But the Jackets won't have the recently returned Max Domi in Colorado tonight.  Domi's weird season got weirder when he tested positive for COVID-19 on the NYC road trip and must now quarantine for 10 days in his NYC hotel room(!)

 

Wild OT win at Colorado last night.  Avs went up 2-0, then the CBJ scored the next four goals, then the Avs score two extra-attacker goals to force overtime.  Then d-man Jake Bean scores the game-winner in OT.  It was Bean's second goal of the night.  18-year-old Cole Sillinger got 2 goals with 1 assist and becomes the youngest Jacket to have a three-point game (edging out Rick Nash).

 

https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/11/6442/patrik-laine-placed-on-ir-expected-to-miss-four-to-six-weeks-with-oblique-strain

 

Laine suffered an oblique strain late in Wednesday's win at Colorado.  He didn't play in the final minutes of the third period and the overtime period and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.

For a team that was thought to be in a rebuilding season, the CBJ are off to a great start.  They won again over Colorado last night in NWA.  Below is the game winning goal:

The goal was eventually credited to Sillinger, who tipped Chinakhov's shot before it reached the net.  But although Chinakhov didn't get his first NHL goal, it was amazing to see two rookies in Sillinger (18 and drafted in 2021) and Chinakhov (20 and drafted in 2020) combining for the game-winner.

 

Last night's win brings Columbus up to 7-3-0, which ties a franchise record for best start to a season(!)  The team will be off until a 3-game-in-4-night home stretch starting next Friday.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be retiring Rick Nash's #61 in March:

 

https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/11/6439/nash-jersey-retirement

 

https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/11/11/22776996/columbus-blue-jackets-to-retire-rick-nashs-61

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/11/11/blue-jackets-retire-rick-nashs-number-march/6394147001/

 

A well-deserved honor for the first overall pick in 2002 who played nine seasons with the club before being traded in 2012.  Nash is still the franchise leader in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258) and points (547), was selected as an NHL All-Star five times for Columbus, shared the 2004 Rocket Richard trophy, and led the CBJ to their first playoff appearance in 2009.  He also served as captain from 2008-2012 and was responsible for, IMO, the best goal in CBJ history:

 

 

Rough start to the 3-games-in-4-nights home stand for the CBJ.  On Friday, a 4-3 loss to Washington where the Caps scored the game-winner with 62 seconds remaining in the regulation.  On Satuday, a 5-3 loss to NYR where the Rangers scored three goals in 63 seconds.

 

But they salvaged the stand with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory over Detroit tonight.  Chinakhov got the game-tying goal - and his 1st NHL goal - with 4:18 remaining in the third:

Then Werenski got the game-winner with 1:19 left:

Texier added an empty-netter for the 5-3 final score.  Tonight's win puts the CBJ at 8-5-0 going into a three game road swing starting Thursday (11/18) at Arizona, then Saturday (11/20) at Vegas, and finally Monday, (11/22) at Buffalo.

The CBJ got a dramatic 5-4 SO win at Arizona on Thursday but dropped a winnable 3-2 game that they led going into the third period at Vegas last night.  The team is now 9-6-0 going into a busy stretch games next week:

• Mon, Nov 22 - they finish this three-game road swing at Buffalo
• Wed, Nov 24 - first of two home games bracketing Thanksgiving vs Winnipeg
• Fri, Nov 26 - the after Thanksgiving home game vs Vancouver
• Sat, Nov 27 - then next night back on the road at St. Louis

The CBJ enter post-Thanksgiving with an impressive 11-6-0 record.  Monday saw a 7-4 win at Buffalo (with two empty-net goals) with Korpi in the net - followed by a high quality 3-0 win over Winnipeg with Elvis in the net for a 36-save shutout.

The CBJ got outshot in back-to-back games after Thanksgiving, winning one and losing the other.

• At Friday's home game against Vancouver they were outshot 41 to 21, but won 4-2 with Elvis bailing them out by stopping 39 in the net.
• At Saturday's road game at St. Louis they were outshot 33 to 27, but lost 6-3 with Korpi only stopping 27 in the net.

The CBJ will take their 12-7-0 record on the road next week with three road games at Nashville on Tuesday, Dallas on Thursday, and Washington on Saturday, before returning to Columbus to face San Jose on Sunday.

This is certainly one way to make one's NHL debut(!)

 

Rough past week for the CBJ.

 

They lost all four road games, starting with the last Saturday in November at STL, and continuing last week at NASH, DAL and WAS.

 

They had both Elvis and Korpi go down with a non-covid illness and had to call up 22-year-old Daniil Tarasov to play in the Thursday game at Dallas and the Saturday game at Washington.  Although they lost, Tarasov played admirably - saving 34 of 37 shots in the 3-2 loss at Dallas and saving 29 of 31 shots in the 3-1 loss at Washington.

 

Tarasov is still on the team, as Korpi was placed on IR.  Elvis started the final game of week on Sunday, back at home against San Jose.  The Jackets offense finally got going and they won 6-4 to boost their record to 13-10-0.

 

Next week the CBJ play a road game at Toronto on Tuesday, a home game against Anaheim on Thursday, and then a road game at Seattle on Saturday.  That game at Seattle will lead into the three-game Western Canadian road trip at VAN, EDM and CAL the following week.

The CBJ are going through their first downturn of this season - they are 2-5-1 in their past eight games.  In the past week, they started with a high-scoring 5-4 road loss at Toronto, then followed with a 2-1 shootout loss at home against Anaheim, but finished with a 5-4 OT win at Seattle.

 

During this week they made a flurry of player transactions:

• The first was placing Jackets Cannon whipping boy and extra defenseman Scott Harrington on waivers.  He cleared waivers and was sent down to the Monsters.
• Sending Harrington to the Monsters opened a spot to add forward Emil Bemstrom to the roster after he was activated from the IR.
• Unfortunately, in the next game after Harrington was sent down, starting d-man Adam Boqvist got injured and was placed on the IR.  So the CBJ now needed another extra defenseman before they started a five-game road trip.
• Instead of recalling Harrington, the Jackets promoted 22-year-old Jacob Christiansen.  Christiansen has been a good find for the Jackets.  He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, had a good covid-shortened year with Cleveland last season, and is having a better season with Cleveland this year with 18 points in 21 games.
• Oh, and also, Korpi got activated from the IR, so Tarasov was sent back to Cleveland after making two starts in goal.

The Jackets have their annual Western Canada road trip this week.  After playing Seattle on Saturday, they'll cross the border to Vancouver for a game on Tuesday.  Then its off to Alberta for game at Edmonton on Thursday and Calgary on Saturday.

Patrik Laine has joined the team in Vancouver.  He's not quite ready to be activated from the IR, but he was a full participant in Monday's practice, so he's getting close.

 

In addition to recovering from his oblique injury suffered on Nov. 3, Laine is also recovering from the unexpected loss of his father on Nov. 21.  Laine has been back in Finland since his father's death, spending time with his family, before joining the Jackets in Vancouver on Sunday:

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/12/14/blue-jackets-patrik-laine-father-finland-injury-hockey-nhl/6503517001/

 

The Jackets' western Canada road trip is getting cut a game short because of a covid outbreak with the Calgary Flames:

 

Since the Jackets Saturday game at Calgary has been postponed, the Western Canada road trip ended last night and the team is off until Monday's game at Buffalo.  So how did the two-game road swing go?

 

-- Tuesday's game started great with a 3-0 lead after the 1st period.  Then Vancouver got three goals in the next two periods to tie it up, and then won it on a power-play goal with 1:01 remaining.  Brutal loss for the CBJ.

 

-- On Thursday's game the CBJ decided to go down 3-0 after the 1st period and see if that worked better.  It didn't.  Edmonton won 5-2.

 

So the Jackets are now 14-13-1 going into their next games.  They've got a road-and-home series with Buffalo on Monday and Thursday the 23rd before the NHL's Christmas break.  Then it's a home game with Toronto on Monday the 27th, a road game at Chicago on Tuesday the 28th, before two home games on Thursday the 30th with Nashville and then New Year's Day on Saturday with Carolina.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/12/19/blue-jackets-nix-practice-after-three-covid-positives/8961285002/

 

The NHL’s COVID-19 outbreak caught up to the Blue Jackets on Sunday.  After three players tested positive, a noon practice at the OhioHealth Ice Haus was canceled and the team remained in Columbus rather than flying to Buffalo for a Monday game against the Sabres.  So far the game has not been canceled and the Blue Jackets plan to travel to Buffalo Monday following a morning skate at Nationwide Arena.

16 hours ago, Columbo said:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/12/19/blue-jackets-nix-practice-after-three-covid-positives/8961285002/

 

The NHL’s COVID-19 outbreak caught up to the Blue Jackets on Sunday.  After three players tested positive, a noon practice at the OhioHealth Ice Haus was canceled and the team remained in Columbus rather than flying to Buffalo for a Monday game against the Sabres.  So far the game has not been canceled and the Blue Jackets plan to travel to Buffalo Monday following a morning skate at Nationwide Arena.

 

And now tonight's game at Buffalo is postponed.  Plus the Thursday home game with Buffalo because the Jackets team activities have been shut down through the NHL Christmas break.  If the Jackets resume team activities on Dec. 26, they'll face a four-game-in-six-nights stretch starting Monday, Dec 27:

It looks like the CBJ will re-open along with the NHL after Christmas Day (assuming the NHL also re-opens).

 

The home game with Toronto on Monday the 27th is still on the schedule, but might not happen because of the border crossing implications.  The remaining games scheduled next week feature U.S.-based teams -- a road game at Chicago on Tuesday the 28th, then two home games on Thursday the 30th with Nashville and New Year's Day on Saturday with Carolina.

 

Even if CBJ don't resume play after Christmas, they'll still be four CBJ prospects to watch in the World Junior Championship tournament over the next two weeks:

 

https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/12/17/22841217/2022-world-junior-championship-primer-columbus-blue-jackets-prospects-kent-johnson

• Kent Johnson (C) - Canada -- The Jackets 5th-overall 1st-round pick from 2021 will be a big part of Team Canada, who are the odds-on favorite in this tournament.  Johnson currently has 24 points in 17 games for Michigan in the NCAA. 
• Stanislav Svozil (D) - Czech Republic -- The 2021 third round pick has impressed in his short time in the WHL - putting up 18 points in 23 games with Regina.
• Martin Rysavy (RW/LW) - Czech Republic -- The 6’3” forward, a 2021 7th-round pick, made a name for himself in Traverse City last summer and has scored a respectable 16 points in 28 games with Moose Jaw in the WHL.
• Samuel Knazko (D) - Slovakia -- The Jackets 3rd-round pick from 2020 captained the Slovakian team last year and recently joined the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.

The CBJ returned to practice today.  They got back some injured players in Boqvist and Laine.  However, the six players who tested positive for covid - Jenner, Roslovic, Korpisalo, Peeke, Carlsson and Robinson - were not at the practice.  No word when they'll be available after the post-Christmas break, but Tarasov was recalled if Korpi doesn't return immediately.

 

The Blue Jackets game against Toronto Maple Leafs scheduled for Monday at Nationwide Arena has been postponed.  The NHL extended the league Christmas break until Tuesday to give teams an additional day to return players from the covid protocols.  If everything goes well, the Jackets first post-Christmas game would be at Chicago on Tuesday the 28th.

Welp, Tuesday's game in Chicago got postponed.

 

This is the fifth straight CBJ game to be postponed and the Jackets will now go two full weeks without playing a game.  The next possible games are now two home games - Thursday with Nashville and New Year's Day on Saturday with Carolina.

On 12/26/2021 at 6:19 PM, Columbo said:

The CBJ returned to practice today.  They got back some injured players in Boqvist and Laine.  However, the six players who tested positive for covid - Jenner, Roslovic, Korpisalo, Peeke, Carlsson and Robinson - were not at the practice.  No word when they'll be available after the post-Christmas break, but Tarasov was recalled if Korpi doesn't return immediately.

 

The Blue Jackets game against Toronto Maple Leafs scheduled for Monday at Nationwide Arena has been postponed.  The NHL extended the league Christmas break until Tuesday to give teams an additional day to return players from the covid protocols.  If everything goes well, the Jackets first post-Christmas game would be at Chicago on Tuesday the 28th.

 

Oliver Bjorkstrand has entered the protocol.

The CBJ finally return to play after a two-week absence and beat the Preds in a 4-3 SO win.

 

-- Coming out this extended break the team activated D Adam Boqvist and LW Patrik Laine off Injured Reserve.

 

-- In COVID news, Bayreuther joined Bjorkstrand and Robinson in the protocol.  While Jenner, Roslovic, Carlsson and Peeke finished the protocol and played in tonight's game.

 

-- Korpi also finished his covid protocol but Tarasov was the backup for Elvis in tonight's game.  Bemstrom made his CBJ season debut after being activated from the IR and playing some games in minors earlier this month.

Some CBJ prospect tournament news:

 

With the World Juniors being cancelled by covid, the two-game stats for the four CBJ prospects are their final stats (shown below).  Svozil for the Czech Republic had a strong two games with a highlight reel goal in Game One and a 29-minute performance in Game Two for a team depleted by covid and injuries.

 

And in a college tournament, D prospect Corson Ceulemans (drafted in the 2021 first-round, 25th-overall) was named Most Outstanding Defenseman for a holiday tournament won by Wisconsin over Providence.

 

2021 ended with a thrilling come-from-behind SO win over Nashville (one of the better teams in the West).

 

Then the CBJ started 2022 with a New Year's Day game facing Carolina - the best team in the East by points percentage - and it was looking great when they opened a 4-0 lead midway in the second period, despite getting badly outshot.  But then Carolina got two goals to narrow the lead going into the third period.  Then starting goalie Tarasov didn't start the third because of a lower-body injury and Elvis came in.  Then Carolina piled on the shots and goals in the third, winning 7-4(!)

 

So with the Jackets barely above .500 at 15-14-1, this week they face TBL at home tonight, go to NJ on Thursday, and host NJ on Saturday.

 

The covid/injury carousel keeps turning as Werenski joins Bayreuther on the covid list - but Bjorkstrand and Robinson get off the covid list and back on the roster.  Kukan is activated off the IR and back on the roster.  And Texier is out with a non-covid illness.

 

The immediate injury concern is in the net.  Tarasov is out with an LBI.  Elvis also picked up an LBI when he collided with Voracek on New Year's Day.  Korpi is off the covid list and might start tonight.  But he's been out for a while with a non-covid illness before getting covid.  So if he can't start, Berube might be the starting goalie against the defending champs tonight(!!)

Last week began on a down note with a blowout home loss to Tampa Bay and close road loss at New Jersey.  But it ended on an up note with a home win on Saturday against the Devils.

 

Prior to Saturday's game, the Jackets held a 1000th game ceremony for Jake Voracek.  Quite a milestone in an NHL career, and I'm glad the veteran bearded Jake got to see it with the team that originally drafted him when he was a clean-shaven teenager(!)

 

 

On the covid/injury front:  Werenski and Bayreuther are now off the covid list.  But Texier's non-covid illness gets promoted to a covid illness.  Elvis is back on the roster with Korpi.  And euro-signing Gregory Hoffman is back to being a euro again after leaving for the birth of his son in Switzerland and electing to stay.

 

For the upcoming week, we've got a home game tonight against Chicago and then two road games - at Carolina on Thursday and then at Florida on Saturday.  Tonight's game with Chicago was going to Seth Jones' first return to Columbus since his trade, but apparently he was put on the covid list today and won't be playing.

A real up-and-down week for the CBJ last week:

 

DOWN:  A lackluster 4-2 home loss against Chicago

WAY UP:  A stunning 6-0 win at Carolina (one of the best teams in the East)

WAY DOWN:  9-2 blowout loss at Florida (also one of the best teams in the East)

 

The Jackets originally had a game scheduled for Tuesday against the Islanders - but the NHL rescheduled it for later in the season, as part of a reworked schedule for the Isles because of their previous covid postponements.  So the Jackets get a five day break between Saturday's blowout loss and their next game on Thursday at Philadelphia - which let HC Larsen have a bag skate practice on Monday(!)

 

It looks like Jakub Voracek and Cole Sillinger might clear covid protocols in time to be in the lineup on Thursday.  Which would be great if Voracek could play in his first return to Philly since the off-season trade.  However, as two players come off the protocols, two more go on the protocols - d-men Gavrikov and Boqvist.  Because of that, d-man Jake Christiansen was recalled from the Monsters so that the CBJ have 7-D available again.

 

After Thursday's game at Philadelphia, they travel back to Ohio for a Friday game against Pittsburgh.  Then finish with a home game against Ottawa on Sunday.

That blowout loss on Saturday dropped the CBJ record to 17-18-1.  And although the Jackets are still 10th in the East at nearly the season's halfway mark - they are 11 points behind 8th-place Boston (who also has one game-in-hand).  Which actually might be a good thing for the Jackets as an organization.  If the early strong start had continued further into this season, team management might have been tempted to make a playoff push.  But now that the playoffs are pretty much out of the question for 2022, management can focus on the rebuilding process.

 

https://www.jacketscannon.com/2022/1/17/22887444/columbus-blue-jackets-are-a-work-in-progress

 

Max Domi and Joonas Korpisalo are UFA's at the end of the season, so they will likely be traded by the deadline.  Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic are pending RFA's, and they might also be moved if management feels like they can’t re-sign either one for the right term or dollar amount in the summer.  At this stage in the Jackets rebuilding process, the team needs to continue to amass picks and prospects, while preparing for a couple seasons later, when their playoff window might truly be open.

 

And speaking of this season's playoff hopes.  The Jackets aren't the only team to be looking to future seasons for playoff hopes.  Even though the NHL is just short of the 41-game halfway mark, it looks like all 8 playoff teams in the East are nearly locked in.  Looking at the current East standings below, the 9th-place Red Wings are five points behind the 8th-place Bruins.  But Boston holds FIVE games-in-hand over Detroit.  If Boston gets only half of the available points from these games-in-hand, they'll be 10 points up on Detroit.

 

The West looks like a normal season, where multiple teams will fight for the final few playoff spots at the end of the season.  But not in the East this season.

 

After winning one and losing two last week, the CBJ are now 18-20-1.  Is it a mid-season slump?  Is it a reversion to the mean?  Or it is just a young rebuilding team falling to the level that was expected going into this season?

 

Last week started with an encouraging 2-1 road win at Philadelphia.  It also featured the first game back in Philly for Jake Voracek, who morphed there from a clean shaven youngster to a heavily bearded veteran that could double for the Flyers mascot Gritty(!)

Then the Jackets had a pair of home games.  On Friday, they lost 5-2 to a very good Pittsburgh team.  On Sunday, they lost 2-1 to a not good Ottawa team.

 

This week, the Jackets have two sets of back-to-backs.  The CBJ host Calgary on Wednesday and NYR on Thursday.  Followed by a Sunday road game at Montreal and a home game against Florida on Monday 1/31.  Then the Jackets have some extended time-off thru the NHL All-Star Break and return to play on February 10.

The Jackets split two straight back-to-backs going into the NHL's All-Star break:

• A very bad looking 6-0 loss to a good Calgary team followed by a very good 5-3 win against a very good NY Rangers team on Wednesday and Thursday;
• A good 6-3 win at Montreal (who holds the worst record in the entire NHL) followed by a bad 8-4 loss against Florida (who holds the best record in the entire NHL) on Sunday and Monday.

So the CBJ limp into the break with a 20-22-1 record.  Better than was expected, but not in contention for an Eastern playoff spot, even with 39 games remaining(!)

 

Speaking of limping, the CBJ injury report now has only normal hockey-type injuries with no covid protocols:

 

- Tarasov is still out with the lower-body injury he suffered in early December, and I haven't heard any updates since.

- Texier broke a finger a few games back and is out for 3-4 weeks.

- Bean left Sunday's game with groin pull and will be out 4 weeks.

- Robinson left Monday's game with a LBI and is being evaluated.

Update on Robinson's injury:

 

I know its stanley cup season, but man would I just love to be able to see this in my lifetime.

Huge! If we can keep Laine it's definitely back to the playoffs I'd say!

 

Gaudreau signs seven-year, $68.25 million contract with Blue Jackets

 

"Johnny Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $9.75 million.

 

The 28-year-old forward led the Calgary Flames and was tied for second in the NHL last season with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) in 82 regular-season games. He led the NHL with a plus-64 rating and set NHL career highs in goals, assists, points, game-winning goals (nine) and shots on goal (262).

 

Gaudreau led the Flames in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 12 games."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/gaudreau-signs-seven-year-contract-with-blue-jackets/c-334778366?tid=281072352

On 7/14/2022 at 8:11 AM, aderwent said:

Huge! If we can keep Laine it's definitely back to the playoffs I'd say!

 

Gaudreau signs seven-year, $68.25 million contract with Blue Jackets

 

"Johnny Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $9.75 million.

 

The 28-year-old forward led the Calgary Flames and was tied for second in the NHL last season with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) in 82 regular-season games. He led the NHL with a plus-64 rating and set NHL career highs in goals, assists, points, game-winning goals (nine) and shots on goal (262).

 

Gaudreau led the Flames in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 12 games."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/gaudreau-signs-seven-year-contract-with-blue-jackets/c-334778366?tid=281072352

In just a couple weeks the Blue Jackets have landed the top NHL free agent who also happens to be one of the best players in the league, and the Crew landed a player with enough quality to play in the top leagues in England and Spain and score against the top teams in the world. Gaudreau is in the prime of his career and Cucho is nearing the prime of his. Both players could have played just about anywhere they wanted, but they chose Columbus. Sure, the CBJ and Crew organizations played a huge part, but it also says something about the livability and quality of this city that top athletes are starting to take notice and desire to come play/live here. 

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach resigns, associate coach replaces him

 

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock resigned only two months into his tenure with the team.

 

Babcock signed his contract in July. He replaced Brad Larsen, whose stint with the team lasted only two years.

 

According to The Athletic, Babcock resigned Sunday, days after "allegations surfaced on a popular podcast that he had perused players’ private pictures on their cellphones by viewing them on a big screen TV using the Airplay application."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/09/18/blue-jackets-coach-resigns-associate-to-replace.html

 

Columbus Blue Jackets fire General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen

 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired Jarmo Kekalainen after nearly 11 years on the job.

 

John Davidson, the team's president of hockey operations, said during a Thursday press conference that it was a difficult announcement as Kekalainen is a friend and intelligent manager.

 

"But results haven't been good enough," he said. "We all share responsibility for that."

 

According to ESPN, the Blue Jackets have the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 16-26-10.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/02/15/blue-jackets-gm-fired-jarmo-kekalainen.html

 

Blue Jackets to play 2025 outdoor game at Ohio Stadium, reports say

 

Columbus will host an outdoor National Hockey League game for the first time in 2025, multiple outlets are reporting.

 

The Blue Jackets will face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Ohio Stadium, according to The Athletic.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/02/15/blue-jackets-ohio-stadium-2025-game.html

 

Columbus Blue Jackets outdoor game will bring in $20 million in visitor spending, officials say

 

Ohio Stadium will host outdoor hockey in March 2025, an event officials say could turn out 80,000 fans and generate $20 million in direct visitor spending.

 

The National Hockey League this weekend confirmed reports that the Blue Jackets will face the Detroit Red Wings in the Horseshoe on March 1, 2025, as part of the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.

 

“This is an event our fans have been extremely excited about, and the Blue Jackets could not be happier to take on the NHL’s team from that state up north next season in one of the world’s most iconic sports venues,” Blue Jackets President Mike Priest said in a news release.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/02/20/blue-jackets-at-ohio-stadium-20-million-spending.html

Blue Jackets name NHL veteran Don Waddell as new president of hockey operations

 

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Tuesday that Don Waddell is the club's new president of hockey operations and general manager.

 

Waddell has spent the past decade with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he was team president from 2014 to 2018 and general manager since 2018.

 

John Davidson, who had been the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations for 10 years, will become a senior adviser, according to a release.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/05/28/blue-jackets-new-president.html

russian hockey is different tho — 😂

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7j0AxGMqSE/?igsh=MWdqZjZ1MjN2amEwYw==

 

Columbus Blue Jackets name a new head coach

 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have tapped former Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason to lead the team.

 

Evason will serve as CBJ team head coach, with a multi-year contract, according to a news release.

 

“Dean Evason brings to coaching what he brought as a player – passion, hard work and tenacity – and I couldn’t be happier that he will serve as the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets,” Don Waddell, new team general manager and president of operations, said in a news release. “He has spent well over two decades in this league as a player, assistant coach and head coach and I believe that experience, combined with the outstanding person he is, will allow Dean to get the best out of our players and put us in a position to succeed as a team.”

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/07/22/columbus-blue-jackets-new-head-coach-dean-evason.html

 

Obviously waiting for an official announcement, but there are rumors floating around online that Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were the 2 bicyclists killed in this accident...

 

https://6abc.com/post/oldmans-township-bicyclistskilled-new-jersey-salem-county/15245621/?ex_cid=TA_WPVI_TW&taid=66d135c889440d0001d0ade6&utm_campaign=trueanthem_manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Unfortunately it was just made official. 

 

 

 

well how about that looks like we got two staten islanders joining the blue jackets w/in 48hrs — 🎉

 

 

 

https://www.silive.com/sports/2024/10/nhl-team-adds-childhood-friends-from-staten-island.html