Columbus Blue Jackets
Encyclopedia
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey
team based in Columbus, Ohio
, United States. They are members of the Central Division
of the Western Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). They are the easternmost team located in the Western Conference, being only a three and a half hour drive along Interstate 70
from the nearest Eastern Conference
team, the Pittsburgh Penguins
.
Preceded in Ohio's capital by the Columbus Chill
of the ECHL
and the state of Ohio
in general by the Cleveland Barons
, the Blue Jackets were founded as an expansion team in 2000. The team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2009. They had previously been the only active NHL team never to qualify.
The Blue Jackets' name and logos were inspired by Ohio's Civil War
history. Rick Nash
, David Vyborny
, Ray Whitney, Chris Clark, Fredrik Modin
, Steve Mason
, Geoff Sanderson
, R. J. Umberger
and Sergei Fedorov
are some of the prominent NHL figures to have donned a Columbus jersey. In February 2010 Ken Hitchcock
was fired as head coach; Scott Arniel
was hired as the new head coach on June 7, 2010. Current general manager Scott Howson
started in 2007. The Blue Jackets play their home games in downtown Columbus at Nationwide Arena
, which opened in 2000. In 2011, they will affiliate with the Springfield Falcons
of the AHL
and the Chicago Express
of the ECHL
.
left in 1978, Ohio's hockey fans had to wait 22 years to host another NHL team. Columbus entered an expansion bid in 1997, along with several other cities. 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.
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
in Calgary
, Alberta
. Under the draft's rules, 26 of the NHL's active 28 teams were allowed to protect one goaltender
, five defensemen
, 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
. Over the course of the draft, Columbus picked up goalie Dwayne Roloson
, defensemen Lyle Odelein
and Mathieu Schneider
, and forwards Geoff Sanderson
, Turner Stevenson
, and Dallas Drake
, among others. Instead of joining Columbus, Roloson signed with the American Hockey League
'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
traded Jan Caloun
, a ninth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
, and a 2001
conditional pick to Columbus; in return, the Blue Jackets agreed not to select the Sharks' unprotected goaltender Evgeni Nabokov
. On June 24, at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
, Columbus selected Rostislav Klesla
fourth overall.
. Bruce Gardiner
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. Geoff Sanderson
became the first player in team history to score 30 goals. Ron Tugnutt
, who was signed in the summer of 2000, supplied solid goaltending with 22 wins, which tied the 74-year-old League record for wins by an expansion-team goalie (New York Rangers
' 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 offseason, the Blue Jackets traded a second-round pick (32nd overall) and Tugnutt to the Dallas Stars
. In return, Columbus received Dallas's first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2002 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 and missing the playoffs once again. Dave King, who had been the team's head coach since their debut in 2000, was fired midseason 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 offseason. Checking center Todd Marchant
was signed to a five-year contract in July from the Edmonton Oilers
. Defenseman Darryl Sydor
, known to play strong offense as well, was acquired from the Dallas Stars for Mike Sillinger
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
. Nash was one of the few bright spots for the team; his 41 goals tied Jarome Iginla
and Ilya Kovalchuk
for the Rocket Richard Trophy (as League leader in goals scored).
In the 2004 offseason, the League's Players' Association and the League's 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
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.
defenseman Adam Foote
agreed to a 3-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 Nash, Klesla, and Gilbert Brule
, 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
was acquired from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks
; Anaheim received Tyler Wright
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 offseason, Marc Denis
was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning
for forward Fredrik Modin
and goaltending prospect Fredrik Norrena
, making way for Pascal Leclaire
to take the starting job. The Blue Jackets also signed Anson Carter
when it looked as if Nikolai 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
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
, 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
Assistant General Manager Scott Howson
as the new general manager on June 15, 2007. They set the modern day record of being shut out in a single NHL season, not being able to score a goal on sixteen different occasions.
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 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
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
requested a trade to the Colorado Avalanche
, 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 very last 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 video game by Take-Two Interactive
.
At the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
, the Blue Jackets selected Nikita Filatov
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.
The Blue Jackets made many trades in the 2008 off season. Gilbert Brule
was traded to the Edmonton Oilers
for Raffi Torres
. Enigmatic forward Nikolai Zherdev
and Dan Fritsche
were traded to the New York Rangers
in exchange for defensemen Fedor Tyutin
and Christian Backman
. The Blue Jackets also signed free agents Kristian Huselius
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.
On August 22, 2008, the Johnstown Chiefs
were announced as the new ECHL affiliate for the Blue Jackets, as well as their AHL
affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch
.
During the 2008–09 NHL 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
, by trading goaltender Pascal Leclaire
and a second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators
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.
On April 8, 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets secured the first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in the franchise's eight-year history with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks
. before being swept by the Red Wings
in the first round.
With 21 games remaining and sitting 4 points out of 8th in the Western Conference, the Blue Jackets dealt long time defenseman Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers to the Phoenix Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepistö at the trade deadline (February 28, 2011).
history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus." When President Abraham Lincoln
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
, Philip Sheridan
, 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. There was also a Shawnee
leader named Blue Jacket
in the Ohio Country
after the American Revolutionary War
.
, which is a pennant. Previously used as an alternate logo, it became the primary logo as part of a Reebok
-sponsored redesign for the 2007–08 season. The team's jerseys feature an alternate logo, a Civil War cap with crossed hockey sticks, on the shoulders.
The Blue Jackets unveiled a new third jersey
in the 2010-2011 season, using a vintage hockey sweater design. In 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.
into Nationwide Arena
. The cannon is "fired" at home games whenever:
It was fired 164 times in its inaugural season (41 home games, 20 home victories, 103 goals scored at home). The title line of "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
" by AC/DC
is played when the cannon is fired.
serves as the television play-by-play announcer alongside former CBJ radio analyst Bill Davidge, who joined Rimer in 2009-10 replacing previous analyst Danny Gare
.
On radio stations WBNS-FM
(flagship), WBNS
and WWCD
, and 26 other affiliates
in Ohio, George Matthews
provides play-by-play coverage, with analysis provided by former Syracuse Crunch
radio broadcaster Bob McElligott. Matthews has been calling Blue Jackets games since the team's inception in 2000, while Rimer started calling games on television in 2005.
Fox Sports Ohio, which broadcasts 75 games per season, airs pre-game and post-game shows ("Blue Jackets Live") for each game. Home pre-game shows are hosted by Jeff Hogan and Bill Davidge, with the post-game shows hosted by former Lake Erie Monsters
play-by-play broadcaster John Michael; road pre- and post-game shows are hosted by Ray Crawford. In-game reporting is provided by Michael. The host of the radio pre- and post-game shows is Mark Wyant. Fans can interact by e-mail and phone with the radio personalities during and after the game.
blimp
that flies in the air above the crowds in Nationwide Arena between periods.
Records as of April 10, 2011
The Blue Jackets have the worst points percentage of all the active teams in the NHL over their first nine seasons with a points% of 0.439.
associated with their organization.
's number 99 was retired league-wide on February 6, 2000.
.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blue Jackets player
Calder Memorial Trophy
NHL Foundation Player Award
See also:
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, United States. They are members of the Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). They are the easternmost team located in the Western Conference, being only a three and a half hour drive along Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
from the nearest Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
team, the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
.
Preceded in Ohio's capital by the Columbus Chill
Columbus Chill
The Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998-99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
and the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in general by the Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
, the Blue Jackets were founded as an expansion team in 2000. The team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2009. They had previously been the only active NHL team never to qualify.
The Blue Jackets' name and logos were inspired by Ohio's Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
history. Rick Nash
Rick Nash
Rick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
, David Vyborny
David Vyborny
David Výborný is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for BK Mladá Boleslav of the Czech Extraliga. He has played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-Early career:...
, Ray Whitney, Chris Clark, Fredrik Modin
Fredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
, Steve Mason
Steve Mason (ice hockey)
Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...
, Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
, R. J. Umberger
R. J. Umberger
Richard Allen "R. J." Umberger, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey center and an alternate captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
are some of the prominent NHL figures to have donned a Columbus jersey. In February 2010 Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock also known as "Hitch" is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently coaching the St. Louis Blues.-Early Years:...
was fired as head coach; Scott Arniel
Scott Arniel
Scott William Arniel , is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Arniel was awarded the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as American Hockey League coach of the year in 2009, his third year as an AHL coach...
was hired as the new head coach on June 7, 2010. Current general manager Scott Howson
Scott Howson
Donald Scott Howson is a retired ice hockey player. He is currently the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
started in 2007. The Blue Jackets play their home games in downtown Columbus at Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL....
, which opened in 2000. In 2011, they will affiliate with the Springfield Falcons
Springfield Falcons
The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
and the Chicago Express
Chicago Express
Chicago Express Airlines, Inc. was a regional airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States.It operated regional feeder services from Chicago Midway Airport under the name ATA Connection. On June 1, 1999, ATA Airlines acquired Chicago Express for $1.9 million...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
.
1997–2000: Building a new franchise
After the Cleveland BaronsCleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
left in 1978, Ohio's hockey fans had to wait 22 years to host another NHL team. Columbus entered an expansion bid in 1997, along with several other cities. 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
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
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
John H. McConnell
John Henderson McConnell was the founder of Worthington Industries, which manufactures processed steel products, pressure cylinders, and metal framing. He was the founder, majority owner, chairman, and governor of the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team...
(one of those who entered the bid) privately guaranteed Bettman that an arena would be built, referendum or not.
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company & Affiliated Companies is a group of large U.S. insurance and financial services companies based in Columbus...
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.
On June 23, 2000, the NHL's two newest teams, the Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, took part in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft
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
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Under the draft's rules, 26 of the NHL's active 28 teams were allowed to protect one goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, five defensemen
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, and nine forwards
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
, or two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards. The Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
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
Rick Tabaracci
Richard Stephen Tabaracci is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Drafted 26th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tabaracci also played for the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, and Colorado Avalanche. He...
from the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. Over the course of the draft, Columbus picked up goalie Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
, defensemen Lyle Odelein
Lyle Odelein
Lyle Odelein is a retired professional hockey player. He has played for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins....
and Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...
, and forwards Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
, Turner Stevenson
Turner Stevenson
Turner Stevenson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003...
, and Dallas Drake
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, Drake played for the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues...
, among others. Instead of joining Columbus, Roloson signed with the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Worcester IceCats
Worcester IceCats
The Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum...
, Schneider left for the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and the St. Louis Blues signed Drake. Columbus also traded Stevenson to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
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
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
traded Jan Caloun
Jan Caloun
Jan Čaloun is a retired professional hockey player. He is 178 cm tall, 80 kg in weight. He shoots right and plays right wing. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round, 75th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft...
, a ninth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
, and a 2001
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
conditional pick to Columbus; in return, the Blue Jackets agreed not to select the Sharks' unprotected goaltender Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
. On June 24, at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
, Columbus selected Rostislav Klesla
Rostislav Klesla
Rostislav "Rusty" Klesla is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . During the off season, Klesla spends his time in the Czech Republic. Klesla was selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, making...
fourth overall.
2000–05: Early years
The Blue Jackets played their first regular-season game on October 7, 2000, a 5–3 loss to the Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Bruce Gardiner
Bruce Gardiner
Bruce Gardiner is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Since 2003, he has worked for the Barrie, ON police department.-Playing career:...
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. Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
became the first player in team history to score 30 goals. Ron Tugnutt
Ron Tugnutt
Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the NHL with several teams from 1987–2004 and is currently an assistant coach with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.-Early years:Tugnutt was born in Scarborough, Ontario and played three seasons...
, who was signed in the summer of 2000, supplied solid goaltending with 22 wins, which tied the 74-year-old League record for wins by an expansion-team goalie (New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
' Lorne Chabot
Lorne Chabot
Lorne "Chabotsky" Chabot was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Lorne played in the National Hockey League from 1926 to 1937. During this time, he played for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks, Montreal Maroons, and New York Americans...
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
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
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
Espen Knutsen
Kjell Espen Knutsen is a Norwegian former professional ice hockey player and currently the head coach of Vålerenga in the Norwegian GET-ligaen. He played five seasons in the National Hockey League , and is to date the only Norwegian to have played in the NHL All-Star Game...
struck her in the head while she was in the stands at Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL....
. 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 offseason, the Blue Jackets traded a second-round pick (32nd overall) and Tugnutt to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. In return, Columbus received Dallas's first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2002 draft
2002 NHL Entry Draft
The 2002 NHL Entry Draft was held June 22–23 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. 291 players were drafted in total: 35 from the OHL; 23 from the QMJHL; 43 from the WHL; 41 from the NCAA; 6 from U.S high schools and 110 from outside North America....
. On the morning of the draft, Columbus traded the third-overall pick and the option to flip draft spots in 2003
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
; in return Columbus received the first-overall pick, which they used to select Rick Nash
Rick Nash
Rick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
.
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 and missing the playoffs once again. Dave King, who had been the team's head coach since their debut in 2000, was fired midseason and replaced by general manager Doug MacLean
Doug MacLean
Douglas MacLean, is a Canadian sportscaster and former ice hockey coach and general manager...
. Marc Denis
Marc Denis
Marc Denis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . For the 2009–10 season, he has been hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
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
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
in the 1995–96 season.
Todd Marchant
Todd Marchant is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League . He played nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and almost six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, along with just over a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a game with the...
was signed to a five-year contract in July from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. Defenseman Darryl Sydor
Darryl Sydor
Darryl Marion Sydor is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He has won two Stanley Cups during his career; with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004...
, known to play strong offense as well, was acquired from the Dallas Stars for Mike Sillinger
Mike Sillinger
Mike Sillinger is the current Director of Player Development for the Edmonton Oilers, and a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for 17 seasons...
and a draft pick. MacLean stepped aside as head coach midway through the season, giving way to Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant
Gerard "Turk" Gallant is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former NHL player.Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, sixth round, one-hundred seventh overall....
. 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
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Nash was one of the few bright spots for the team; his 41 goals tied Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
and Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
for the Rocket Richard Trophy (as League leader in goals scored).
In the 2004 offseason, the League's Players' Association and the League's administration failed to renew their collective bargaining agreement
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NHL collective bargaining agreement is the basic contract between the National Hockey League team owners and the NHL Players Association , designed to be arrived at through the typical labor-management negotiations of collective bargaining...
. September 14, 2004 marked the beginning of the lockout of the 2004–05 season. No games were played and the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
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.
2005 and beyond: Post-lockout
In the summer of 2005, rugged Colorado AvalancheColorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
defenseman Adam Foote
Adam Foote
Adam David Vernon Foote is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman....
agreed to a 3-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 Nash, Klesla, and Gilbert Brule
Gilbert Brule
Gilbert Jean Marco Brulé is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Western Hockey League , Brulé played major junior with the Vancouver Giants for three seasons...
, the team's 2005
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft.As a lockout cancelled the games of the 2004–05 NHL season, the draft order was determined by lottery on July 22, 2005. Teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years...
first-round pick, led to the team putting up a dismal 9–25–1 record through its first 35 games. Superstar Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
was acquired from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
; Anaheim received Tyler Wright
Tyler Wright
Tyler Wright is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in 613 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
and Francois Beauchemin
François Beauchemin
François Beauchemin is a French Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently a member of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, his second tenure with the organization.-Playing career:...
, and later claimed Todd Marchant
Todd Marchant
Todd Marchant is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League . He played nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and almost six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, along with just over a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a game with the...
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 offseason, Marc Denis
Marc Denis
Marc Denis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . For the 2009–10 season, he has been hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
for forward Fredrik Modin
Fredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
and goaltending prospect Fredrik Norrena
Fredrik Norrena
Fredrik Jan Elis Norrena is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Linköping of the Swedish Elitserien.- Playing career :...
, making way for Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
to take the starting job. The Blue Jackets also signed Anson Carter
Anson Carter
Anson Carter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger of Barbadian descent who last played for HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A. In the past, he has played for eight different National Hockey League teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver...
when it looked as if Nikolai Zherdev
Nikolai Zherdev
Mykola Olehovych "Nikolay" Zherdev is a Ukrainian-Russian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League...
would be playing the season in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; in late September, however, Zherdev and General Manager Doug MacLean
Doug MacLean
Douglas MacLean, is a Canadian sportscaster and former ice hockey coach and general manager...
were able to reach a compromise. Partway through the season, on November 13, 2006, Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant
Gerard "Turk" Gallant is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former NHL player.Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, sixth round, one-hundred seventh overall....
was relieved of his duties as head coach. The next day, Gary Agnew
Gary Agnew
Gary Agnew is an ice hockey coach who is currently the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals. He has also served as an assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
was named his interim replacement. On November 22, Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock also known as "Hitch" is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently coaching the St. Louis Blues.-Early Years:...
, former coach of the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, 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
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, 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
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
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
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
Assistant General Manager Scott Howson
Scott Howson
Donald Scott Howson is a retired ice hockey player. He is currently the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
as the new general manager on June 15, 2007. They set the modern day record of being shut out in a single NHL season, not being able to score a goal on sixteen different occasions.
On October 4, 2007, the Blue Jackets announced their affiliation with the Elmira Jackals
Elmira Jackals
The Elmira Jackals are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL. Their home games are played in First Arena in Elmira, New York and they refer to themselves as "the beasts of the east"...
, which replaced their former affiliation with the Dayton Bombers
Dayton Bombers
The Dayton Bombers were an ECHL ice hockey team located in Dayton, Ohio. The team most recently was in the North Division of the ECHL's American Conference....
as the club's ECHL 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
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. 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
Adam David Vernon Foote is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman....
requested a trade to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, 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 very last game of the season and finishing fourth in the Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
with 80 points. After the season, Nash was announced as the cover player for the NHL 2K9 video game by Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
.
At the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
, the Blue Jackets selected Nikita Filatov
Nikita Filatov
Nikita Vasilyevich Filatov is a Russian professional ice hockey winger in the Ottawa Senators organization. He was the top-ranked European skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and was selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to being drafted, he...
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.
The Blue Jackets made many trades in the 2008 off season. Gilbert Brule
Gilbert Brule
Gilbert Jean Marco Brulé is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Western Hockey League , Brulé played major junior with the Vancouver Giants for three seasons...
was traded to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
for Raffi Torres
Raffi Torres
Raphael "Raffi" Torres is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has additionally played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers,...
. Enigmatic forward Nikolai Zherdev
Nikolai Zherdev
Mykola Olehovych "Nikolay" Zherdev is a Ukrainian-Russian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League...
and Dan Fritsche
Dan Fritsche
Dan Fritsche is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League A.-Playing career:...
were traded to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in exchange for defensemen Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Anatolievich Tyutin is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
and Christian Backman
Christian Bäckman
Christian Bäckman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
. The Blue Jackets also signed free agents Kristian Huselius
Kristian Huselius
Kristian Huselius is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.-Early career:...
and Mike Commodore
Mike Commodore
Michael Commodore is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
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.
On August 22, 2008, the Johnstown Chiefs
Johnstown Chiefs
The Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that played in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League when that league was formed...
were announced as the new ECHL affiliate for the Blue Jackets, as well as their AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
.
During the 2008–09 NHL season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, the Blue Jackets made two trades which greatly played to their benefit. Forward Jason Williams was acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
in exchange for defenseman Clay Wilson
Clay Wilson
Clay Daniel Wilson is a professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and a sixth-round draft pick. The Blue Jackets were also involved with the first major deal of the 2009 NHL Trade Deadline
NHL trade deadline
The National Hockey League's trade deadline is a date set by the NHL league office after which no trades are allowed for the remainder of the season. The deadline for the 2011–12 NHL season is set for February 27, 2012 at 3 pm EST. Prior to the current CBA, the trade deadline date had been in...
, by trading goaltender Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
and a second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for skilled center Antoine Vermette
Antoine Vermette
Antoine Vermette is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-QMJHL:...
. 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.
On April 8, 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets secured the first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in the franchise's eight-year history with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. before being swept by the Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the first round.
With 21 games remaining and sitting 4 points out of 8th in the Western Conference, the Blue Jackets dealt long time defenseman Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers to the Phoenix Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepistö at the trade deadline (February 28, 2011).
Team name
The name "Blue Jackets" was chosen to celebrate "patriotism, pride, and the rich Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus." When President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
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
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
, Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan 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 association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
, and George Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
. Columbus itself was host to large military bases, Camp Chase
Camp Chase
Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in Columbus, Ohio, during the American Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves. The cemetery is located in what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.- History :Camp Chase...
and Camp Thomas
Camp Thomas
Camp Thomas was a United States Regular Army training facility located in North Columbus, Ohio , during the American Civil War. It was primarily used to organize and train new infantry regiments for service in the Western Theater.-Establishment:...
, which saw hundreds of thousands of Union soldiers and thousands of Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. There was also a Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
leader named Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
in the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
after the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Jerseys
The team logo is a stylized version of the flag of OhioFlag of Ohio
The flag of the state of Ohio was adopted in 1902 and designed by John Eisemann, for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.-Design:The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways...
, which is a pennant. Previously used as an alternate logo, it became the primary logo as part of a Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
-sponsored redesign for the 2007–08 season. The team's jerseys feature an alternate logo, a Civil War cap with crossed hockey sticks, on the shoulders.
The Blue Jackets unveiled a new third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
in the 2010-2011 season, using a vintage hockey sweater design. In 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.
"The Cannon"
Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, the Blue Jackets organization brought a hand-made replica 1857 Napoleon cannonCannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
into Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL....
. The cannon is "fired" at home games whenever:
- the Jackets take the ice at the start of the game
- the Jackets score a goal
- the Jackets win the game
It was fired 164 times in its inaugural season (41 home games, 20 home victories, 103 goals scored at home). The title line of "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
"For Those About to Rock " 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's B-side contains an edited live version of "Let There Be Rock", recorded...
" by AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
is played when the cannon is fired.
Broadcasters
On Fox Sports Ohio, Jeff RimerJeff Rimer
Jeff Rimer is the television Play-by-Play Announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League....
serves as the television play-by-play announcer alongside former CBJ radio analyst Bill Davidge, who joined Rimer in 2009-10 replacing previous analyst Danny Gare
Danny Gare
Daniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
.
On radio stations WBNS-FM
WBNS-FM
WBNS-FM is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio airing a sports radio format.WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming, and is the flagship station for the Ohio State Buckeyes football and basketball radio networks...
(flagship), WBNS
WBNS (AM)
WBNS — branded 1460 ESPN — is a radio station that broadcasts from Columbus, Ohio. The station, which originally went on the air as WCAH in 1922, currently broadcasts a sports talk format and carries ESPN talk programming. WBNS is also the flagship of the Ohio State Buckeyes radio network. It is...
and WWCD
WWCD
WWCD —currently branded CD101 @ 102.5—is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Baltimore, Ohio and serving the Columbus metro area....
, and 26 other affiliates
Columbus blue jackets radio network
The Columbus Blue Jackets Radio Network is a 25 station radio network operated by the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League that provides broadcasts for all the team's games. George Matthews is the play-by-play announcer, while Bob McElligott is the color commentator. In addition to...
in Ohio, George Matthews
George Matthews (broadcaster)
George Matthews is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets, an NHL franchise. He has held this position since the team's inaugural 2000-01 season...
provides play-by-play coverage, with analysis provided by former Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
radio broadcaster Bob McElligott. Matthews has been calling Blue Jackets games since the team's inception in 2000, while Rimer started calling games on television in 2005.
Fox Sports Ohio, which broadcasts 75 games per season, airs pre-game and post-game shows ("Blue Jackets Live") for each game. Home pre-game shows are hosted by Jeff Hogan and Bill Davidge, with the post-game shows hosted by former Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
play-by-play broadcaster John Michael; road pre- and post-game shows are hosted by Ray Crawford. In-game reporting is provided by Michael. The host of the radio pre- and post-game shows is Mark Wyant. Fans can interact by e-mail and phone with the radio personalities during and after the game.
Mascot and logo
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. The image of Stinger was on the original Blue Jackets' jerseys. The Blue Jackets have since distanced themselves from Stinger, removing him entirely from the jerseys beginning in the 2005 season. The current logo of the Blue Jackets consists of the state of Ohio flag swirled around a star which is portrayed prominently on the Blue Jackets jersey. Another noteworthy symbol that has nothing to do with the team or mascot or logo of the Blue Jackets is the IGS EnergyIGS Energy
IGS Energy, also known as Interstate Gas Supply, Inc., is America's largest independent retail natural gas and electric supplier, serving more than 800,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the states of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland...
blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
that flies in the air above the crowds in Nationwide Arena between periods.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstRecords as of April 10, 2011
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 73 | 201 | 249 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 80 | 193 | 218 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | 226 | 230 | 4th, Central | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 32 | 35 | 15 | 79 | 216 | 259 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 34 | 35 | 13 | 81 | 215 | 258 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
The Blue Jackets have the worst points percentage of all the active teams in the NHL over their first nine seasons with a points% of 0.439.
Team captains
- Lyle OdeleinLyle OdeleinLyle Odelein is a retired professional hockey player. He has played for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins....
, 2000–02 - Ray Whitney, 2002–03
- Luke RichardsonLuke RichardsonLuke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Richardson played for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, 2003–05 - Adam FooteAdam FooteAdam David Vernon Foote is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman....
, 2005–08 - Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
, 2008–present
1st Round Draft Picks
| Year | Pick | Player | Position | Country | Previous team (League) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 NHL Entry Draft The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild... |
Defense | Brampton Battalion Brampton Battalion The Brampton Battalion are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Brampton, Ontario and started playing in 1998.-History:The Brampton Battalion were granted an expansion franchise on December 3, 1996... (OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... ) |
||||
| 2001 2001 NHL Entry Draft The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:... |
Goaltender Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring... |
Halifax Mooseheads Halifax Mooseheads The Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have... (QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
||||
| 2002 2002 NHL Entry Draft The 2002 NHL Entry Draft was held June 22–23 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. 291 players were drafted in total: 35 from the OHL; 23 from the QMJHL; 43 from the WHL; 41 from the NCAA; 6 from U.S high schools and 110 from outside North America.... |
Left wing Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... |
London Knights London Knights The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:... (OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... ) |
||||
| 2003 2003 NHL Entry Draft The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice... |
Right wing Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... |
CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... (RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... ) |
||||
| 2004 2004 NHL Entry Draft The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed... |
Left wing Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... |
Lewiston Maineiacs Lewiston MAINEiacs The Lewiston Maineiacs were a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based in Lewiston, Maine. The team played its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. They were the second QMJHL team in the United States, and the only one to play a full season... (QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
||||
| 2005 2005 NHL Entry Draft The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft.As a lockout cancelled the games of the 2004–05 NHL season, the draft order was determined by lottery on July 22, 2005. Teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years... |
Center Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... |
Vancouver Giants Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history... (WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... ) |
||||
| 2006 2006 NHL Entry Draft The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006.... |
Center Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... |
Drummondville Voltigeurs Drummondville Voltigeurs The Drummondville Voltigeurs are a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The franchise was originally granted for the 1982–83 season, and are based out of Drummondville, Quebec. The team plays its home games at the Centre Marcel Dionne... (QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
||||
| 2007 2007 NHL Entry Draft The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007... |
Right wing Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... |
Halifax Mooseheads Halifax Mooseheads The Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have... (QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
||||
| 2008 2008 NHL Entry Draft The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008... |
Left wing Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... |
CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... (RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... ) |
||||
| 2009 2009 NHL Entry Draft The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or... |
21 | Defense | Chicago Steel Chicago Steel The Chicago Steel is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team formed in 2000. It plays all of its home games at the Edge Ice Arena, located in Bensenville, Illinois. The Steel play in the Eastern Division of the United States Hockey League. The current GM and Head Coach of the Steel is Scott McConnell... (USHL United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger... ) |
|||
| 2010 2010 NHL Entry Draft The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in... |
≠ | Center Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... |
Portland Winterhawks (WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... ) |
Hall of Famers
The Blue Jackets have not had any members of the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
associated with their organization.
Retired numbers
The Blue Jackets have yet to retire any of their own numbers. However, Wayne GretzkyWayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's number 99 was retired league-wide on February 6, 2000.
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history as of the 2010–11 NHL season2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blue Jackets player
| Points | Goals | Assists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EWLINE
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EWLINE
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EWLINE
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NHL awards and trophies
Rocket Richard Trophy- Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
: 2003–04 (shared with Ilya KovalchukIlya KovalchukIlya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
of the Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and Jarome IginlaJarome IginlaJarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
of the Calgary FlamesCalgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
)
Calder Memorial Trophy
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." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
- Steve MasonSteve Mason (ice hockey)Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...
: 2008-09
NHL Foundation Player Award
NHL Foundation Player Award
The NHL Foundation Player Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player "who applies the core values of hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community". The winner is given a grant of US$25,000 to help causes that the winner supports...
- Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
: 2008-09
Single-season records
- Points: Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
(2008–09) — 79 - Goals: Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
(2003–04) — 41 - Assists: Ray Whitney (2002–03) — 52
- Game-winning goals: Geoff SandersonGeoff SandersonGeoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
(2000–01) and Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
(2003–04) — 7 - Penalty minutes: Jody ShelleyJody ShelleyJody Shelley is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
(2002–03) — 249 - Plus/Minus: Jan HejdaJan HejdaJan Hejda is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
(2008–09) — +23 - Points by a defenseman: Jaroslav SpacekJaroslav SpacekJaroslav Spacek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
(2002–03) — 45 - Points by a rookie: Rick NashRick NashRick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
(2002–03) — 39 - Wins: Steve MasonSteve Mason (ice hockey)Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...
(2008–09) — 31 - Shutouts in a season: Steve MasonSteve Mason (ice hockey)Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...
(2008–09) - 10 - Goals against average: Pascal LeclairePascal LeclairePascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
(2007–08) — 2.25 - Save percentage: Pascal LeclairePascal LeclairePascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
(2007–08) — .919 - Saves: Marc DenisMarc DenisMarc Denis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . For the 2009–10 season, he has been hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
(2002–03) — 2,172 - Longest shutout streak (time without allowing a goal): Steve MasonSteve Mason (ice hockey)Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...
(2008–09) — 199:19
See also:
See also
- Cleveland BaronsCleveland Barons (NHL)The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
- Columbus OwlsColumbus OwlsThe 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 Owls, and later the Grand Rapids Owls....
- Columbus ChillColumbus ChillThe Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998-99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania...