Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets bring NHL hockey to Ohio, playing out of Nationwide Arena in one of the sport's newer and most enthusiastic markets. Known for their union-blue jerseys and cannon-fire goal celebration, the Blue Jackets have worked to build a competitive identity since entering the league, with flashes of playoff success and a developing young core. Columbus hockey carries a growing, tight-knit fan culture in a city building its own hockey tradition from the ground up.

The Blue Jackets joined the NHL as an expansion franchise in 2000. The team's breakthrough came in 2019, when Columbus swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, a stunning postseason upset that remains the high point in franchise history. The Blue Jackets have not advanced past the second round since, and the organization continues to build toward sustained playoff contention.