Columbus Blue Jackets News, Trades & Rumors

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The Columbus Blue Jackets joined the NHL in 2000 as an expansion franchise alongside the Minnesota Wild. Their first game was a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7, 2000. For the first 12 years of its history, the team played in the Western Conference before switching to the Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 season. The franchise struggled during the early part of its history and didn’t reach the postseason until 2008-09. In total, the team has made six postseason appearances and has advanced past the first round once. 

Blue Jackets’ 2013 Draft Failure Was Result of Mismanagement
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The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was an important one at the time for the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had just taken over the team alongside a relatively new President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson, who had been with the team since Oct. 2012. Kekalainen was the first European general manager in NHL history, and the duo had three first-round draft picks to make an impact early in their tenure.  Context of the 2013 Draft The Blue Jackets had quite a few pieces already in place for what seemed to be the next core group of…

3 Changes the Blue Jackets Can Make to Shake Up the Roster
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have had quite the rollercoaster season so far. A strong start in October has quickly turned into a major slide in November, with the Blue Jackets currently sitting three points from the bottom of the league with 16 points. The games recently have been much more in line with what most people expected coming into this season with multiple blowout losses. The tight-checking team that was scoring at a franchise record-breaking rate has dried up and nothing has been particularly positive in their most recent stretch of play. As is always the question when a team…

Blue Jackets’ Labanc Having Career Resurgence in Columbus
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Prior to signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets, it seemed like Kevin Labanc might be on his way out of the NHL. The 28-year-old struggled mightily in his final season with the San Jose Sharks, often finding himself as a healthy scratch under Sharks’ then-head coach David Quinn. The Sharks had a historically bad 2023-24 season, and it seemed difficult to imagine a player who struggled to get into their lineup would find another home in the NHL. Labanc seemed destined to either spend some time overseas or in the American Hockey League (AHL) trying to bounce back.  A Strong…

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Projected Lineup for the Penguins vs Blue Jackets – 11/15/24
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The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. PENGUINS (6-9-3) at BLUE JACKETS (5-8-2) 7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, SN-PIT, NHLN, SNP, SNO, SNE Penguins projected lineup Anthony Beauvillier — Sidney Crosby — Rickard RakellMichael…

 

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Blue Jackets FAQ

What year were the Columbus Blue Jackets founded?

The Columbus Blue Jackets joined the NHL in 2000 as an expansion franchise alongside the Minnesota Wild.

When did the Columbus Blue Jackets play their first game?

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ first game was a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7, 2000.

Who is the current head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets?

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ current head coach is Pascal Vincent.