The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
team based in
Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) as a member of the
Metropolitan Division in the
Eastern Conference, and began play as an expansion team in
2000.
The Blue Jackets struggled in their initial years, failing to win 30 games in a season until
2005–06. The team qualified for the
Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in
2009, but were swept by the
Detroit Red Wings. Columbus ultimately notched their first playoff game victory in the
2014 playoffs, and won their first playoff series in the
2019 playoffs against the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...
, becoming the first team in NHL history to sweep a
Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round.
The Blue Jackets' name and logos are inspired by
Ohio's Civil War history. The Blue Jackets play their home games at
Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, which opened in 2000. They are affiliated with the
Cleveland Monsters of the
AHL.
Franchise history
Building a new franchise (1997–2000)
Prior to the establishment of the Blue Jackets, the last NHL team in the state of Ohio was the
Cleveland Barons The name Cleveland Barons has been used by three professional hockey teams and one junior team.
*Cleveland Barons (NHL), the National Hockey League team that played between 1976 and 1978
*Cleveland Barons (1937–1973), the original American Hockey ...
, who played from 1976 to 1978. In Columbus, the Blue Jackets replaced the
Columbus Chill of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The ...
, who played in the city from 1991 to 1999. The Chill played at the
Ohio Expo Center Coliseum, where they set a
minor league hockey
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
record by selling out 83 consecutive games.
In November 1996, five investors formed a partnership called Columbus Hockey Limited, who then submitted an application and a $100,000 fee to the NHL office.
The voters of Columbus were considering a referendum to build a publicly financed arena, a major step toward approval of their NHL bid. When League Commissioner
Gary Bettman visited Columbus to meet with the community's leaders about the franchise proposal, there was concern that the voters might not pass the needed referendum. The civic leaders told Bettman that they would not be willing to foot the bill for the team if the referendum failed. However, just after the meeting adjourned,
John H. McConnell (one of those who entered the bid) privately guaranteed Bettman that an arena would be built, referendum or not.
Columbus' hopes for the bid dimmed when the May referendum failed. However,
Nationwide announced on May 31, 1997, that it would finance the $150-million arena. Subsequently, on June 25, 1997, the NHL announced that Columbus would receive a new franchise.
Afterwards a "Name the Team" contest was held with the help of
Wendy's throughout central Ohio during the month of August 1997. The franchise received 14,000 entries and, with help from the NHL, narrowed the list down to 10 names. Then, with the information received from owner McConnell regarding Columbus' history, the league and the franchise narrowed the list of potential names down to two – Blue Jackets and Justice. The former, which referenced Ohio's contributions to the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, was eventually announced as the team name in November.
On June 23, 2000, the NHL's two newest teams, the Blue Jackets and the
Minnesota Wild, took part in the
2000 NHL Expansion Draft
The 2000 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 23, 2000, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 2000–01 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild.
Rules
...
in
Calgary,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
. Under the draft's rules, 26 of the NHL's active 28 teams were allowed to protect one
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near ...
, five
defensemen
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...
, and nine
forwards, or two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards. The
Atlanta Thrashers and
Nashville Predators both had their full rosters protected because they were the two newest teams, only being in existence for one and two years, respectively. Both the Blue Jackets and Wild had to use their first 24 selections on three goaltenders, eight defensemen, and thirteen forwards. Their final two picks could be players of any position.
With the first-overall choice, the Blue Jackets selected goaltender
Rick Tabaracci from the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
. Over the course of the draft, Columbus picked up goalie
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson (born October 12, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and former goaltending coach of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently the Goaltending Coach and Director of Pla ...
, defensemen
Lyle Odelein and
Mathieu Schneider, and forwards
Geoff Sanderson
Geoffrey M. Sanderson (born February 1, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Drafted by the Hartford W ...
,
Turner Stevenson
Turner Ladd Stevenson (born May 18, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stan ...
and
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake (born February 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Having played the beginning and end of his NHL career with Detroit, he won his ...
, among others. Instead of joining Columbus, Roloson signed with the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...
's
Worcester IceCats, Schneider left for the
Los Angeles Kings, and the
St. Louis Blues signed Drake. Columbus also traded Stevenson to the
New Jersey Devils to complete an earlier transaction.
The Blue Jackets and Wild were granted concessions by some franchises who could not protect their full rosters. The
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertain ...
traded
Jan Caloun, a ninth-round pick in the
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was the 38th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24 and 25, 2000 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. T ...
, and a
2001 conditional pick to Columbus; in return, the Blue Jackets agreed not to select the Sharks' unprotected
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near ...
Evgeni Nabokov. On June 24, at the
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was the 38th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24 and 25, 2000 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. T ...
, Columbus selected
Rostislav Klesla fourth overall.
Early years (2000–2005)
The Blue Jackets played their first regular season game on October 7, 2000, a 5–3 loss to the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
.
Bruce Gardiner
Bruce Allan Gardiner (born February 11, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and a Barrie Police officer charged with criminal harassment and extortion.
Playing career
Gardiner was drafted 131st overall by the St. Louis Bl ...
scored the franchise's first goal. Columbus finished with a 28–39–9–6 record for 71 points, last in the Central Division, and failed to qualify for the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
.
Geoff Sanderson
Geoffrey M. Sanderson (born February 1, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Drafted by the Hartford W ...
became the first player in team history to score 30 goals.
Ron Tugnutt
Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt (born October 22, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Tugnutt played several seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, Mighty Ducks of Anahei ...
, who was signed in the summer of 2000, supplied solid goaltending with 22 wins, which tied the 74-year-old NHL record for wins by an expansion-team goaltender (
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
'
Lorne Chabot also had 22 wins in
1926–27).
The Blue Jackets finished next-to-last in the NHL in
the following season, with only 57 points.
Ray Whitney, acquired from the
Florida Panthers the previous season, led the team in scoring with 61 points, setting a franchise record. Tragedy struck the Blue Jackets organization in March 2002 when 13-year-old
Brittanie Cecil was killed after a deflected puck shot by
Espen Knutsen struck her in the head while she was in the stands at
Nationwide Arena. As a result of her death, large nylon mesh nets were installed behind the goals in all NHL arenas to shield spectators from pucks going over the glass. The team also wore small red hearts with the initials "BNC" on their helmets.
During the off-season, the Blue Jackets traded a second-round draft pick (32nd overall) and Ron Tugnutt to the
Dallas Stars in exchange for Dallas' first-round pick (20th overall) in the
2002 Entry Draft. On the morning of the draft, Columbus traded the third-overall pick and the option to flip draft spots in
2003 to the
Florida Panthers; in return, Columbus received the first-overall pick, which they used to select
Rick Nash.
The
2002–03 season started with Columbus putting up a 7–5–1–1 record after the first 14 games. However, as expectations from their fans grew higher, the team came back to mediocrity, finishing last in the Central Division for the third consecutive season with 69 points and missing the playoffs once again.
Dave King, who had been the team's head coach since their debut in 2000, was fired mid-season and replaced by general manager
Doug MacLean.
Marc Denis was named starting goalie; he played a franchise-record 77 games that season and set a league record with 4,511 minutes played in 2002–03. He tied for second all-time for games played in a season by a goaltender, just two shy of the league record held by
St. Louis Blues'
Grant Fuhr in the
1995–96 season.
[ ]
The
2003–04 season was another losing season for the Blue Jackets despite key additions in the off-season. Checking center
Todd Marchant was signed to a five-year contract in July from the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
. Defenseman
Darryl Sydor
Darryl Marion Sydor (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won two Stanley Cups during his career: with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He also reached the Stanl ...
, known to play strong offense as well, was acquired from the Dallas Stars for
Mike Sillinger
Michael John Sillinger (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons. Sillinger played for twelve different teams and was traded nine times during his NHL c ...
and a draft pick. MacLean stepped aside as head coach midway through the season, giving way to
Gerard Gallant. The Blue Jackets finished with just 62 points (the second-lowest total in their short history), but it was enough to help them break out of last place in the Central Division for the first time, finishing ahead of the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
. Nash was one of the few bright spots for the team; his 41 goals tied
Jarome Iginla and
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montre ...
for the
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (as League leader in goals scored).
In the 2004 off-season, the
NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) and NHL administration failed to renew their
collective bargaining agreement. September 14, 2004, marked the beginning of the
lockout of the
2004–05 season. No games were played and the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
was not awarded for the first time since the
flu epidemic of 1919. An agreement was made on July 13, 2005, and the lockout officially ended nine days later on July 22, 2005.
Rick Nash era and rebuilding (2005–2012)
In the summer of 2005, rugged
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
defenseman
Adam Foote
Adam Foote (born July 10, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, the current Assistant Coach of the Vancouver Canucks of National Hockey League, and the former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League ...
agreed to a three-year deal with the team. Heading into the
2005–06 season, it appeared the Blue Jackets would finally take the next step and make the playoffs. Instead, injuries to Rick Nash, Rostislav Klesla and
Gilbert Brule Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South A ...
, the team's
2005 first-round pick, led to the team putting up a dismal 9–25–1 record through its first 35 games. Superstar
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fyodorov (; born December 13, 1969) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and the current head coach of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During his playing career, for which he is best known ...
was acquired from the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; Anaheim received
Tyler Wright
Tyler Wright (born April 6, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in 613 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He currently serves as dire ...
and
Francois Beauchemin, and later claimed
Todd Marchant off waivers. While again failing to make the playoffs, Columbus did manage to improve. They had the best overtime record in the NHL (14–4) and finished the season with franchise records for wins (35) and points (74).
For the first time ever, they earned a third-place finish in the Central Division, behind Detroit and Nashville.
The
2006–07 season saw several changes made to the team. In the off-season,
Marc Denis was dealt to the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...
for forward
Fredrik Modin and goaltender
Fredrik Norrena
Fredrik Jan Elis Norrena (born November 29, 1973) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 100 games in the National Hockey League with the Columbus Blue Jackets between 2006 and 2008. The rest of his career, which lasted ...
, making way for
Pascal Leclaire to take the starting job. The Blue Jackets also signed
Anson Carter when it looked as if
Nikolay Zherdev would be playing the season in Russia; in late September, however, Zherdev and general manager
Doug MacLean were able to reach a compromise. Partway through the season, on November 13, 2006,
Gerard Gallant was relieved of his duties as head coach. The next day,
Gary Agnew
Gary Agnew (born May 24, 1960) is a Canadian ice hockey coach currently serving as an associate coach with the Abbotsford Canucks. He was formerly an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He has also served a ...
was named his interim replacement. On November 22,
Ken Hitchcock, former coach of the
Dallas Stars and
Philadelphia Flyers, was named the new head coach, effective the following day. Under Hitchcock's first year, two milestones were set: on December 10, 2006, the Blue Jackets scored a team-record five power-play goals in a 6–2 win over the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
, and on April 3, 2007, the Blue Jackets broke the modern-day record for most times being shut-out in a season (16) with a 3–0 loss to the
Detroit Red Wings.
On April 18, 2007, Doug MacLean, the team's first general manager and president, was fired after nine years and six seasons at the helm without a playoff berth. Mike Priest, president of Blue Jackets parent company JMAC, Inc., was named president of the club, while Assistant general manager Jim Clark served as general manager until the Blue Jackets named
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
Assistant general manager
Scott Howson as the new general manager on June 15, 2007.
On October 4, 2007, the Blue Jackets announced their affiliation with the
Elmira Jackals, which replaced their former affiliation with the
Dayton Bombers as the club's
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The ...
affiliate.
The
2007–08 season, the club's first full season under Hitchcock, started off well as the Jackets got off to their best start in franchise history, starting with a 4–0 shutout of the defending
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
champion
Anaheim Ducks. At the trade deadline on February 26, 2008, however, apparently unable to agree on a new contract and amid some controversy, Blue Jackets captain
Adam Foote
Adam Foote (born July 10, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, the current Assistant Coach of the Vancouver Canucks of National Hockey League, and the former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League ...
requested a trade to the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
, which was granted. The Blue Jackets received a pair of conditional picks in return. A few weeks later, on March 12, 2008, former Blue Jackets number-one draft pick Rick Nash was named the new team captain.
Despite this, Columbus managed its best season record to date, staying above a .500 game wins average until the final game of the season and finishing fourth in the
Central Division with 80 points. After the season, Nash was announced as the cover player for the ''
NHL 2K9
''NHL 2K9'' is an ice hockey sports video game made by 2K Sports, part of the ''NHL 2K'' series, and published on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. It features former Columbus Blue Jackets left winger Rick Nash on it ...
'' video game by
Take-Two Interactive.
At the
2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Blue Jackets selected
Nikita Filatov
Nikita Vasilyevich Filatov (; born May 25, 1990) is a Russian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Prior to 2012, Filatov played in North America for the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue ...
with the sixth overall pick. They also traded away the 19th overall pick (acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Adam Foote) for
R. J. Umberger
Richard Alan "R. J." Umberger, Jr. (born May 3, 1982) is a former American professional ice hockey center. Drafted in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Umberger has played in the National Hockey ...
. The Blue Jackets made many trades in the 2008 off-season. Gilbert Brule was traded to the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
for
Raffi Torres. Enigmatic forward Nikolay Zherdev and
Dan Fritsche
Daniel J. Fritsche (born July 13, 1985) is a Swiss- American former professional ice hockey forward. He played for Genève-Servette HC, HC Lugano and the ZSC Lions in the National League (NL) and in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colu ...
were traded to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
in exchange for defensemen
Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Anatolievich Tyutin (russian: Фёдор Анатольевич Тютин, ''Fjodor Tjutin''; born 19 July 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Tyutin was drafted in the second round, 40th overall by the New Yor ...
and
Christian Backman. The Blue Jackets also signed free agents
Kristian Huselius
Lars Kristian Huselius (born 10 November 1978) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player.
Career
Huselius' hometown is Haninge, a municipality near Stockholm. He was drafted 47th overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Pant ...
and
Mike Commodore to multi-year contracts. On July 9, 2008, the Blue Jackets announced they signed Hitchcock to a three-year extension to remain as head coach.
During the
2008–09 season, the Blue Jackets made two trades which greatly played to their benefit. Forward
Jason Williams was acquired from the
Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman
Clay Wilson and a sixth-round draft pick. The Blue Jackets were also involved with the first major deal of the 2009
NHL trade deadline
In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, dra ...
, by trading goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second-round draft pick to the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
for skilled center
Antoine Vermette. The changes in scenery benefited both players and the Jackets; Williams scored 28 points in his first 36 games as a Jacket, while Vermette scored 11 points in his first 14 games with the team. Rick Nash scored 79 points throughout the season, setting a franchise record.
On April 8, 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets secured the first
Stanley Cup playoff
The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
berth in the franchise's eight-year history with a 4–3 shootout win over the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
. However, they were swept in the first round by the
Detroit Red Wings in four games, and would not qualify for the playoffs for the next four seasons. With 21 games remaining and sitting four points out of eighth in the Western Conference, the Blue Jackets dealt long time defenseman Rostislav Klesla and
Dane Byers
Dane Byers (born February 21, 1986) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for and captained Manchester Storm of the UK's EIHL. He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers 48th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Dra ...
to the
Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for
Scottie Upshall and
Sami Lepisto at the trade deadline on February 28, 2011.
In the 2011 off-season, in an attempt to make a serious playoff run, the Blue Jackets traded 2007 first-round pick
Jakub Voracek
Jacob is a common male given name and a less well-known surname. It is a cognate of James, derived from Late Latin ''Iacobus'', from Greek ''Iakobos'', from Hebrew (''Yaʿaqōḇ''), the name of the Hebrew patriarch, Jacob son of Isaac and ...
, their 2011 first-round pick (
Sean Couturier
Sean Gerald Couturier ( ; born December 7, 1992) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers selected him in the first round, eigh ...
) and a third-round pick (Nick Cousins) to the
Philadelphia Flyers for All-Star center
Jeff Carter. They also signed several free agents:
James Wisniewski,
Vaclav Prospal and
Radek Martinek. However, after a disastrous start to the 2011–12 season that saw the firing of head coach
Scott Arniel, Carter was traded to the
Los Angeles Kings for
Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick after playing just 39 games with the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets also traded veteran centers Antoine Vermette and
Samuel Pahlsson for goaltender
Curtis McElhinney and several draft picks at the trade deadline. There was also heavy speculation that captain Rick Nash would be traded at the deadline. Although Nash wasn't traded, general manager
Scott Howson publicly announced that he had privately requested a trade, a move that has stirred up much controversy. Nash was eventually traded to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
on July 23, 2012, for
Brandon Dubinsky,
Artem Anisimov, prospect
Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick. At the
2012 NHL Entry Draft
The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held June 22–23, 2012, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first time that Pittsburgh hosted the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. ...
, the Blue Jackets traded their second and fourth round picks to the Philadelphia Flyers for the eventual winner of the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
Vezina Trophy, goaltender
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
.
The
2012–13 lockout and season saw changes to the executive and front office of the organization.
John Davidson was named as president of hockey operations for the Blue Jackets on October 24. On February 12, Scott Howson was relieved of his duties as general manager.
Jarmo Kekalainen, who had previously worked with Davidson in
St. Louis, was hired away from
Jokerit of the Finnish
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga (marketed as just Liiga from 2013 on), (Finnish for ''League'') colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It is one of the six founding leagu ...
to be the new general manager becoming the first European born general manager in the NHL. The Blue Jackets then traded for All-Star forward
Marian Gaborik
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queenslan ...
. The Blue Jackets just missed the playoffs via a tiebreaker against the
Minnesota Wild, who had more regulation and overtime wins (ROW).
Move to the Eastern Conference and the John Tortorella era (2013–2021)
The Blue Jackets moved into the
Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference in the
2013–14 season after spending its first 13 seasons in the Central Division of the Western Conference. The other teams in the Metropolitan Division consist of the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...
,
New Jersey Devils,
New York Islanders,
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
,
Philadelphia Flyers,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
and
Washington Capitals, the latter six of which once composed the old
Patrick Division. On April 9, 2014, the Blue Jackets clinched their second playoff spot in franchise history by winning a 3–1 game against the
Dallas Stars. This game was also noted for being a game resumed after being postponed on March 10, 2014, due to
Rich Peverley's cardiac event in which the Blue Jackets led 1–0. The NHL decided to keep the goal scored by
Nathan Horton and resumed the game with a full 60 minutes. Nathan Horton made history by being credited for scoring a goal while not suiting up for the game.
The Blue Jackets faced the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
in the first round (Eastern Conference Quarter-finals) of the
2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. This series had a trend that was noted for making 3–1 leads end up as 4–3 loss. Game 1 and 2 were at the
Consol Energy Center
PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) from ...
in downtown
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. The Blue Jackets made a large jump in history when
Jack Johnson scored the first goal of the game. This was the first time in franchise history that Columbus ever led a post-season game. The Jackets lead the game 3–1 at one point from goals by
Mark Letestu
Mark Letestu (born February 4, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in eleven seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. ...
and
Derek MacKenzie
Derek MacKenzie (born June 11, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who most notably played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 128th o ...
. However, the Penguins rallied to win it 4–3. Game 2 was the opposite. Pittsburgh led 3–1 at one point, but Columbus rallied to win Game 2 4–3 by an overtime goal from
Matt Calvert. This was the first playoff victory in franchise history. Pittsburgh won Game 3 by a score of 4–3. Game 4 was a memorable night at
Nationwide Arena. Columbus was down 3–0, and 3–1 by the end of the first period.
Boone Jenner
Boone Robert Kenneth Jenner (born June 15, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jenner was selected by Columbus in the second round, 37th overall, of the ...
and
Ryan Johansen scored to make it 3–2 by the end of the second period.
Brandon Dubinsky scored the game-tying goal with 22.5 seconds left in regulation, after a miss-play with the puck by
Marc-Andre Fleury.
Nick Foligno went on to score the game-winning goal in overtime. In the locker room during intermission, he supposedly told the team that he will score the game-winner. Pittsburgh, however, went on to win the next two games and took the best-of-seven series in six games.
The
2014–15 season was most notable for the number of injuries the Jackets incurred. The Jackets lead the league in man-games lost with 502. At one point, the injured reserve list consisted of 15 players, including stars
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
,
Brandon Dubinsky,
Jack Johnson, and
Ryan Murray
Ryan James Murray (born September 27, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Murray was drafted second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. ...
. When the team's injured players began to return in late February, they were able to accumulate wins the way they had the previous two seasons and in the process, set a franchise record earning nine consecutive wins. However, the Blue Jackets still finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs by nine points despite a 42–35–5 record. On May 20, 2015,
Nick Foligno was named the sixth captain in team history. The position had been vacant since Rick Nash was traded to the New York Rangers in July 2012. On June 30, 2015, the Jackets traded centers
Marko Dano and
Artem Anisimov, along with wingers
Jeremy Morin
Jeremy Morin (born April 16, 1991) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. Morin played major junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the team he was drafted from in the second round, 45th o ...
and
Corey Tropp
Corey Tropp (born July 25, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He last played for the Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey L ...
, to the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
in exchange for
Brandon Saad
Brandon Saad (born October 27, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Saad was raised in Pittsburgh and attended Pine-Richland High School.
He was dr ...
. This move was the subject of much controversy in Chicago since Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman had publicly said that Saad was going to be a part of the organization for many years to come. The Jackets also acquired
Michael Paliotta
Michael Paliotta (born April 6, 1993) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Paliotta was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 3rd round (70th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played in the National Hockey League ...
and
Alex Broadhurst
Alex Broadhurst (born March 7, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for Amur Khabarovsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has formerly played with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...
in the trade. The Jackets signed center
Gregory Campbell from the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
a few days later.
The Blue Jackets initially went into the
2015–16 season with high expectations. However, the team got off to an inauspicious start by losing their first eight regular-season games in regulation. This prompted the Jackets to fire head coach Todd Richards and hire
John Tortorella in his place. On January 6, 2016, the Blue Jackets traded Ryan Johansen to the
Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman
Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets record at the end of the season was 34–40–8, and were ranked 27th overall in the NHL. They closed out the season on a high note, however, as they won the season finale against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, overcoming a 3–0 deficit after the 1st period to win 5–4 in overtime.
The Blue Jackets set three franchise records during the
2016–17 season. On November 4, 2016, the Blue Jackets scored a franchise-record ten goals in a 10–0 shutout win against the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
, becoming the first team to do so since 2011 (when the
St. Louis Blues beat the Detroit Red Wings 10–3). In mid-November, the Blue Jackets got a franchise record seventh consecutive win at home. During a franchise-record 16-game win streak that started in late November, Tortorella recorded his 500th career win in a 4–3 Blue Jackets overtime win on the road against the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...
, becoming the first American-born head coach to reach 500 wins. The team had a record of 14–0–0 in December. The team's win streak ended in early January when they lost 5–0 to the
Washington Capitals. The win streak was the second longest in NHL history behind the 1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins' 17 consecutive games. The team finished with a record of 50–24–8 and 108 points, setting a franchise record.
During the first round of the 2017 playoffs, the Blue Jackets were placed in a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team lost three straight games to begin the series, but won the fourth game to save themselves from elimination. This game in which they won 5–4 marked the Blue Jackets' first regulation win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite this, they would ultimately lose the series in five games. In the following off-season, on June 23, 2017, the Jackets made another deal with the Blackhawks sending Brandon Saad back to Chicago for
Artemi Panarin and
Tyler Motte
Tyler Motte (born March 10, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Motte was drafted 121st overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and spent 33 ...
.
The Blue Jackets returned to the playoffs in 2018 as a wild card qualifier, going in back-to-back years for the first time. There they faced the Metropolitan Division champion Washington Capitals in the first round, winning the first two games in overtime and their first series lead. However, they lost the next four games and the series in six games.
The Blue Jackets returned to the playoffs
the following year, where they
swept the
Presidents' Trophy winner
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...
in the First Round to win their first ever playoff series, but lost their Second Round series in six games to the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
. The Blue Jackets would then lose long-time starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, centre
Matt Duchene
Matthew Duchene (; born 16 January 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, and Columbus ...
, and the team's leader in points, Artemi Panarin, in free agency during the 2019 off-season.
On March 12, 2020, the 2019-20 season was paused due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, with the remaining regular games being officially cancelled on May 26. On August 1, the season resumed and would finish following a 24-team playoff format, with the top 4 teams in each conference playing in a seeding round-robin tournament and the 8 lower-seeded teams in each conference competing in a best-of-five series, the Qualifying Round, to be held in two host cities in Canada. The Blue Jackets were qualified for the Qualifying Round, eventually defeating the
Toronto Maple Leafs in five games. Then, in a first-round rematch of the previous playoffs, the Blue Jackets lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
During the 2020 off-season, star forward
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Pierre-Luc Dubois (born June 24, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dubois was born in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, but grew up in Rimouski. He was drafted third over ...
signed a two-year extension with the Blue Jackets but would later request a trade from the team. The shortened 2020–21 season saw the Blue Jackets placed in the
Central Division, under the NHL's realigned divisions as part of its COVID-19 policies. After being benched for the second and third periods in what would end up being his last game with the team on January 21, 2021, Dubois and a 2022 third-round pick were traded to the
Winnipeg Jets in exchange for left winger
Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine (; born 19 April 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. Laine formerly played in his native Finland with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga befor ...
and Columbus native
Jack Roslovic
Jack Roslovic (born January 29, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 25th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2015 NHL Entry Dr ...
on January 23. Veteran players
David Savard
David Savard (born October 22, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, of the 2009 N ...
and captain
Nick Foligno would also be traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively. The team continued to struggle and finished last in their division, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Subsequently, it was announced that Tortorella and the Blue Jackets were mutually parting ways after six seasons.
Rebuilding (2021–present)
Following the departures of Tortorella and of key players in the past few seasons, the Blue Jackets seemed headed into another "rebuild," starting with the promotion of assistant coach
Brad Larsen
Brad Larsen (born June 28, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Before coaching, he played in the NHL with the Colora ...
to head coach on June 10, 2021.
Seth Jones would then be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenceman
Adam Boqvist and a 2021 first-round pick (
Cole Sillinger
Cole Sillinger (born May 16, 2003) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Sillinger was selected by the Blue Jackets 12th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing ca ...
), and
Cam Atkinson
Cameron Thomas Atkinson (born June 5, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Atkinson was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the sixth round, 157th overall ...
to the Philadelphia Flyers for former first-round pick Jakub Voracek. Other notable off-season signings were 2020 first-round pick
Yegor Chinakhov, forward
Sean Kuraly
Sean Kuraly (born January 20, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round, 133rd overall, in ...
from the Boston Bruins, and defenceman
Jake Bean
Jake Bean (born June 9, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bean was drafted in the first round, 13th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft ...
from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 2021-22 season saw the Blue Jackets return to the Metropolitan Division as the NHL reverted to its 82-game regular season. In their season-opening game against the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...
, the team honored backup goaltender
Matiss Kivlenieks, who had tragically died in a fireworks accident during the off-season, on July 4, 2021. They raised his number to hang inside Nationwide Arena for the duration of the season. His family also performed a ceremonial puck drop and goaltender
Elvis Merzlikins was allowed to wear #80 during said game. They had also established the Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund in his memory in order to promote the growth of hockey in Columbus and his homeland of Latvia.
On October 12, 2021, Boone Jenner was named the seventh captain in franchise history. Under his captaincy, the Blue Jackets started their season with a strong 7-3-0 record—including being unbeaten at home—in their first ten games, even defeating the eventual Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche in back-to-back games. Despite an improved offense and scoring capabilities, however, an inexperienced defense core and issues with special teams and penalty kill caught up with the team as the season progressed, finishing among the top 10 teams with the highest
goals against average
Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (dependin ...
. On April 16, 2022, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention when the Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens. They finished sixth in their division, with a 37-38-7 record and 81 points.
In the 2022 NHL draft, the Blue Jackets acquired Czech defenceman
David Jiricek of
HC Škoda Plzeň (6th overall) and Canadian defenceman
Denton Mateychuk of the
Moose Jaw Warriors (12th overall) in the first round. During the 2022 free agency, the Blue Jackets shocked the hockey world by signing
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...
superstar
Johnny Gaudreau
John Michael Gaudreau (born August 13, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the NCAA Division I's Boston College Eagles from 2 ...
to a seven-year contract, following the signing of his teammate, defenceman
Erik Gudbranson
Erik Donald Stanley Gudbranson (born January 7, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing under contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected third overall by t ...
, to a four-year contract on July 13, 2022. The Gaudreau signing stunned fans and hockey media alike as the franchise had gained a reputation of being unable to sign or retain star players—something GM Kekalainen had wanted to disprove. Gaudreau, who had reportedly received more attractive offers from the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders, decided to play for less compensation for Columbus, explaining to the media that he believed in their "potential." Subsequently, in order to re-sign Laine to what would be a four-year contract following the Gaudreau and Gudbranson signings, the Blue Jackets traded right winger
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Oliver Bjorkstrand (born 10 April 1995) is a Danish professional ice hockey forward for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bjorkstrand was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round, 89th overall, of the 2013 ...
to the
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...
for 2023 late-round picks. It was also reported over a month later that centre
Alexandre Texier would not play for the team in the 2022-23 season due to personal reasons. Following the Bjorkstrand trade and Texier's hiatus, Jenner and Werenski had become the remaining active players still with the team who were part of their famous "sweep" of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Team information
Team name
The name "Blue Jackets" was chosen to celebrate "patriotism, pride, and the rich
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus."
When President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
requested that Ohio raise ten regiments at the outbreak of the Civil War, the state responded by raising a total of 23 volunteer infantry regiments for three months of service. Ohio also produced a number of great Civil War figures, including
William Tecumseh Sherman,
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...
,
Philip Sheridan
General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close a ...
and
George Custer. Columbus itself was host to large military bases,
Camp Chase and
Camp Thomas, which saw hundreds of thousands of Union soldiers and thousands of Confederate prisoners during the Civil War.
Logos and jerseys
The team logo is a stylized version of the
flag of Ohio, which is a ''
burgee'' (i.e. swallowtail pennant), in the form of a "C" wrapped around a star, representing both patriotism and Columbus's status as state capital.
Previously used as an alternate logo starting in 2003,
it became the primary logo as part of a
Reebok-sponsored redesign for the
2007–08 season. The original logo had a red ribbon with 13 stars representing the
13 Colonies, unfurled in the shape of the team's initials, CBJ, with an electric gold hockey stick cutting through the center to represent the "J." An additional star atop the stick represented Columbus's status as state capital.
From 2003 to 2015, the team's jerseys featured an alternate logo, a
Civil War cap with crossed hockey sticks, on the shoulders.
Since their inception, the Blue Jackets have worn navy and white jerseys with red pants. The jerseys have been tweaked numerous times over the years, mainly in the crest and striping treatment.
The Blue Jackets unveiled a new
third jersey
A third jersey, alternative jersey, third kit, third sweater or alternative uniform is a jersey or uniform that a sports team can wear instead of its home outfit or its away outfit during games, often when the colors of two competing teams ...
in the 2010–11 season, using a vintage hockey jersey design. In the spirit of its Civil War theme, it sports a union blue base with white stripes on the sleeves and on the shoulder padding. The crest features the team's Civil War-era cannon. It honors the team's founder, John H. McConnell, with his initials on the neckline, as well as its slogan "We fight, we march!" on the inside of the collar. During the
2015 NHL Draft, it was revealed that the cannon crest had replaced the hat logo on the shoulders of the home and away jerseys, with a color change to match the jerseys' color scheme.
For the 2020–21 season, the Blue Jackets would wear "Reverse Retro" alternate uniforms designed by
Adidas. The uniform resembled the original white "Stinger" uniforms from 2000 to 2007 but with a red base and white sleeve stripes.
Starting with the 2022–23 season, the Blue Jackets' road white uniform would be paired with blue pants, a combination the team previously wore on May 1, 2021 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The blue pants were also used with the "Reverse Retro" uniform during that season. Also during the season, the Blue Jackets unveiled their second "Reverse Retro" uniform, using the 2003–2007 alternate uniform but with a black base and light blue stripes taken from their current alternates.
"The Cannon"
Prior to the start of the
2007–08 season, the Blue Jackets organization brought a hand-made replica
1857 Napoleon cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
into
Nationwide Arena. The cannon is "fired" at home games whenever:
* the Blue Jackets take the ice at the start of the game
* the Blue Jackets score a goal
* the Blue Jackets win the game
It was fired 164 times in its inaugural season (41 home games, 20 home victories, 103 goals scored at home). When the Blue Jackets score a goal, the title line of "
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
"For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" is a song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The song was first released on AC/DC's eighth studio album '' For Those About to Rock We Salute You'' in 1981, and later as a single in 1982. The single ...
" by
AC/DC is played when the cannon is fired followed by the chorus of "The Whip" by
Locksley.
Broadcast
On
Bally Sports Ohio,
Jeff Rimer serves as the television play-by-play announcer alongside former Blue Jacket
Jody Shelley providing color analysis. Rimer started calling games on television in 2005 with Shelley joining Rimer in 2014–15 replacing previous analyst Bill Davidge. Davidge became co-host of ''Blue Jackets Live'', the televised pre-game, intermission and post-game shows, with Brian Giesenschlag until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2018–2019 season. Beginning with the 2019–2020 season, Giesenschlag's co-host is former Blue Jacket
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre. In-game reporting is provided by Dave Maetzold.
On radio stations
WBNS-FM (flagship),
WBNS (flagship),
WXZX (alternative flagship that airs games that conflict with WBNS’s and WBNS-FM’s coverage of
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
football or
men’s basketball), and 34
other affiliates in
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
and
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
, Bob McElligott provides play-by-play coverage. McElligott joined the Blue Jackets radio broadcast in July 2009 as a color analyst and became the play-by-play analyst for the 2013–14 season, taking over for
George Matthews who had been calling Blue Jackets games since the team's inception in 2000. McElligott, along with Dylan Tyrer, hosts the pre-game and post-game radio shows. Fans can interact by e-mail and
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
with McElligott and Tyrer
during and after the game.
Mascot
Stinger is the official mascot of the Blue Jackets. Stinger is a 6-foot 9-inch bright green bug that walks amongst the crowd during the games and skates on the ice between periods while wearing a Blue Jackets jersey and a blue hat. Stingers eyebrows are black hockey sticks. Stinger was originally yellow, but was changed to green, eventually mixing with the team's blue. The image of Stinger was on the original Blue Jackets jerseys, eventually being removed in 2003. The team also had another mascot, an anthropomorphic cannon named Boomer, for half of the 2010–11 season.
In-game personalities
Leo Welsh is the official anthem singer of the team. Whenever public address announcer Greg Murray introduces him, the fans shout his first name.
Season-by-season record
''This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Blue Jackets. For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Columbus Blue Jackets seasons''
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
Players
Current roster
Team captains
*
Lyle Odelein, 2000–2002
*
Ray Whitney, 2002–2003
*
Luke Richardson, 2003–2005
*
Adam Foote
Adam Foote (born July 10, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, the current Assistant Coach of the Vancouver Canucks of National Hockey League, and the former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League ...
, 2005–2008
*
Rick Nash, 2008–2012
*
Nick Foligno, 2015–2021
*
Boone Jenner
Boone Robert Kenneth Jenner (born June 15, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jenner was selected by Columbus in the second round, 37th overall, of the ...
, 2021–present
Team member accomplishments
First-round draft picks
*
2000:
Rostislav Klesla (4th overall)
*
2001:
Pascal Leclaire (8th overall)
*
2002:
Rick Nash (1st overall)
*
2003:
Nikolay Zherdev (4th overall)
*
2004:
Alexandre Picard (8th overall)
*
2005:
Gilbert Brule Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South A ...
(6th overall)
*
2006:
Derick Brassard (6th overall)
*
2007:
Jakub Voracek
Jacob is a common male given name and a less well-known surname. It is a cognate of James, derived from Late Latin ''Iacobus'', from Greek ''Iakobos'', from Hebrew (''Yaʿaqōḇ''), the name of the Hebrew patriarch, Jacob son of Isaac and ...
(7th overall)
*
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
:
Nikita Filatov
Nikita Vasilyevich Filatov (; born May 25, 1990) is a Russian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Prior to 2012, Filatov played in North America for the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue ...
(6th overall)
*
2009:
John Moore (21st overall)
*
2010:
Ryan Johansen (4th overall)
*
2011: None
*
2012:
Ryan Murray
Ryan James Murray (born September 27, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Murray was drafted second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. ...
(2nd overall)
*
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
:
Alexander Wennberg (14th overall),
Kerby Rychel
Kerby Rychel (born October 7, 1994) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played under contract with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AH ...
(19th overall), and
Marko Dano (27th overall)
*
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
:
Sonny Milano
Frank "Sonny" Milano (born May 12, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first r ...
(16th overall)
*
2015:
Zach Werenski (8th overall) and
Gabriel Carlsson (29th overall)
*
2016:
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Pierre-Luc Dubois (born June 24, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dubois was born in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, but grew up in Rimouski. He was drafted third over ...
(3rd overall)
*
2017: None
*
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
:
Liam Foudy (18th overall)
*
2019: None
*
2020:
Yegor Chinakhov (21st overall)
*
2021:
Kent Johnson
Kent Johnson (1955 – October 25, 2022) was an American poet, translator, critic, and anthologist. His work, much of it meta-fictional and/or satirical in approach, has provoked a notable measure of controversy and debate within English-language ...
(5th overall),
Cole Sillinger
Cole Sillinger (born May 16, 2003) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Sillinger was selected by the Blue Jackets 12th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing ca ...
(12th overall), and
Corson Ceulemans (25th overall)
*
2022:
David Jiricek (6th overall) and
Denton Mateychuk (12th overall)
Retired numbers
The NHL retired
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
's No. 99 for all its member teams at the
2000 NHL All-Star Game
The 2000 NHL All-Star Game was the 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game, All-Star Game in the National Hockey League. It took place on February 6, 2000, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 1st National Hockey ...
.
Honored members
*
John H. McConnell
Hall of Famers
*
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fyodorov (; born December 13, 1969) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and the current head coach of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During his playing career, for which he is best known ...
, C, 2005–2008
Awards and trophies
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
*
Rick Nash:
2003–04 (shared with Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montre ...
of the Atlanta Thrashers and Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...
)
Vezina Trophy
*
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
:
2012–13,
2016–17
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
*
Steve Mason:
2008–09
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
*
Nick Foligno:
2016–17
Jack Adams Award
*
John Tortorella:
2016–17
Mark Messier Leadership Award
*
Nick Foligno:
2016–17
NHL Foundation Player Award
*
Rick Nash:
2008–09
NHL first All-Star team
The National Hockey League All-Star teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.
Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the all- ...
*
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
:
2012–13,
2016–17
NHL second All-Star team
*
Steve Mason:
2008–09
*
Seth Jones:
2017–18
NHL All-Rookie Team
*
Rostislav Klesla:
2001–02
*
Rick Nash:
2002–03
*
Steve Mason:
2008–09
*
Zach Werenski:
2016–17
*
Elvis Merzlikins:
2019–20
Records
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top ten-point-scorers in franchise history as of the 2021–22 season.
* – current Blue Jackets player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
Single-season records
Single-season records include:
* Points:
Artemi Panarin (2018–19) – 87
* Goals:
Rick Nash (2003–04) and
Cam Atkinson
Cameron Thomas Atkinson (born June 5, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Atkinson was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the sixth round, 157th overall ...
(2018–19)
– 41
* Assists:
Artemi Panarin (2018–19) – 59
* Game-winning goals:
Cam Atkinson
Cameron Thomas Atkinson (born June 5, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Atkinson was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the sixth round, 157th overall ...
(2016–17) – 9
* Penalty minutes:
Jody Shelley (2002–03) – 249
* Plus/Minus:
David Savard
David Savard (born October 22, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, of the 2009 N ...
(2016–17) – +33
* Points by a defenseman:
Seth Jones (2017–18) – 57
* Goals by a defenseman:
Zach Werenski (2019–20) – 20
* Points by a rookie:
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Pierre-Luc Dubois (born June 24, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dubois was born in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, but grew up in Rimouski. He was drafted third over ...
(2017–18) – 48
* Wins:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
(2016–17) – 41
* Shutouts in a season:
Steve Mason (2008–09) – 10
* Goals against average:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
(2012–13) – 2.00
* Save percentage:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky (russian: Серге́й Андреевич "Боб" Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has ...
(2012–13) – .932
* Saves:
Marc Denis (2002–03) – 2,172
* Longest shutout streak (time without allowing a goal):
Steve Mason (2008–09) – 199:19
* Team winning streak – 16 games (November 29, 2016 – January 3, 2017)
See also
*
Columbus Chill
*
Columbus Owls
The Columbus Owls were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1973 to 1977. Prior to 1973, the team was known as the Columbus Golden Seals since 1971. After 1977, the team moved and became the Dayton ...
*
List of Columbus Blue Jackets general managers
*
List of Columbus Blue Jackets head coaches
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
National Hockey League teams
2000 establishments in Ohio
Ice hockey clubs established in 2000
Ice hockey teams in Ohio
Metropolitan Division
National Hockey League in Ohio
Sports teams in Columbus, Ohio
Events in Columbus, Ohio