Latest Columbus Blue Jackets News

    Columbus Blue Jackets Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the Columbus Blue Jackets to get you started: 

    Established:1997 (2000 – debut season)
    Stadium:Nationwide Arena
    Colors:Blue, red & silver
    Hall of Famers:Sergei Fedorov
    Hall of Fame Builders:None
    Rivals:Pittsburgh Penguins
    Legends: Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois & Zach Werenski
    Retired Numbers:None
    Division:Metropolitan
    Stanley Cup Titles:0

    Columbus Blue Jackets History

    The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the youngest franchises in the league, established in 1997, the result of a collaborative effort from John H. McConnell and investors from Ohio, the Blue Jackets became Ohio’s first NHL team since the Cleveland Barons in the 1970’s.

    The Blue Jackets were to replace the Columbus Chill, who played in a semi professional hockey league, this was great news for the people of Ohio, who had long called for their own NHL team. 

    In order for the Blue Jackets franchise to work in Columbus, however, they would require a larger home stadium to hold their new fans and to make the business profitable. To achieve this, members of the public agreed to attempt to publicly fund the project, a referendum was held, but was denied by voters of the city.

    In May of 1997, insurance titans, Nationwide, agreed to fund the Blue Jackets stadium, which was erected by the turn of the century and named after it’s investors, Nationwide Arena.

    The Blue Jackets name serves as a tip of the hat to the history of the state of Ohio, referring to the significant contribution the people of Ohio made towards the civil war, as well as an ode to the Blue Jackets worn by the union, which were largely produced in the city of Columbus. 

    The 2000-01 NHL season marked the debut campaign of the Columbus Blue Jackets, playing in the Central Division. The Blue Jackets would finish their debut season with a record of 28-39-9-6, putting them dead last in the division. 

    As a new franchise, there weren’t expectations on the Blue Jackets to come out and do well immediately, instead, fans of the club were excited about what the future might hold.

    Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets would struggle to improve year after year, registering last place division finishes in their first 3 seasons in the NHL, resulting in the firing of head coach Dave King. 

    Despite the Blue Jackets underwhelming performances, there were still positives to take away, star forwards Rick Nash and David Vyborny stood out amongst the rest, putting in consistent performances week after week, and Pascal Leclaire was solid in between the net.

    Upon the return of the NHL in 2005 after the cancellation of the previous season, prospects were beginning to look better for the Blue Jackets. Major signings such as Colorado Avalanche star defenseman, Adam Foote, and future Blue Jackets Hall of Famer, Sergei Fodorov, meant the Blue Jackets looked ready to compete at a higher level.

    While the club did begin to perform better in the years that followed, consistently winning over 30 games for the next three years, something they hadn’t managed to do in their first 4 seasons in the NHL, they still weren’t able to qualify for playoffs.

    The 2008-09 campaign marked the Blue Jackets most successful season since their inception. Coached by Ken Hitchcock, in his third season in charge, the Blue Jackets registered a record of 41-31-10, enough to secure them their first ever spot in the playoffs, where they would be swept by the Red Wings in 4.

    The Blue Jackets slipped back into mediocrity following their solid 2008-09 season, leading to the firing of Hitchcock, as well as subsequent coaches Claude Noel and Scott Arniel, who weren’t able to bring the Blue Jackets back into a playoff position in the seasons that followed.

    By the 2012-13 lockout season, the Blue Jackets were beginning to look stronger, having traded their talisman captain, Rick Nash, this was quite surprising. While only 48 games were played, they finished with a record of 24-17-7, only 5 less wins then they’d had the previous season in nearly half the games.

    Good business on behalf of the franchise’s new General Manager, Jarmo Kekelainen, saw the club make strong trades such as Vezina trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, helping to prepare the Blue Jackets for the future.

    The 2013-14 season saw the Blue Jackets switch from the Central Division in the Western Conference, where they had played every previous season, to the Eastern Conferences’ newly formed, Metropolitan Division. 

    This switch would prove to be a fortuitous one for the Blue Jackets, as they would have their best season since the inception of the club. Finishing the year 43-32-7, for 93 points, the Blue Jackets secured their second ever playoff qualification, which they would once again lose in the first round, a 4-2 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

    After their successful 2013-14 campaign, the Blue Jackets were unable to maintain their form going into the next year, a problem the club had consistently faced over their short history.

    Just 8 games into a disastrous 2015-16 season, the Blue Jackets’ management sacked head coach Todd Richards, announcing the celebrated, Stanley Cup winning coach, John Tortorella, as his replacement. While the season would still be a failure for the Blue Jackets, finishing 34-40-8, the team improved dramatically under the leadership of Tortorella.

    The Blue Jackets enjoyed their best run of results under Tortorella, making playoffs in each of his last 4 seasons in charge, including a club record 108 point year in 2016-17, and a second round playoff exit against the Boston Bruins in 2018-19.

    The 2020-21 campaign marked the Blue Jackets 20th season in the NHL, and they went into it in a weaker position than the previous year, having lost their star man Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. 

    The Columbus side had a shocking time of it in the Central Division, finishing the campaign in bottom place, tied on points with the Detroit Red Wings (48). After picking up points at a semi-respectable .579 percentage in 2019-20, the Blue Jackets regressed in 2020-21, registering a meagre point percentage of .429.

    The 2021-22 campaign was an average one for the Columbus Blue Jackets. As they finished the year with a record of 37-38-7. They missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs and finished in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on Columbus Blue Jackets

    If you are a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the Columbus Blue Jackets:

    Preview on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Head Coach: Brad Larsen 

    Brad Larsen is the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, his career overall record in the National Hockey League regular season is 37-38-7. This head coaching job is his first head coaching job in the National Hockey League. This will only be his second season in charge of the Columbus Blue Jackets as he has spent the majority of his coaching career in the AHL coaching various minor league affiliates of National Hockey League teams, including the Springfield Falcons at one point. 

    He spent a decade in a half playing on the ice before transitioning to the coaching ranks. He spent time with both the Colorado Avalanche and Atlanta Thrashers during short stints in the National Hockey League. This will be his ninth season overall with the franchise after spending several years as an assistant.

    Preview on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Key Player: Johnny Gaudreau

    Johnny Hockey as some people call him, will be playing his first season with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2022-23 National Hockey League season. He was the biggest free agent on the market over the summer and people all around the league were stunned when he decided to come to Columbus. He instantly became the best player on a young talented roster full of breakout stars. Adding Gaudreau who is a proven goal scorer will only enhance the play of those young stars as well. 

    Last season he scored an incredible 40 goals and added 75 assists as well to finish the season with a total of 115 points as a member of the Stanley Cup Playoff qualifying Calgary Flames. He will be entering his tenth season in the National Hockey League and he is coming off of a season where he set a career high in goals scored and assists as well. 

    Preview on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Next Best: Patrik Laine

    Laine is entering his seventh season in the National Hockey League and his second full season as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. At the end of last season Patrik Laine signed a massive contract extension over the summer following his breakout campaign during the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. 

    Now he will have a brand new running mate that should continue to open up the ice for him even further and he should be able to set career highs in goals and assists this upcoming season as long as he remains healthy and on the ice. Laine scored 26 times last season and added 30 assists during his first full season in Columbus. He has blossomed into a dependable and clutch goal scorer and it makes you wonder if the Winnipeg Jets regret trading him to Columbus after just one game in 2020

    Columbus Blue Jackets Betting & Odds Preview 2022-23

    The Columbus Blue Jackets’ campaign during the 2021-22 National Hockey League season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 37-38-7 and in 6th place of the Metropolitan Division.

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Hockey League season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Hockey League season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Hockey League, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the ice over the course of the 2022-23 National Hockey League season. 

    They are set to play a full 82-game schedule for only the second time in the last four seasons thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Metropolitan Division championship this season currently sit at +4000 heading into the 2022-23 National Hockey League season, which puts them 7th in the Metropolitan Division out of eight teams. 

    While their odds to win the Eastern Conference currently sit at +3500 heading into the 2022-23 National Hockey League season, which puts them 12th in the Eastern Conference out of 16 teams. 

    Their overall odds to bring home the Stanley Cup trophy are currently sitting at +8000 heading into the 2022-23 National Hockey League season, as they rank 24th out of all 32 teams in the National Hockey League.

    Columbus Blue Jackets FAQs

    Still got some burning questions about the Columbus Blue Jackets? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully, you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the Columbus Blue Jackets play?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets play their home games at Nationwide Arena.

    Who owns the Columbus Blue Jackets?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets are owned by John H. McConnell.

    Have the Columbus Blue Jackets won the Stanley Cup?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 0 Stanley Cup titles.

    Who is the Columbus Blue Jackets general manager?

    Jarmo Kekalainen is the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

    Do the Columbus Blue Jackets play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the Columbus Blue Jackets are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming Columbus Blue Jackets games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    What is the Columbus Blue Jackets record?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets had a 37-38-7 win-loss-overtime loss record for the 2021-22 NHL season. 

    Did the Columbus Blue Jackets win last night?

    Fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the Columbus Blue Jackets worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the Columbus Blue Jackets are worth $475 million. 

    Who do the Columbus Blue Jackets play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NHL, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the Columbus Blue Jackets play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets?

    You can watch the Columbus Blue Jackets games on TV channels like Fox Sports West and the NHL Network such as NHL.TV.

    Will the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs this year?

    While we do not yet know if the Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this year, they did not make the playoffs in 2021-22.

    Will the Columbus Blue Jackets get the 1st pick in the NHL draft?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets do not have the number one overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

    When do the Columbus Blue Jackets play?

    Columbus Blue Jackets fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips, we list all the information you need like the time of the puck drop, location of the game and the all important NHL odds.

    Where did the Columbus Blue Jackets finish the season?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets finished the 2021-22 NHL season in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division.

    How many games did the Columbus Blue Jackets win?

    The Columbus Blue Jackets won 37 games during the 2021-22 NHL season.