Columbus Blue Jackets facts for kids

The Columbus Blue Jackets (often called the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets play in the National Hockey League (NHL). They are part of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team started playing in 2000.

The Blue Jackets had a tough start. They didn't win 30 games in a season until 2005–06. Their first time in the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 2009, but they lost all their games. Columbus won their first playoff game in 2014. They won their first playoff series in 2019 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This was a big deal because they were the first team in NHL history to sweep a team that won the Presidents' Trophy (given to the team with the best regular season record) in the first round. The Blue Jackets, along with the Seattle Kraken and Utah Hockey Club, are one of only three teams in the league that haven't reached the conference finals yet.

The team's name and logos are inspired by Ohio's history during the American Civil War. The Blue Jackets play their home games at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus. This arena opened in 2000. They also have a minor league team, the Cleveland Monsters, who play in the AHL.

Quick facts for kids Columbus Blue Jackets
Conference	Eastern
Division	Metropolitan
Founded	2000
History	Columbus Blue Jackets 2000–present
Home arena	Nationwide Arena
City	Columbus, Ohio
Colors	Union blue, goal red, capital silver, white
Media	Bally Sports Ohio Columbus Alternative (105.7 FM) The Fan (97.1 FM) ESPN Columbus (1460 AM)
Owner(s)	John P. McConnell
General manager	Don Waddell
Head coach	Dean Evason
Captain	Boone Jenner
Minor league affiliates	Cleveland Monsters (AHL)
Stanley Cups	0
Conference championships	0
Presidents' Trophies	0
Division championships	0

Team History: How the Blue Jackets Started

Building a New Team (1997–2000)

Before the Blue Jackets, Ohio's last NHL team was the Cleveland Barons (1976–1978). In Columbus, the Blue Jackets replaced the Columbus Chill. The Chill was a minor league team that played from 1991 to 1999. They even sold out 83 games in a row!

In 1996, a group of investors wanted to bring an NHL team to Columbus. They needed a new arena. When the city's voters didn't approve public money for the arena, one of the investors, John H. McConnell, promised the NHL that an arena would still be built.

Then, Nationwide agreed to pay for the $150-million arena. On June 25, 1997, the NHL announced Columbus would get a new team! A contest was held to name the team. Out of 14,000 ideas, "Blue Jackets" was chosen. It honored Ohio's role in the American Civil War.

On June 23, 2000, the Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild picked players in the 2000 NHL expansion draft. This draft allowed new teams to choose players from other NHL teams. The Blue Jackets picked Rick Tabaracci first. They also drafted players like Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Schneider. At the 2000 NHL entry draft, Columbus picked Rostislav Klesla as their fourth overall choice.

Early Years and Challenges (2000–2005)

The Blue Jackets played their first game on October 7, 2000. They lost 5–3 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Bruce Gardiner scored the team's first goal. Columbus finished last in their division that season. Geoff Sanderson was the first Blue Jacket to score 30 goals.

In March 2002, a sad event happened. A puck hit a 13-year-old fan, Brittanie Cecil, in the stands. She passed away. Because of this, large safety nets were put behind the goals in all NHL arenas. This helps protect fans from flying pucks.

The team kept trying to improve. In 2002, they traded for the first overall pick in the 2002 NHL entry draft. They used it to select Rick Nash, who became a star player. Even with Nash, the team struggled. They finished last in their division for three years in a row.

In 2004, the NHL had a lockout. This meant no games were played during the 2004–05 season. It was the first time the Stanley Cup wasn't awarded since 1919. The lockout ended in July 2005.

The Rick Nash Era and Rebuilding (2005–2012)

After the lockout, the Blue Jackets hoped to make the playoffs. They signed defenseman Adam Foote. But injuries to key players like Rick Nash hurt the team. They still set new team records for wins (35) and points (74). They finished third in their division for the first time.

In the 2006–07 season, the team made more changes. They traded goalie Marc Denis and hired Ken Hitchcock as their new head coach. In 2007, Doug MacLean, the team's first general manager, was fired. Scott Howson became the new general manager.

The 2007–08 season started well. But captain Adam Foote asked to be traded. Rick Nash was then named the new team captain. Columbus had their best season yet, finishing with 80 points.

Rick Nash was the team captain from 2008 until he was traded in 2012.

During the 2008–09 season, the Blue Jackets made some good trades. They got Jason Williams and Antoine Vermette. Rick Nash set a franchise record with 79 points. On April 8, 2009, the Blue Jackets made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time! However, they lost all four games to the Detroit Red Wings. They wouldn't make the playoffs again for four seasons.

In 2011, the Blue Jackets tried to make a big playoff push. They traded for All-Star center Jeff Carter. But after a bad start to the 2011–12 season, Carter was traded away. There was also talk that captain Rick Nash wanted to be traded. He was eventually traded to the New York Rangers in July 2012. Columbus also traded for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who later won the Vezina Trophy (best goalie award).

The 2012–13 season was shorter due to another lockout. During this time, John Davidson became president of hockey operations. Jarmo Kekalainen was hired as the new general manager. He was the first European-born general manager in the NHL. The Blue Jackets just missed the playoffs that season.

The Kekalainen Years (2013–2024)

Moving to the Eastern Conference

The Blue Jackets moved to the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference for the 2013–14 season. They had been in the Western Conference for 13 years. On April 9, 2014, the Blue Jackets made the playoffs again! This game was special because it was a resumed game from an earlier date. Nathan Horton was credited with a goal in that game, even though he wasn't playing when the game resumed.

Nathan Horton during the 2013–14 season.

In the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blue Jackets played the Pittsburgh Penguins. In Game 1, Jack Johnson scored the first goal. This was the first time Columbus ever led a playoff game! They won Game 2 in overtime, which was their first playoff victory ever. But Pittsburgh won the series in six games.

The 2014–15 season had many injuries. The team had 15 players on the injured list at one point. When players returned, they won nine games in a row, a new team record. But they still missed the playoffs. In May 2015, Nick Foligno was named the new captain. The team also traded for Brandon Saad.

The John Tortorella Era (2015–2021)

The 2015–16 season started badly. The team lost their first eight games. This led to coach Todd Richards being fired. John Tortorella was hired as the new coach. The team traded Ryan Johansen for defenseman Seth Jones. They finished 27th in the NHL.

Sergei Bobrovsky won his second Vezina Trophy in the 2016–17 season.

The 2016–17 season was amazing! On November 4, 2016, they scored a team-record ten goals in a 10–0 win. They also had a franchise-record 16-game winning streak! This was the second-longest winning streak in NHL history. Coach Tortorella got his 500th career win. The team finished with 50 wins and 108 points, both new records.

In the 2017 playoffs, they faced the Pittsburgh Penguins again. They lost the series in five games. In the off-season, they traded Brandon Saad for Artemi Panarin.

The Blue Jackets made the playoffs again in 2018. They won the first two games against the Washington Capitals in overtime. This was their first series lead ever. But they lost the next four games and the series.

In 2019, the Blue Jackets made big trades to try and win. They got Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. They made the playoffs as a wild card team. They then swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round! This was their first ever playoff series win. But they lost to the Boston Bruins in the next round. After this, star players like Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin left the team.

The COVID-19 pandemic paused the 2019–20 season. The Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs to make the playoffs. They then faced the Tampa Bay Lightning again. They lost Game 1 in the fifth overtime period. They ended up losing the series in five games.

In the 2020–21 season, star forward Pierre-Luc Dubois asked for a trade. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Captain Nick Foligno was also traded. The team finished last in their division and missed the playoffs. Coach Tortorella left the team after six seasons.

Rebuilding and the Johnny Gaudreau Era (2021–2024)

The Blue Jackets started rebuilding. Brad Larsen became the new head coach. They traded Seth Jones for Adam Boqvist and a draft pick. They also traded Cam Atkinson for Jakub Voracek.

In the 2021–22 season, the team honored backup goalie Matiss Kivlenieks. He had sadly passed away in an accident. His number was hung in the arena for the season.

Johnny Gaudreau with the Calgary Flames in 2016. He later joined the Blue Jackets.

On October 12, 2021, Boone Jenner was named the new captain. The team started well, but they had trouble with defense. They missed the playoffs again.

In 2022, the Blue Jackets surprised everyone by signing superstar Johnny Gaudreau! He was a big player from the Calgary Flames. This was exciting because the team hadn't been able to sign many big stars before. Gaudreau said he came to Columbus "to win hockey games." To make room for Gaudreau, they traded Oliver Bjorkstrand.

The 2022–23 season was tough. The team had many injuries and defensive problems. They finished near the bottom of the league. Coach Brad Larsen was let go.

For the 2023–24 season, the Blue Jackets tried to improve their defense. They traded for Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. They hired Mike Babcock as head coach, but he resigned before the season started. Pascal Vincent became the new coach. They drafted Adam Fantilli third overall in the 2023 NHL entry draft. The team struggled again and finished last in their division. In July 2024, Dean Evason was named the new head coach.

Team Information

Team Name

The name "Blue Jackets" celebrates "patriotism, pride, and the rich Civil War history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus." Ohio played a big role in the Civil War. Many soldiers from Ohio wore blue uniforms. Famous Civil War generals like Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman were from Ohio. Columbus also had large military bases during the war.

Logos and Jerseys

The first main logo for the team (2000–2007).

The team's main logo looks like the flag of Ohio. It's a "C" shape around a star. This shows patriotism and that Columbus is the state capital. The first logo had a red ribbon with 13 stars. It formed the letters "CBJ" with a hockey stick.

The Blue Jackets usually wear navy blue and white jerseys with red pants. For the 2020–21 season, they wore special "Reverse Retro" jerseys. These looked like their old white jerseys but were red. Starting in 2022–23, their white road jerseys were paired with blue pants. They also had a second "Reverse Retro" jersey that was black.

"The Cannon"

A replica cannon is "fired" at Nationwide Arena when the Blue Jackets score or win.

Before the 2007–08 season, the Blue Jackets put a replica 1857 Napoleon cannon in Nationwide Arena. This cannon is "fired" during home games when:

• the Blue Jackets come onto the ice
• the Blue Jackets score a goal
• the Blue Jackets win the game

When the team scores, you'll hear "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" by AC/DC and "The Whip" by Locksley.

Broadcast

On Bally Sports Ohio, Steve Mears describes the games on TV. Former Blue Jacket Jody Shelley gives expert comments.

On the radio, Bob McElligott does the play-by-play. He has been with the team's radio broadcast since 2009. Fans can also interact with the hosts during pre-game and post-game shows.

Mascot

Stinger is the official mascot of the Blue Jackets. He is a big, friendly Yellow Jacket. Stinger walks around the crowd and skates on the ice. He wears a Blue Jackets jersey and a blue hat. His eyebrows look like black hockey sticks! Stinger was originally yellow, then green, and now mixes with the team's blue.

Recent Season Records

Here are the Blue Jackets' records for the last five seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Team Captains

Team Awards and Records

Retired Numbers

The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all teams. The Blue Jackets have also retired one of their own numbers:

Individual Awards

Blue Jackets players and coaches have won several NHL awards:

Franchise Scoring Leaders

These are the top ten players with the most points in Blue Jackets history.

•  *  – current Blue Jackets player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Single-Season Records

David Savard set a team record with a +33 rating in the 2016–17 season.

Here are some of the best single-season records for the Blue Jackets:

Images for kids

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  Doug MacLean was the general manager for the Blue Jackets from 1998 to 2007, and head coach from 2002 to 2004.

See also

In Spanish: Columbus Blue Jackets para niños