One
of the NHL's newest teams, the Blue Jackets took to the ice
for the first time on October 7, 2000, with a 5-3 loss to
the Chicago Blackhawks. Bruce Gardiner scored the first goal
in franchise history.
The
team's nickname was selected from suggestions by fans. There
are at least four possible factors that may have contributed
to the selection of the name.
At
the time the name was first announced, some media reports
speculated that because team owner John H. McConnell's favorite
color is blue, he had directed that any name selected for
the team must contain the word blue.
The logo for the team that was initially unveiled featured
"an insect with an attitude," suggesting that the
name is a play on the term Yellow Jackets (a form of bee and
the nickname of various other teams, including the Georgia
Tech Yellow Jackets). The insect logo was reduced to secondary
status before the team began play and was eliminated entirely
during the 2003/2004 season. The only remnants of the insect
theme is the team mascot, an insect named Stinger.
The name may have been intended to honour the Shawnee leader
Blue Jacket (Weyapiersenwah), but the team has avoided any
Native American symbolism in its marketing.
The term Blue Jacket is also a reference to the uniform of
the Union army in the American Civil War. The team has included
some Civil War references in its marketing, but has not heavily
promoted it.
Tragedy struck the Blue Jackets organization when, in March
2002, 13-year-old Brittany Cecil was killed after an errant
shot by Espen Knutsen struck her in the head while watching
a Columbus-Calgary game in the stands. As a result of this
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 has never made the playoffs in its short history, but
players like Geoff Sanderson, who scored 34 goals in 2002-03,
and first-overall draft pick Rick Nash could change that in
the near future. Nash scored 41 goals in 2003-04 to earn a
share of the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy.
Founded: 2000 (awarded June
25, 1997)
Arena: Nationwide Arena
Uniform colors: Blue and red
Logo design: A starry ribbon forming the
letters "CB" surrounding a hockey stick surmounted
by a star.
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