then even from there, going from an entry level position to a general manager position was not a normal path."

Tulskey was serving as the Hurricanes' interim GM before they removed the interim label and promoted him to GM.