I’ve lived in cbus for 10 years now and i absolutely love how dedicated the fan base is. no matter how good or bad they are, this place loves their hockey.

Also keep in mind, all these bad years, 0 1st overalls won. 2nd only once. They had to trade up for Nash. 18 draft lotteries, only one time top 2. Never 1st

The old expansion format was such a poisoned well to draw from compared to what Vegas and Seattle had to work with that the Blue Jackets still haven't turned the corner.

As an Columbus fan being bad is normal and when we play a good game it feels very strange.

CBJ have such a loyal fan base. Those fans can get very loud too.

You also have to take into account that the Jackets got jobbed in several drafts, and the early years, we had utterly incompetent management

They’re cursed for not making the cannon the main logo

it’s wild the jackets have never finished above third in their division. yes even the year they were 4th in the nhl, third in the metro.

It's always been Ohio against the world, and it especially feels like that in the NHL conversation. I consistently see people saying that the Blue Jackets need to move because of the results, but Ohioans love our sports and love our sports teams, and attendance this year has been really great for being a near last team. When we start having success it will be incredibly hard to get tickets.

Those who have never been to a game at Nationwide will see the high attendance as puzzling. Despite the hordes of away fans, Nationwide has an atmosphere that puts a LOT of better teams to shame. The fact that Jackets fans are selling out the building when we’re historically bad is nothing short of a miracle.

I was there for Game 3 against Tampa Bay in 2019. It was one of the insane stadium atmospheres I have ever been a part of. Truly electric crowd. The '16-'20 run was one of the best sports experiences of my life as well. The town was behind them and for the first time in my life it gave me pride to say I was a CBj fan.Players like Josh Anderson, Seth Jones, Nick Foligno, David Savard, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexandre Texier, PLD, Panarin, Jenner, Werenski Goalie Bob, made it feel like something was building. I have always thought if that 2019 team had stuck around 1-2 more years with a couple of roster moves, they could have done something special. Columbus is a hockey town, they just need a run show it

As a Jackets fan and full season ticket holder, I feel qualified to comment. I'll start by correcting distances. It's about 2 and one-half hours from Columbus to Cleveland. Cleveland is 159 miles away, you can drive 70 miles per hour on the interstate (no one goes slower than 75), so you'll reach Cleveland's outskirts in a little over two hours. Cincinnati is 109 miles away. The distance is about an hour and 45 minutes. From Columbus it's 3 hours to Pittsburgh. 7 hours to St. Louis and Nashville. 5 hours to Buffalo and 3 and one half hours to Detroit. In short, it's easy to follow the Jackets from this location. For me the worst loss was game 1 against Boston in 2019. The Jackets scored two goals nine seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead in the third period. With about 3 minutes left in regulation, Charlie McAvoy scored off an odd man rush to tie the game. McAvoy scored the game winner a short time later in overtime. Had Bobrovsky been able to make that save on McAvoy's regulation goal and the Jackets hung on to win, Columbus won the next two games, so the Jackets could have been up 3 games to none. McAvoy's goal will always haunt me and leave me to ask "what if?" As for the current state of the Jackets. one of the bigger problems is sustained time in the defensive zone, seemingly unable to clear it. Many a night at Nationwide Arena I've looked up at the scoreboard and saw the other team had the puck in their offensive zone for anywhere from one minute to a minute and forty-five seconds. The Jackets would look better if they had more sustained time in their offensive. zone. They need to become a better forechecking team, a better backchecking team, they need to be better at getting to loose pucks, better at winning faceoff draws and better at winning puck battles along the half wall. Being on your heels in your defensive zone is much like pass blocking in football. You can only do it for so long before there's going to be a breakdown. The best defense you can play is when the puck is on your stick, because that means the other team doesn't have it, and if they don't have the puck they can't score. If I could trade for any player in the NHL (one who is realistically available), I'd want Tomas Hertl. He's signed for 7 more years. He's still a point a game player, he's strong in the faceoff circle, and his contract at $8.15 million a year will be a bargain as the salary cap goes up. I would bring him in to mentor Adam Fantilli with the idea Fantilli would be my top line center in one to two years. With Fantilli, Hertl and Cole Sillinger as your centers on your 3 top lines it would give the Jackets something they've never had before- center depth. As for the downfall of Jarmo, the beginning of the end was when he missed on his coaching hire when Tortorella left. After a supposed lengthy search, he hired Brad Larsen only to fire him 22 months later. Another problem occurred two years ago. The Jackets were supposed to be in a youth oriented rebuild, but went out and posted an 81 point season the first year of the "rebuild". This caused everyone to think they were further along than they really were. They had that overacheiving season on the strength on performances by Jakub Voracek, Gus Nyquist and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Patrik Laine won 4 games in overtime and posted 55 points in 58 games. This brought in Johhnny Gaudreau. I don't regret signing Gaudreau, but they'd be getting more bang for their buck if they had better line mates in place to enhance Gauderau's game. Gaudreau also wanted to be in Columbus when the narrative was no one wanted to be there, so they had to sign him. In hindsight, they probably should have moved aging veterans like Voracek and Nyquist during their strong season for assets. As it turned out, a year later when they were traded the return was minimal as they were both injured. had they done so, they could have kept Bjorkstrand, whom they sorely miss, not only for his scoring prowess, but his 200 foot game. Finally about that Babcock hiring, if you go back and watch the videos from when he was hired, John Davidson gave himself much credit for the hiring after conversations with Ken Hitchcock and Rick Nash, while Jarmo said very little. When Babcock was shown the door, Jarmo was left holding the bag as if he were solely to blame. My prediction: not long after a new GM is found Davidson will be out the door as well as current coach Pascal Vincent.

3.5 hours is like Pittsburgh distance.

Once again Shannon has somehow made me interested in watching a video about a team I don't care about, on whom I couldn't name a player, yet I now somehow kind of care about them? Brilliant. Also, kudos to Columbus fans. Sounds like you're legit.

Thank you Shannon for the CBJ video.

Here's how I look at it... image the top 20% (about 120 players) of the NHL players are rated as a 5. The next best 120 players are 4, etc. A 20 man roster totaling 100 would be a team of all-stars. The Lightning, Knights and the Bruins have a team rated at about 70. The Jackets are about 35-40. How do the Jackets get to 70? They need interest from even mid-level players and have those players willing to sign for a reasonable salary, not overpaid because, after all, it is Columbus.

Columbus is only 2 hours from Cincinnati as well

The main issue is coaching. They have all the prospects they need to build a perennial playoff team, if only they could actually develop them and build a system that suits them. Larsen was awful and Vincent hasn't been much better either. You have a very young team and basically just one NHL level defensive defenseman, yet you're trying to go with some 3rd period defensive turtling game plan. You have Gaudreau and Laine, but fail to set up a working power play around these guys and stubbornly keep forcing Werenski on the blue line even though he sucks on the power play. The Babcock fiasco was unfortunate, but I have to ask what were the other options for the coaching position? Was it a financial decision to bring a guy with reputation risks just because he takes a lower pay? Why was Larsen the guy after Torts left? Nothing in his previous coaching position indicated that he was a good coach, quite the opposite actually. Are they finally going to get an actual NHL coach without any baggage after this season and pay him what he's worth?

I’m not a Columbus fan but I always have cheered for them. I’ve never been there but I’ve always been bothered by the slander of the city and it being the reason players refuse to sign there. Not every player wants to live under a constant spotlight and city life like Toronto, Vegas, Buffalo. I stood behind and respected Gaudreau when he signed there and I want him and the team to succeed

Knights fan wanting to say my input with this franchise; The Blue Jackets have always been an interesting team to watch in terms of how their fans support them, their gameday experience, how they’ve been trying to build this team, etc., and I find myself quietly rooting for this franchise to start succeeding on the ice! It was awesome watching them rise between 2016-20, and how the fans supported them was nothing short of AWESOME! I really hope now that Kakalainen has been fired, that the new GM they bring in can build a real good roster in Columbus, they can get the right head coach in there to coach this relatively young team up, get Johnny Gaudreau & Patrick Laine to SIGNIFICANTLY step their games up & become pieces to build a playoff team around, and if they succeed, watch Columbus become a FUN hockey city again, like they did from 2016-20!

I grew up near Columbus, I now live near Dallas, and will soon live near Anaheim. Of those 3 cities CBJ tickets are by far the most expensive and they still sell most of them. I can usually sit in the lower bowl in Dallas against CBJ for half the get in price on a similar day of the week against a similar quality of team. And it looks like the price for lower bowl tickets for our upcoming game in Anaheim are similar to what the get in price would be for a similar matchup in Columbus. I just dont get this narative that CBJ fans dont support the team

Despite the product on the ice, the fan support in this city is excellent. As a fan, it feels disingenuous to say we deserve a winning team, but when we consistently get sell out crowds for a lottery team, the arena might actually explode if we ever go on a deep run

Columbus has never won the draft lottery either.

Shannon I'm glad you continue to make videos about the Blue Jackets. I've taken a step back from following them closely but will still root for them. Growing up in Western Ohio, I was somehow outnumbered by fans of teams from other cities, mainly Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Chicago. I've always wanted Ohio's teams to win just to show that we could measure up to the New Yorks, the Bostons, the Los Angeleses, all the big markets with teams that win a bunch of championships. Obviously that hasn't changed much over the past couple decades. It just feels like the Blue Jackets, Bengals, Browns, etc are filler teams so the league can have 32 teams on the dot. Somehow it just never works out for us. Can't afford to tie my well being to a bunch of teams that have no realistic chance of competing. Hoping the Canucks can get it done this year.

March in ohio is odd for an outdoor game. Gunna either be 20 below or 70

As s life llong Columbus sports fan I can say I'm proud to have an NHL team here. I love to attend Blue Jackets games at Nationwide Arena. I can sum up my true feeling for the Blue Jackets. It's always "well maybe next year". They have always left me feeling disappointed with the result. 23 years from the organization has felt like constant turnover and turmoil. With players and coaches alike. Lots of organizational dysfunction. I can only hope that the team can finally turn the corner someday. Columbus is an incredible fanbsse. Our fans deserve a winning product.

Thank you for giving our fanbase the recognition we deserve, not a fanbase issue. Just not enough sustained success.

Columbus is great place to watch an NHL game. I think there are a few things worth noting. First, I believe the Arena District around the arena is helpful in attracting fans. Lots of hotels. Lots of bars and restaurants to go to before and after a game. Second, and fortunately or unfortunately, CBJ tickets in comparison to other NHL markets are very reasonable. For this reason, this does attract fans from other markets, especially ones close in the region (Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh). I remember a time where an outdoor patio near the arena was taken over by Sabres fans.

I’m a Wings fan but the Jackets are my other team in the East I softly root for. I hope Fantilli and the Michigan boys can lead them to some prolonged success.

I don't think there's room for another team in Ohio. Certainly not in Cleveland. Cincinnati maybe if they can draw fans from Kentucky and south-eastern Indiana. Don't forget a team in Cleveland would be infringing on Pittsburgh's territory as well as Columbus

Cincinnati is actually 2 hrs away from Columbus just like Cleveland is

Gave my bruins a scare in 2019 playoffs and I have to admit there fans were much louder then our fans...respect from Boston

As a day 1 season ticket holder. Not sure Vincent was the coach they needed. The CBJ need consistent goal keeping. Trade or buyout Elvis. We have some good young players. But we need a goalie that can steel a game from time to time. I think they could be closer than people think.

I’m a CBJ season ticket holder… with a hope that one day… ONE DAY…. we will have a good team 😂

As an outsider, my opinion is the team needs some kind of refresh and a new culture. Their jerseys have been the same since they came into the league, their logo gives that early 2000s vibe, and the team has no identity to their play. Under Torts it was grit but once he left the team hasn't adopted anything. You can be bad like the Hawks or Arizona but they have an identity of making it a tough game to win despite a bad roster. Get them a new logo and jersey to kick off the Fanatics era, have a GM who comes out with a vision, and have a coach that drives a team personality that gets associated with their play. Even if they are still bad, at least they will be recognized for their play and not the history of mediocrity.

My personal opinion after being a decade+ long fan, it starts at ownership. I dont feel McConnel gives 2 shits about this team as long as it generates him revenue, and i base it solely on the fact that he has no personal interest in the team, rather he hired a guy to basically do what he should be doing. It all flows downhill from there. GM, VP, HC have all been dissapointing, especially HC since Torts. Then you get down to the player level where defense is an after thought it seems. This teams defense in nowhere near the level of compete the year we swept the Bolts. Makes me miss Savaard, in particular. This lack of compete level hangs solely on the HC position and is toxic for the development of our youth. This isnt even mentioning our poor management of Jiricek, the poor contract decisions Jarmo has made the past 3 seasons, or the netminder issue weve faced since Bob left. Its disheartening, sure, but the youthful talent that sits on this roster is promising. Hope the front iffice doesnt blow up this opportunity to make something out of it.

I went to a CBJ game last year in late April I was amazed by the fans. The Arena district was buzzing hours before the game. The place was packed during the game (found out it was a sell-out) The fans and Arena staff were super nice and respectful. Infact everyone on that trip were great people. I came home with a soft spot for the CBJ and a Cannon Jersey lol. I live in Niagara Canada and I'm a Hawks fan.

I'm from the east side of Cincinnati but have been living in Northern Kentucky for the last 20 years, which is essentially the south side of Cincinnati. In NKY we get CBJ and Nashville games as we get Bally's South feed as well as Bally's Ohio feed. Nashville is about 4 hours from Cincinnati and Columbus is 2 at most. I doubt they've ever put a team in Cincinnati. The NHL had a chance to get an NHL team when the WHA folded but they didn't approve the Stingers bid to join. I'm also really surprised that the Blue Jackets seem to do no advertising in Cincinnati. Sure they send a couple a guys down each Reds season to do a little batting practice but that's about it.

We need a NHL caliber head coach and this team will instantly do better. Probably not playoffs unless we get a better goalie and proper top center, though. Both times in the last 15 years that we have had a proper coach, the team was relatively good and made the playoffs.

I'm a season ticket holder from Cincinnati. I drive 2 hours to and from the games. Depending on what part of the city you're from it could be ninety minutes. Tickets are affordable so we draw crowds from our opponents too. I've sworn off atrending games against Pittsburg...

As a fan, the most frustrating thing over the past 10 years has been watching Jarmo cling to draft picks that didn’t pan out, then turn around and trade solid players for nothing.

A good coach will go a long way. Babcock was a mistake and then tossing in Vincent, who’s never been a head coach, with like 2 weeks to prepare was a bad idea. If only we had promoted bednar when we had the chance

One thing this team has never had is draft luck. They had to trade up for Nash. When they had the number 1 pick going into a draft. 1 someone jumps them in the Lottery. However to make it even worse. The years they had top draft picks it was a soft year in the draft. Other than Nash(traded for) the best players they have gotten were at the number 3 spot. PLD actually the one year we had draft luck and moved up to 3. And Fantilli which once again we had no luck and actually fell a spot to 3. They have needed that star draft pick player forever. Might be Fantilli however 1 more would be really good.

When I go to CBJ games, you can see at least a quarter to half the seats empty, but during play there's still a ton of people walking around the concourse. When the team is bad like this, there are a lot of fans from the opposing team but less when were good of course. Not worried about the fanbase here, I'll keep going no matter what. I sat through the Tage Thompson 5 goal game where it was 5-0 or 4-0 after 1st i dont remember exactly. Regarding the 2019 playoffs, I believe injuries are what cost the jackets. Yes every team has injuries and Rask was playing insanely good but I think Chara hurting Riley Nash was the final straw. Sounds crazy I know but I remember Nash playing really good hockey at the end of that season and into the playoffs. I remember him being a beast on defense at the time. Marcus Nutivara and Ryan Murray being out didn't help either.

as An Avs fan Ohio deserves good hockey just Imagine Burrow,Chase, Garrett and Mittchell at Cbus games

The Bluejax team trajectory always reminds me of the Hartford Whalers. The Whale had mostly mediocre-to-bad teams, then had a good 5 year stretch in the late 80's, very similar to what the Jax did when Torts was coach. Good teams but never remotely looking like a real cup threat. But Ohio is the graveyard of American sports. Produces a lot of great players in all sports, but look at the teams: Indians, Browns, Reds, and my Bengals. Decades of mostly nothing from each team. Also, if the NHL ever goes to 36 or 40 teams, I think you're going to have 10-12 teams like the Blue Jackets that never win, never look like winning, and just go for years without ever making any progress.

This might be reductive, but maybe a change in uniforms could help with a fresh start and help the younger players build a new tradition

I think the FULL rebuild never happened, and jarmo spent a lot of time using decent players as cash and not getting a great return, I agree with Shannon we need a big player and stop stacking the team with guys that don't fit here or are collecting a check and moving on

The Blue Jackets are the 2nd most popular sports team in Columbus. They’re not going anywhere.

I think it is hard to place the current team with all the history of the jackets. Only Jenner and Werensky have been here for 11 nad eight years respectively. The current team really started the rebuild last year, where they had a terrible year, decimated by injuries. This year they have improved - the eight points more than after53 games isn't staggering but the goal differential currently of -40 is much better than -65. Most games they are in are close, and a goal here and there, plus all these third period breakdowns in November and December have really hurt. I still think the future looks good, although I don't think the goaltending is good enough. Tarasov is too inconsistent, and Merroller

#1 thing Columbus has never really had, which precludes them from building consistently, is an identity. They need that to start at the top.

Hahaha, I knew *IF* Shannon had forgotten Columbus he'd have an answer on that. And this is perfect Shannon! I do feel bad for Columbus fans. I've heard the saying "hate is closer to love than apathy" but with Columbus, outside of their core fans, I'm sorry, it's apathy.

Columbus fan here. Change our outdated star jerseys to the Cannon. The new GM should help. A new coach! Basically everything except moving the team

I totally forgot we were up 2-0 on Washington in 2018. I do remember all the OT games however and Bread got hurt early in the series.

Thanks for mentioning the always steady attendance numbers. People outside of Ohio will find any reason to hate on the state and its teams but Ohioans are loyal and show up. Would be shocked if there’s less than 90k in attendance at the Stadium Series game next year. Also, Cincy is not even two hours from Columbus. 🙃

thank you Shannon!! You’re better than all the rubes on national TV!

Fantastic breakdown of the Blue Jackets. Thank you.

I spent a few months working with an Army unit from Ohio and all they talked about were the Jackets. I felt bad because they were so passionate about them but they’re one of the worst franchises in sports

Columbus fans and the atmosphere at nationwide area is one of the best experiences in sports when the team is (rarely) doing good, not to mention we damn near sell out every game despite us being bad pretty much our entire existence. When Columbus gets a winning team the rest of the league is going to see just how insane this fanbase is. You casuals who always like to comment that the CBJ have no fans just prove the fact that you have no idea what's going on lol I grew up with the CBJ and played hockey because of them, youth hockey in Ohio is thriving on top of it. If we ever get a winning team this city will explode, and the rest of the league will be shook

I never understood how Everton or Burnley fans in the Premier League could put up with being in last place every year then the Blue Jackets came to Columbus. I have waited patiently for 23 years, cheering on the team, every year thinking "This is the one." We're in last place again and next year might be the one. Go Jackets!!!!!

As an outsider, it felt like Columbus was trying and getting really unlucky, not just signing stupid contracts. Some teams just backed up the truck to people who were already past their prime and had little chance of becoming amazing. And then they're handcuffed. It just didn't feel like that with Columbus. I hope they get their thing together and beat everybody that isn't Philly. :-)

Jackets could start by acquiring a legit 1-2 line center and a couple of defensemen that actually know how and want to play defense. Regarding Jarmo's dismissal, not enough has been made of the fact that his big off season acquisitions were two guys (in Severson and Provorov) who brought exactly what they already had too much of, skilled o-minded d who get crushed in their own zone. I'd love for them to be relevant in the standings again, but part of me is terrified that JD is going to hire Pete Chiarelli, and his first act will be to extend Gudbranson another 8 years.

Really, really enjoyed the video. Been a CBJ season ticket holder since day 1 and you did a great job explaining the good and bad... And so true about 2019 and the Boston series. I definitely feel this year felt better than last year with a lot of young skilled players. But I don't know what's needed. I do think it's an incredible GM opportunity and hopefully that can make a difference. And Vincent never lost the room so that gives me hope for a good off-season of committed players coming ready to camp. But I'm an eternal optimistic 😅. Keep up the great work. Really enjoyed it

0:44: I wasn't following hockey when Columbus came into the league, but it seems kind of odd that this team is in a city where college football as in Ohio State is THE BIG THING in the city. Except for maybe Carolina ( North Carolina State territory in Raleigh NC), it is the only NHL team in a college sport dominated town and that franchise struggled for YEARS. Austin Texas has a larger population than Columbus and I don't think the NHL would even think of placing a team there in University of Texas Football land. Combined with its "mediocrity" since day one and it seems Columbus is a Permanent Step Child sports franchise.

As soon as I looked at your draft list I saw a huge part of the problem. From day 1 Jarmo never did a rebuild. His first draft he had 3 1st rounders, none of which he acquired. His remaining 10 years he had 8 1st round picks with a consistently bad team. That doesn't cut it.

I live in Columbus and have been a fan since the beginning, and am a former season ticket holder. I'm done spending my money on mediocrity. I'll be back in the building when there is a winner on the ice. Until then I can watch on tv.

As a CBJ fan, we need another couple years of hits on high end draft picks. If any of Milano/Rychel/Dano had hit, the 2016/2017 team probably would have stayed as a contender instead of immediately sliding back to 14th. Fantilli and Jiricek are promising - same with Chinakhov, but the draft of Johnson/Sillinger/Ceulemans is reminding me of the Wennberg/Rychel/Dano draft. Obviously Sillinger is looking better this year compared to last year, but we need more from both him & Johnson. If we can trade a couple pieces for more 1sts this year and next, CBJ can have a true contender by 2026/2027.

Really appreciate this analysis and coverage. I've got the tempered expectations of an Ohio sports fan but really feels like we could see the dam break in ~2 seasons 🤞

When Kevin Weekes leaked CBJ didn't win the Bedard lottery, I felt awful they can never get it right. You wonder if they'll ever win or turn the futility around like Florida did.

Its a shame. Theres a salary cap but they always get rid of the better players. That being said, the management needs to be stronger. Hopefully they will get it right with nee GM this time and get back to playoffs soon. I was on business trip and went to srena fir game. Very nice arena and awesome city. I wish them the best. I am Rangers fan but always have a soft spot for Bluejackets. Fans are second to none. They have great fan base.

Columbus needs a rebrand. Their current look is so unappealing. The Reebok era piping should have died when they switched to Adidas. They look bad... but they have one of the best looks as an option, with their cannon 3rds. Just switch to that full time.

I love the jackets and have since the beginning. In my opinion, Columbus has never had elite level coaching. They seem to have the talent most of the time that just never seems to know their defensive assignments. I'd address that first.

As an outsider I think CBJ has a good foundation for a solid future. Let the kids grow. Put a date on wanting to contend by 2030. That doesn’t mean make playoffs. Contend. I think if the next GM is given that kind of runway the Jackets can be a heavy team in the east by 2030. Sorry JG13

I think they thought they were buying a franchise player with Gaudreau, but that obv. hasn't worked out.

From what I’ve heard about Jarmo, he was the main contributor to the culture problem. Now that he’s out, they can turn the page… but the Provorov deal and the Severson sign-and-trade are going to make it difficult. I get some 2019-20 Devils vibes from this Jackets group.

Thanks for the reverse jinx Shannon! CBJ fan since day 1.

2 Things I'd like to mention here 1 - The lack of playoff success. It's worth noting that in 3 of their 6 playoff appearances, they matched up with the eventual cup winner in the 1st round. ('17 PIT, '18 WSH, '20 TB), and even in 2 of the other 3 they faced the conference champion that lost in the final ('09 DET, 19 BOS). Obviously, people say "you gotta beat the best to be the best". There's a line between being the best and being more than perpetual 1st round losers though. It's possible that in some of those years maybe they were the 5th, 7th, or whatever best team instead of just a 1st round loser and they got unlucky with matchups. Feel like that's something to take into account BECAUSE it's Columbus, and those kind of finishes would be an accomplishment in the team's history (which obviously speaks to a level of failure, but nonetheless is still better than perception). 2 - I think Elvis belongs in a different category than the Panarins and such of the world as far as the not wanting to play in Columbus argument. Elvis has had a completely solid year behind a horrid team this season and felt jaded by management/coaching basically benching him to test out Tarasov. He was pissed about not getting the starts that he earned in favor of a guy that's been one of the worst goalies in the league this year. Add that onto the abuse he's gotten from a section of the fanbase and you can't blame the guy for wanting out at all. That's a lot different than all the other experiences Columbus has had with guys not wanting to play there.

As a Columbus fan, this season has been extremely disheartening. I had hopes to be a playoff bubble team, and I have concerns about ownership with what happened during the Babcock situation.

Video request: Flames roster & prospect pool breakdown NOW. Then the same video again after the Trade Deadline.

I think it’s a slow rebuild around guys like Fantilli. Pulling collective draft resources and trade resources to put a consistent team on the ice with an experienced coach (there for more than 2 years) followed by some 💰 to leverage any growth around young players to play and grow. 3-5 years before true competitive playoff team imo

I am still laughing at Johnny "No playoff hockey"'s choice.

FYI: Cinci to Columbus is about 100 miles, 150 km, I make that trip in under two hours. Detroit is 3 hours from Columbus.

You can attribute a lot of that attendance to away team's fans.

I'm going to a Jackets game in March and I'm excited

I love how on the PLD trade you said Roslovic's name first as what came back to CBJ! LOL Sick burn bro

The beginning of the 23' season was peak optimism. Gaudreau, Laine, Marchenko. Never turned out to be great though

Rick Nash is 3rd all-time in both goals and points for Team Canada in world championships. Because he was stuck on a mediocre team in the NHL.

Ive never been to a CBJ game but I have friends from the Windsor area who prefer going to CBJ games over Detroit games

STH since 2011-12 (partial plans), when I returned home from active duty. Can say that rock bottom yeah had great attendance because of the off-season moves. Lots hype when they signed Wisniewski and traded for Carter (ugh).

Downtown Cincinnati is 2 hours from Columbus. I live on the Ohio/Kentucky border and routinely go to Jackets games. Greater Cincinnati folks who live to the North of the city of Cincinnati can get to Nationwide Arena in an hour and a half.

When talking ab top end prospects they also have fantillis Michigan buddy Brindley who absolutely tore it up for Team USA in world juniors

With all their draft picks, new GM they're entering a new era of Blue Jacket hockey. Unfortunately they need you to do a Rick Nash carrer video before we can turn the page!!!! Cmon Shannon help us out here!!!

Questionable coaching is the one constant that I can point to. Mind you, I love Torts, but even there he was able to push some elite players out. Though I think he saved us from some long term pain with PLD. 😅

Im curious about the news last night and tonight that they may be keeping Jarmo Kekalainen around in some capacity, according to John Davidson and Kekalainen to two different news outlets. The one constant in their entire history is Team President Mike Priest, who has overseen every GM, PHOP, and Coaching hire. Their overall record and overarching mediocrity belongs to him, he even precedes their current ownership. I think they could get lucky with him still in charge (stumble upon another Jarmo/Tortorella dynamic) but I doubt they'll be consistently in the top half of the league from regime to regime until Priest retires.

Maybe you could say they're the last old school expansion team. As in, take the dregs and suffer for a decade until you can build it up on your own.

Nothing will change until they find an owner who doesn’t run the team like a schedule filler. To me John McConnell is like a hockey version of Bob Nutting: Someone who owns a team with no intentions of creating a winner, but to just make up the numbers and count the profits.

Often when hockey fans think of small but loyal fanbases, they often think about Winnipeg, Nashville, Carolina, etc. I and many others weren't aware of how loyal Columbus fans are with those attendence numbers. Even as a Pens fan, it's hard to hate on the BJs...

The owner does not want to rebuild properly. He has 1 or 2 bad years and gets impatient and wants playoffs or heads roll. That’s what happened this past offseason with Babcock, Provorov & Severson. CBJ FO still maintain they aren’t in a rebuild. It’s a directive from ownership.

A few points: Cincinnatti is closer than Cleveland. - Rick Nash left us, Bobrovsky left us, Carter was a cancer, Panarin left. I can sorta understand all of those but that fed in to the "nobody wants to play here". - This year does look better because they are scoring. All they need is a better defense and goaltending. - And I think it all started with the name. That name has been an albatross around our neck. - Man I wish they would win more.

Whats funny is i went to a columbus halloween weekend game in october (2023) vs the islanders and some “sell the team” chants were present at the end of the game. Simply put…….Changes gotta be made.