Established
2000
City
Columbus
League History
2000 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
2000 – Present / Columbus Blue Jackets
Nickname
Blue Jackets – The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional hockey team based in Ohio, and they have been part of the National Hockey League (NHL) since 2000. The team’s nickname has become an iconic symbol for fans nationwide, but many don’t know where it comes from.
When deciding on a name for their new franchise, Columbus wanted to pay tribute to Ohio's rich history of military service. Through research, they found that during the Civil War, there was an infantry unit called “the Blue Jacket Regiment." This regiment earned its name because of its distinctive blue jackets with yellow trim - worn by all members as part of their uniform.
In honor of this historical group and its bravery in battle, Columbus decided to use "Blue Jackets" as the official nickname for their NHL franchise when it joined in 2000 – making them just one out of three teams named after a historical figure or event (the others being Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks).
Not only is this connection meaningful on its terms, but it also serves as a reminder that sports can be more than just entertainment – they can do as powerful symbols too! So next time you cheer on your favorite hockey team, remember: behind every good mascot is usually some exciting history worth exploring further!
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
2000 – Present / Nationwide Arena
Owner
2000 – Present / John P. McConnell
- 2000
- 2000
- 2007
-
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Formation
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 ... -
Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a large multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Since its completion in 2000, the arena has served as the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The seating capacity for Ice hockey is 18,500. -
The Cannon
Prior to the start of the 2007 – 2008 season, the Blue Jackets organization brought a hand-made replica 1857 Napoleon cannon into Nationwide Arena. The cannon is “fired” at home games whenever: *the Blue Jackets take the ice at the start of the game *the Blue Jackets score a goal *the Blue Jackets win the game It was fired 164 ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was established as an expansion franchise in 2000 and joined the National Hockey League (NHL) for the start of the 2001-02 season. Since then, they have become one of the most successful teams in their division and a perennial playoff contender, developing a rivalry with the Nashville Predators.
In their first few seasons, it took some time for them to find success, but by 2006-07, they had made it into their first Stanley Cup playoff series against Detroit Red Wings, where they lost four games straight despite putting up a good fight. After that loss, however, things started looking up during the 2008–09 season when they won 40 out of 82 regular season games, which is still considered one of the best records any expansion NHL club has achieved since the 1990s. The following year saw them make another deep run into playoffs, only this time going through conference finals before eventually losing 4–1 against San Jose Sharks after being down 3–0 at one point during the series itself.
Overall, history has been quite eventful, with many highs and lows over the past two decades. However, what remains constant is that Blue Jackets have always been competitive regardless of whether it's regular or post-season play. They’ve also developed a solid fan base across the state due to passionate support from players like Rick Nash, Sergei Bobrovsky, Seth Jones, etc., who helped bring winning culture back home while ensuring the city gets a taste of postseason action every now & then too.
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
61 / Rick Nash
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history