History of Columbus Blue Jackets in Timeline

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, established in 2000 as an expansion team. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.

1919: The Stanley Cup was not awarded for the first time since 1919.

In 2004–05, no games were played and the Stanley Cup was not awarded for the first time since the flu epidemic of 1919.

1926: NHL record for wins by an expansion-team goaltender

In 1926-27, Lorne Chabot of the New York Rangers won 22 games as an expansion-team goaltender, setting a NHL record. Ron Tugnutt tied this record in 2000.

1976: Cleveland Barons Season

In 1976, the Cleveland Barons began playing in the NHL, marking the last NHL team in Ohio before the Blue Jackets.

1978: End of Cleveland Barons Season

In 1978, the Cleveland Barons played their last season, marking the end of NHL hockey in Ohio until the arrival of the Blue Jackets.

1991: Columbus Chill ECHL Debut

In 1991, the Columbus Chill of the ECHL began playing in the city, preceding the Blue Jackets.

1995: Tied for second all-time for games played in a season by a goaltender

In the 2002-03 season, Marc Denis tied for second all-time for games played in a season by a goaltender, just two shy of the league record held by Grant Fuhr in the 1995–96 season.

November 1996: Columbus Hockey Limited Partnership Formed

In November 1996, five investors formed Columbus Hockey Limited and submitted an application to the NHL, initiating the bid for a franchise.

May 31, 1997: Nationwide Finances Arena

On May 31, 1997, Nationwide announced it would finance the $150-million arena, boosting Columbus's chances of securing an NHL franchise.

June 25, 1997: NHL Awards Columbus Franchise

On June 25, 1997, the NHL announced that Columbus would receive a new franchise, marking a significant milestone for the city.

August 1997: "Name the Team" Contest

In August 1997, a "Name the Team" contest was held with Wendy's to determine the name of the new Columbus franchise.

1999: End of Columbus Chill ECHL Season

In 1999, the Columbus Chill played their last season in the city, before being replaced by the Blue Jackets.

June 23, 2000: 2000 NHL Expansion Draft

On June 23, 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets participated in the 2000 NHL expansion draft in Calgary, selecting players from existing teams.

October 7, 2000: First Regular Season Game

On October 7, 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets played their first regular season game, losing 5–3 to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Bruce Gardiner scoring the franchise's first goal.

2000: Dave King fired

Dave King, who had been the team's head coach since their debut in 2000, was fired mid-season and replaced by general manager Doug MacLean.

2000: Nationwide Arena Opening

In 2000, the Blue Jackets started playing their home games at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus.

2000: Expansion team franchise began play

In 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets began play as an expansion team in the National Hockey League (NHL).

2000: Trade with San Jose Sharks to avoid drafting Evgeni Nabokov

In 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets made a trade with the San Jose Sharks to avoid selecting their unprotected goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov, during the expansion draft.

2001: Conditional Pick in 2001 NHL entry draft

In 2001, The San Jose Sharks trade included a 2001 conditional pick to Columbus

March 2002: Death of Brittanie Cecil

In March 2002, 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was killed after being struck by a deflected puck at Nationwide Arena, leading to the installation of protective netting in NHL arenas.

2002: Trade to Acquire First Overall Pick in 2002 NHL Entry Draft

In 2002, the Blue Jackets traded to acquire the first overall pick in the 2002 NHL entry draft, which they used to select Rick Nash.

2002: 2002–03 season start

The 2002–03 season started with Columbus putting up a 7–5–1–1 record after the first 14 games.

2003: Option to flip draft spots in 2003 NHL Entry Draft

In 2003, Columbus traded the option to flip draft spots in the 2003 NHL entry draft to the Florida Panthers as part of a trade.

2003: Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy Tie

In 2003-04, Rick Nash tied Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the League leader in goals scored.

September 14, 2004: Beginning of the 2004–05 NHL Lockout

September 14, 2004, marked the beginning of the lockout of the 2004–05 NHL season due to a failure to renew the collective bargaining agreement.

July 13, 2005: Agreement Made to End NHL Lockout

On July 13, 2005, an agreement was made between the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) and NHL administration to end the lockout.

July 22, 2005: Official End of NHL Lockout

On July 22, 2005, the NHL lockout officially ended, marking the resumption of league activities.

2005: Adam Foote Signed

In the summer of 2005, defenseman Adam Foote agreed to a three-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

November 13, 2006: Gerard Gallant Relieved of Coaching Duties

On November 13, 2006, Gerard Gallant was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

December 10, 2006: Team-Record Five Power-Play Goals

On December 10, 2006, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored a team-record five power-play goals in a 6–2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

April 3, 2007: Modern-Day Shutout Record

On April 3, 2007, the Columbus Blue Jackets broke the modern-day record for most times being shut-out in a season (16) with a 3–0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

April 18, 2007: Doug MacLean Fired

On April 18, 2007, Doug MacLean, the team's first general manager and president, was fired after nine years.

June 15, 2007: Scott Howson Named General Manager

On June 15, 2007, Scott Howson was named the new general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

October 4, 2007: Affiliation with Elmira Jackals

On October 4, 2007, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced their affiliation with the Elmira Jackals, their new ECHL affiliate.

2007: Rick Nash cover athlete for NHL 2K9 video game

After the 2007-08 season, Rick Nash was announced as the cover player for the NHL 2K9 video game by Take-Two Interactive.

February 26, 2008: Adam Foote Traded to Colorado Avalanche

On February 26, 2008, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Adam Foote requested and was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

March 12, 2008: Rick Nash Named Team Captain

On March 12, 2008, Rick Nash was named the new team captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

July 9, 2008: Blue Jackets sign Ken Hitchcock to Extension

On July 9, 2008, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they signed coach Ken Hitchcock to a three-year contract extension.

April 8, 2009: Blue Jackets secure first playoff berth

On April 8, 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets clinched their first Stanley Cup playoff berth in franchise history with a 4–3 shootout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

2009: First Stanley Cup playoff appearance

In 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time, but were swept in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings.

February 28, 2011: Blue Jackets trade Klesla and Byers for Upshall and Lepisto

On February 28, 2011, with 21 games remaining in the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers to the Phoenix Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto.

July 23, 2012: Rick Nash traded to New York Rangers

On July 23, 2012, Rick Nash was traded to the New York Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a 2013 first-round draft pick.

March 10, 2014: Blue Jackets game postponed due to Peverley's cardiac event

On March 10, 2014, a Columbus Blue Jackets game was postponed after Rich Peverley experienced a cardiac event. The game was resumed at a later date.

April 9, 2014: Blue Jackets clinch playoff spot

On April 9, 2014, the Columbus Blue Jackets clinched their second playoff spot in franchise history with a 3–1 win against the Dallas Stars.

2014: First Playoff Win

In the 2014 playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets won their first ever playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

May 20, 2015: Nick Foligno named Blue Jackets captain

On May 20, 2015, Nick Foligno was named the sixth captain in the Columbus Blue Jackets' team history.

June 30, 2015: Blue Jackets trade for Brandon Saad

On June 30, 2015, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, and Corey Tropp to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Saad, Michael Paliotta and Alex Broadhurst.

January 6, 2016: Blue Jackets trade Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones

On January 6, 2016, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Seth Jones.

November 4, 2016: Blue Jackets score franchise-record ten goals

On November 4, 2016, the Columbus Blue Jackets set a franchise record by scoring ten goals in a 10–0 shutout win against the Montreal Canadiens.

June 23, 2017: Blue Jackets trade for Artemi Panarin

On June 23, 2017, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Brandon Saad back to Chicago for Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte.

2019: First Playoff Series Win

In 2019, the Columbus Blue Jackets won their first playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the first team in NHL history to sweep the Presidents' Trophy winners in the first round.

March 12, 2020: NHL Season paused due to COVID-19

On March 12, 2020, the 2019–20 NHL season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 21, 2021: Dubois benched in last game with Blue Jackets

On January 21, 2021, Pierre-Luc Dubois was benched for the second and third periods in what would be his last game with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

May 1, 2021: Blue Jackets wear blue pants with road white uniform

On May 1, 2021, the Columbus Blue Jackets paired their road white uniform with blue pants during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

June 10, 2021: Brad Larsen promoted to head coach

On June 10, 2021, assistant coach Brad Larsen was promoted to head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets as the team entered a rebuild.

July 4, 2021: Tribute to Matiss Kivlenieks

On July 4, 2021, during their season-opening game, the Columbus Blue Jackets honored the late goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, who died in a fireworks accident. They raised his number inside Nationwide Arena for the season, and his family performed a ceremonial puck drop.

October 12, 2021: Boone Jenner named captain

On October 12, 2021, Boone Jenner was named the seventh captain in the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise.

2021: One of three teams yet to appear in the Conference Finals

As of 2021, the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with the Seattle Kraken, are one of only three teams in the league who have yet to appear in the conference finals.

April 16, 2022: Blue Jackets eliminated from playoff contention

On April 16, 2022, the Columbus Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens.

July 13, 2022: Blue Jackets sign Erik Gudbranson

On July 13, 2022, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a four-year contract.

March 17, 2023: Blue Jackets eliminated from playoff contention

On March 17, 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets were eliminated from playoff contention after a 7–4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

April 15, 2023: Brad Larsen relieved of duties as head coach

On April 15, 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets relieved Brad Larsen of his duties as head coach.

June 6, 2023: Blue Jackets trade for Ivan Provorov

On June 6, 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded for Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers.

February 15, 2024: Jarmo Kekalainen fired as general manager

On February 15, 2024, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, ending his 11-year tenure.

June 17, 2024: Blue Jackets fire Pascal Vincent

On June 17, 2024, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Pascal Vincent as head coach.

2024: One of three teams yet to appear in the Conference Finals

As of 2024, the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with the Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth, are one of only three teams in the league who have yet to appear in the conference finals.