# Columbus Blue Jackets

> The Columbus Blue Jackets are Columbus, Ohio's National Hockey League franchise and a regional sports-entertainment business built around live games at Nationwide Arena. The club sells tickets, premium hospitality, sponsorships, merchandise and media attention while using youth-hockey programs and its charitable foundation to expand the audience for the sport. Its strongest competitive advantage is local: a distinctive cannon-fired game night, the fan identity known as the 5th Line and a civic network that helped draw 94,751 people to the team's first outdoor game in 2025. Its central challenge is converting that deep community attachment into consistent postseason relevance.

- **Founded:** 2000
- **Headquarters:** Columbus, United States
- **Founders:** John H. McConnell (Team founder, original majority owner, chairman and governor)
- **Team size:** Approximately 410 employees in the supplied company data; LinkedIn lists a company-size band of 51-200.
- **Products:** Live NHL games, Tickets and memberships, Premium hospitality, Corporate partnerships, Merchandise and collectibles
- **Notable:** Began NHL play in 2000, establishing top-level professional hockey in Columbus., Hosted the 2015 NHL All-Star Game at Nationwide Arena., Made four consecutive postseason appearances from 2017 through 2020.

## Products & services

- **Live NHL games** — An 82-game regular-season hockey product with 41 home dates at Nationwide Arena, plus preseason and any postseason games.
- **Tickets and memberships** — Single-game tickets, full-, half- and quarter-season plans, flex plans, student rush, group offers and family value packs.
- **Premium hospitality** — Suites, clubs, lounges and hosted experiences for companies, groups and high-frequency fans.
- **Corporate partnerships** — Sponsorship, in-arena activation, media inventory, hospitality and community programs that connect regional and national brands with fans.
- **Merchandise and collectibles** — Licensed apparel and products through the official online store, the Blue Line stores, game-worn programs and auctions.
- **Broadcast and digital media** — Live game broadcasts, team video, editorial coverage, mobile services, newsletters and social content; NHL Productions begins producing telecasts in 2026-27.
- **Youth hockey and community programs** — Learn-to-play, street and school hockey, leagues, equipment access and charitable grants that widen participation across central Ohio.

## Achievements

- Began NHL play in 2000, establishing top-level professional hockey in Columbus.
- Hosted the 2015 NHL All-Star Game at Nationwide Arena.
- Made four consecutive postseason appearances from 2017 through 2020.
- In 2019 became the first team in NHL history to sweep a Presidents' Trophy winner in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Won the franchise's first outdoor game 5-3 over Detroit in front of 94,751 spectators at Ohio Stadium in 2025, the second-largest crowd in NHL history at the time.
- The Blue Jackets Foundation surpassed $16 million in grants and community investment by the 2025-26 season.
- Defenseman Zach Werenski won the 2026 James Norris Memorial Trophy, the first Blue Jackets player to receive the award.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — The club unveiled 2026-27 theme nights and special ticket packages, including Peanuts, Marvel and Star Wars programs, alongside community and heritage nights.
- **2026-08** — The Wheeling Nailers became the Blue Jackets' ECHL affiliate under a two-season agreement through 2027-28.
- **2026-07** — The club said television and radio would use a simulcast format in 2026-27, with the TV audio carried on the radio network.
- **2026-07** — The Blue Jackets and NHL Productions announced a game-telecast production partnership for 2026-27; distribution plans were still being finalized at announcement.
- **2026-06** — Zach Werenski was named the winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy.
- **2026-04** — The team missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, despite improving its points total for a third straight year.
- **2025-10** — The Blue Jackets Foundation awarded more than $1 million for the 2025-26 season and said lifetime community investment had passed $16 million.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/columbus-blue-jackets
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/BlueJacketsNHL
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueJacketsNHL
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluejacketsnhl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluejacketsnhl/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluejacketsnhl

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Last updated: 2026-08-14