History of Columbus Blue Jackets in Timeline
The Columbus Blue Jackets, a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, joined the NHL in 2000. They are part of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.
1926: Ron Tugnutt Ties NHL Record
Ron Tugnutt tied a 74 year old NHL record for wins by an expansion team goaltender in the 1926-1927 season with the New York Rangers.
1991: Columbus Chill Begin Play
The Columbus Chill of the ECHL, the predecessors to the Blue Jackets in Columbus, started playing in 1991.
1992: Pittsburgh Penguins' Historic Winning Streak
The 1992-1993 Pittsburgh Penguins hold the NHL record for the longest winning streak with 17 consecutive victories, surpassing the Columbus Blue Jackets' 16-game streak during the 2016-2017 season.
1995: Marc Denis Ties NHL Record
Marc Denis tied the record for most games played by a goaltender in a season in the 1995-1996 season.
November 1996: Columbus Submits Bid for NHL Team
In November 1996, Columbus Hockey Limited submitted an application and fee to the NHL, aiming to secure a franchise for the city.
May 31, 1997: Nationwide Announces Arena Funding
Nationwide announced its commitment to finance the $150-million arena for the prospective Columbus NHL team on May 31, 1997.
June 25, 1997: Columbus Awarded NHL Franchise
The NHL officially awarded Columbus an expansion franchise on June 25, 1997.
August 1997: "Name the Team" Contest
A "Name the Team" contest was held in August 1997 with the help of Wendy's, leading to the selection of "Blue Jackets" as the franchise name.
1999: Columbus Chill Cease Operations
The Columbus Chill of the ECHL, the predecessors to the Blue Jackets in Columbus, ceased operations in 1999.
June 23, 2000: 2000 NHL Expansion Draft
The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild participated in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23, 2000, selecting players from existing teams to build their rosters.
October 7, 2000: First Regular Season Game
The Columbus Blue Jackets played their first regular season game on October 7, 2000, a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
2000: Dave King Became First Head Coach
Dave King became the first head coach for the team in 2000.
2000: George Matthews Begins as Blue Jackets Radio Play-by-Play Announcer
George Matthews became the first radio play-by-play announcer for the Blue Jackets upon the team's inception in 2000.
2000: Blue Jackets Participate in 2000 NHL Entry Draft
The Blue Jackets participated in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, marking their entry into the league's draft process.
2000: Nationwide Arena Opens
The Blue Jackets' home arena, Nationwide Arena, opened in downtown Columbus in 2000.
2000: Columbus Blue Jackets Team Founding
The Columbus Blue Jackets were founded in 2000 as an expansion team in the NHL.
2000: Wayne Gretzky's Number Retired by NHL
The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's number 99 for all its teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
2001: Trade with San Jose Sharks
The Blue Jackets made a trade with the San Jose Sharks involving draft picks and agreeing not to select goaltender Evgeni Nabokov in the expansion draft. This trade involved picks for the 2001 draft.
March 2002: Brittanie Cecil's Death
In March 2002, 13-year-old fan Brittanie Cecil tragically died after being struck by a deflected puck during a game at Nationwide Arena, prompting the implementation of safety netting in NHL arenas.
2002: Dave King Fired
Dave King, the team's first head coach, was fired mid-season in 2002 and replaced by Doug MacLean.
2002: Trade with Dallas Stars
The Blue Jackets traded with the Dallas Stars, exchanging a second round pick for a first round pick in the 2002 Entry Draft.
2003: Blue Jackets Introduce Alternate Logo
In 2003, the Columbus Blue Jackets introduced a stylized version of the Ohio flag as an alternate logo, featuring a "C" wrapped around a star.
2003: Another Losing Season & Key Additions
The Blue Jackets had another losing season in 2003 despite adding key players like Todd Marchant and Darryl Sydor. They finished with the second-lowest point total in team history but managed to avoid last place in their division. Rick Nash tied for the league lead in goals, providing a bright spot.
2003: Trade with Florida Panthers
The Blue Jackets traded their third overall pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the first overall pick, used to draft Rick Nash, in the 2003 Entry Draft.
2003: Stinger Logo Removed from Jerseys
The image of Stinger, the Blue Jackets' mascot, was removed from the team's jerseys in 2003.
September 14, 2004: NHL Lockout Begins
The NHL lockout began on September 14, 2004, due to a failure to renew the collective bargaining agreement.
July 13, 2005: Lockout Agreement Reached
An agreement was reached on July 13, 2005, to end the NHL lockout.
July 22, 2005: NHL Lockout Officially Ends
The NHL lockout officially ended on July 22, 2005, after an agreement was reached nine days prior.
2005: Jeff Rimer Begins Television Play-by-Play for the Blue Jackets
Jeff Rimer began his tenure as the television play-by-play announcer for the Blue Jackets in 2005.
2005: Disappointing Season & Franchise Records
The Blue Jackets had high hopes for 2005 but injuries led to a poor start. They acquired Sergei Fedorov in a trade and improved in the latter part of the season, finishing with franchise records for wins and points. They also had the best overtime record in the league.
2005: First 30-Win Season
The Columbus Blue Jackets achieved their first 30-win season in 2005-2006 after struggling in their initial years.
November 13, 2006: Gerard Gallant Fired as Head Coach
The Blue Jackets fired head coach Gerard Gallant on November 13, 2006.
December 10, 2006: Team-Record Power-Play Goals
On December 10, 2006, the Blue Jackets set a team record with five power-play goals in a win against the Ottawa Senators.
April 3, 2007: Shutout Record Broken
The Blue Jackets set a modern-day record for most shutouts in a season (16) on April 3, 2007, in a loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
April 18, 2007: Doug MacLean Fired
Doug MacLean, the Blue Jackets' first general manager, was fired on April 18, 2007, after nine years without a playoff appearance.
June 15, 2007: Scott Howson Named General Manager
Scott Howson was appointed as the new general manager of the Blue Jackets on June 15, 2007.
October 4, 2007: Elmira Jackals Affiliation
The Blue Jackets announced their affiliation with the Elmira Jackals as their ECHL affiliate on October 4, 2007.
2007: Alternate Logo Becomes Primary
As part of a Reebok-sponsored redesign for the 2007-08 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets adopted their alternate logo, a stylized Ohio flag, as their primary logo.
2007: Blue Jackets Introduce Cannon Tradition
The Blue Jackets began firing a replica 1857 Napoleon cannon at home games in the 2007-08 season.
2007: Best Season Start in Franchise History
The Blue Jackets had their best start to a season in franchise history in 2007, including a shutout win over the defending Stanley Cup champions.
February 26, 2008: Adam Foote Traded to Avalanche
Adam Foote requested and was granted a trade to the Colorado Avalanche on February 26, 2008, after failing to agree on a new contract.
March 12, 2008: Rick Nash Named Captain
Rick Nash was named the new captain of the Blue Jackets on March 12, 2008, following Adam Foote's trade.
July 9, 2008: Hitchcock Receives Contract Extension
The Blue Jackets signed head coach Ken Hitchcock to a three-year contract extension on July 9, 2008.
2008: Beneficial Trades
The Blue Jackets made several trades in the 2008 offseason, including acquiring Jason Williams and trading away Gilbert Brule and Nikolay Zherdev.
April 8, 2009: First Stanley Cup Playoff Berth
The Blue Jackets clinched their first-ever playoff berth on April 8, 2009, after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.
July 2009: Bob McElligott Joins Blue Jackets Radio Broadcast
Bob McElligott joined the Blue Jackets radio broadcast as a color analyst in July 2009.
2009: Key Trades and Rick Nash's Record
The Blue Jackets made two impactful trades in 2009, acquiring Antoine Vermette and Jason Williams. Rick Nash set a franchise record with 79 points.
2009: First Playoff Appearance
The Blue Jackets reached the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2009, where they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.
2010: Blue Jackets Introduce Second Mascot, Boomer
The Blue Jackets introduced a second mascot, an anthropomorphic cannon named Boomer, for part of the 2010-11 season.
February 28, 2011: Rostislav Klesla Traded
The Blue Jackets traded Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto on February 28, 2011.
2011: Previous Ten-Goal Game in the NHL
In 2011, the St. Louis Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 10-3, marking the last ten-goal game in the NHL before the Columbus Blue Jackets achieved the feat in 2016.
July 2012: Rick Nash Traded
In July 2012, Rick Nash was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the New York Rangers, leaving the captaincy vacant.
July 23, 2012: Rick Nash Traded to the New York Rangers
On July 23, 2012, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded their captain, Rick Nash, to the New York Rangers. The trade brought Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, prospect Tim Erixon, and a 2013 first-round draft pick to Columbus.
2012: Lockout and Management Changes
The 2012 NHL lockout brought changes to the Columbus Blue Jackets. John Davidson became president of hockey operations, Scott Howson was replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen as general manager (the NHL's first European-born GM), and the team traded for All-Star Marian Gaborik. Despite the upheaval, the Blue Jackets narrowly missed the playoffs.
2013: Bob McElligott Takes Over as Blue Jackets Radio Play-by-Play Announcer
Bob McElligott transitioned from color analyst to become the play-by-play announcer for the Blue Jackets radio broadcast in the 2013-14 season, succeeding George Matthews.
March 10, 2014: Game Postponement Due to Rich Peverley's Cardiac Event
On March 10, 2014, a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars was postponed due to a cardiac event involving Rich Peverley. The Blue Jackets were leading 1-0 at the time.
April 9, 2014: Blue Jackets Clinch Second Playoff Berth
On April 9, 2014, the Columbus Blue Jackets secured their second-ever playoff appearance with a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Notably, this game had been postponed from March 10, 2014, due to Rich Peverley's cardiac event, during which the Blue Jackets were leading 1-0. The NHL decided to resume the game with a full 60 minutes, keeping Nathan Horton's goal, making history as he was credited with a goal despite not playing in the resumed game.
2014: First Playoff Victory
Columbus achieved their first playoff game victory in the 2014 playoffs.
2014: Jody Shelley Joins Blue Jackets Television Broadcast
Former Blue Jacket Jody Shelley joined the television broadcast team as a color analyst alongside Jeff Rimer in 2014.
2014: Blue Jackets' First Playoff Series Win
In 2014, the Columbus Blue Jackets faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs. The series was notable for several lead changes. The Blue Jackets made history by scoring the first-ever playoff goal for the franchise and winning their first-ever playoff game in Game 2. Despite a valiant effort, including a memorable comeback in Game 4, the Blue Jackets lost the series to the Penguins in six games.
May 20, 2015: Nick Foligno Named Captain
On May 20, 2015, Nick Foligno was appointed as the sixth captain in Columbus Blue Jackets history, filling the vacancy left by Rick Nash's departure in July 2012.
June 30, 2015: Blockbuster Trade with Chicago Blackhawks
On June 30, 2015, the Columbus Blue Jackets executed a controversial trade, sending Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, and Corey Tropp to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Saad, Michael Paliotta, and Alex Broadhurst. The controversy stemmed from Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman's previous statements about Saad's long-term future in Chicago.
January 6, 2016: Ryan Johansen Traded to Nashville
On January 6, 2016, the Columbus Blue Jackets made a significant trade, sending center Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones.
November 4, 2016: Franchise Record Shutout Win
The Columbus Blue Jackets achieved a franchise milestone on November 4, 2016, by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 10-0. This marked their first ten-goal game since 2011 and made them the first team to achieve a 10-0 shutout since the St. Louis Blues' victory over the Detroit Red Wings (10-3) in 2011.
June 23, 2017: Blue Jackets Trade Saad for Panarin and Motte
On June 23, 2017, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Brandon Saad back to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte.
2018: Bill Davidge Retires from Blue Jackets Television Broadcast
Bill Davidge retired as co-host of the Blue Jackets Live pre-game, intermission, and post-game shows at the end of the 2018-2019 season.
2019: Brian Giesenschlag Becomes Main Host of Blue Jackets Live
Brian Giesenschlag took over as the primary host of Blue Jackets Live for the 2019-2020 season.
2019: First Playoff Series Win
The Blue Jackets won their first playoff series in 2019 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the first team to sweep a Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round.
March 12, 2020: 2019-20 NHL Season Paused Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 12, 2020, the NHL season was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Blue Jackets Debut "Reverse Retro" Uniforms
For the 2020-21 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets wore Adidas-designed "Reverse Retro" alternate uniforms, inspired by their original white "Stinger" uniforms (2000-2007) but with a red base and white sleeve stripes.
2020: Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre Joins Blue Jackets Live
Former Blue Jacket Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre joined Brian Giesenschlag as co-host of Blue Jackets Live in the 2019-2020 season.
January 21, 2021: Pierre-Luc Dubois Benched, Leading to Trade Request
On January 21, 2021, star forward Pierre-Luc Dubois was benched by the Blue Jackets, which led to him requesting a trade from the team.
May 1, 2021: Blue Jackets Debut Blue Pants
On May 1, 2021, the Columbus Blue Jackets debuted blue pants with their road white uniform against the Carolina Hurricanes.
June 10, 2021: Blue Jackets Promote Brad Larsen to Head Coach
As part of a rebuild, the Columbus Blue Jackets promoted assistant coach Brad Larsen to the head coach position on June 10, 2021.
July 4, 2021: Matiss Kivlenieks' Death and Honoring
On July 4, 2021, Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks tragically passed away in a fireworks accident.
October 12, 2021: Boone Jenner Named Captain
On October 12, 2021, Boone Jenner was named the seventh captain in Blue Jackets history.
April 16, 2022: Blue Jackets Eliminated from Playoff Contention
The Columbus Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 16, 2022 after a loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
July 13, 2022: Blue Jackets Sign Johnny Gaudreau
On July 13, 2022, the Blue Jackets signed Calgary Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year contract, shocking the hockey world.
2022: Blue Jackets Make Blue Pants Permanent, Unveil Second "Reverse Retro" Uniform
Starting in the 2022-23 season, the Blue Jackets paired their road white uniform with blue pants. The team also revealed their second "Reverse Retro" uniform, a black version of their 2003-2007 alternate uniform with light blue stripes.
March 17, 2023: Blue Jackets Eliminated From Playoff Contention
The Blue Jackets were eliminated from playoff contention on March 17, 2023 after a loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
April 15, 2023: Blue Jackets fire Brad Larsen
The Blue Jackets fired head coach Brad Larsen on April 15, 2023.
June 6, 2023: Blue Jackets Trade for Ivan Provorov
The Blue Jackets acquired Ivan Provorov in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on June 6, 2023.
2023: Jeff Rimer Retires from Blue Jackets Television Broadcast
Jeff Rimer retired as the television play-by-play announcer after the 2023-2024 season, leaving the position currently vacant.
2023: Top Scorers List Updated
The list of the top ten-point scorers in Blue Jackets franchise history was updated after the 2023-24 NHL regular season.
April 17, 2024: Information Updated
The provided information was last updated on April 17, 2024.
