Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). more...

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Founded in 2000 as an expansion team, the Blue Jackets are currently the only active team in the NHL to have not qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Franchise history

On June 23, 2000, the NHL's two newest teams, the Jackets and the Minnesota Wild, took part in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft in Calgary, Alberta. Under the draft's rules, twenty-six of the NHL's active twenty-eight teams allowed to protect one goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwards, or, two net minders, three blueliners and seven forwards. The Atlanta Thrashers and Nashville Predators both had their full rosters protected as they had only been in existence for one and two years, respectively. Both the Jackets and Wild were to use their first 24 selections on three goaltenders, eight defensemen, and thirteen forwards. Their final two picks could be of any position.

With the first overall choice, the Blue Jackets selected goaltender Rick Tabaracci from the Colorado Avalanche. Over the course of the draft, Columbus picked up goalie Dwayne Roloson, defensemen Lyle Odelein and Mathieu Schneider, and forwards Geoff Sanderson, Turner Stevenson, and Dallas Drake, among others. Instead of joining Columbus, Roloson signed with the American Hockey League's Worcester IceCats, Schneider left for the Los Angeles Kings, and the St. Louis Blues signed Drake. Columbus also traded Stevenson to the New Jersey Devils to complete an earlier transaction.

Since there was a limit on how many players that teams could protect, the Jackets and Wild were granted concessions by other franchises. The San Jose Sharks traded Jan Caloun, a ninth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, and a 2001 conditional pick to Columbus after the Jackets agreed not to select the Sharks' unprotected goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The following day, June 24, at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Columbus selected Rostislav Klesla fourth overall.

October 7, 2000 was the day the Columbus Blue Jackets played their first regular season game, a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Bruce Gardiner scored the franchise's first goal. Columbus finished with a 28-39-9-6 record for 71 points, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Geoff Sanderson became the first player in team history to reach the 30-goal plateau and Ron Tugnutt, who was signed in the summer of 2000, supplied solid goaltending.

The Blue Jackets finished next to last in the NHL the following season, 2001-02, with only 57 points. Ray Whitney, acquired from the Florida Panthers the previous season, led the team in scoring. Tragedy struck the Blue Jackets organization in March 2002 when 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was killed after an errant shot by Espen Knutsen struck her in the head while she was in the stands at Nationwide Arena. As a result of her death, nylon mesh nets have now been installed in all NHL arenas above the area behind the goals to shield spectators from flying pucks. The team also wore small red hearts with the initials "BNC" on their helmets.

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