Blog Your Site

The Columbus Blue Jackets is a hockey team in the NHL in the United States. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the team is a part of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Blue Jackets is a young team, founded as an expansion team in 2000 and not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs until 2009. When the Blue Jackets was formed it had been 22 years since the state of Ohio last was the host of a NHL team, The Cleveland Barons that left in 1978. On June 25, 1997, the NHL announced that Columbus would receive a new franchise; a decision prompted by the May 31 announcement from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company that they would foot the bill for a new $150-million arena in Columbus.

The name of the team was choosen to reflect the rich civil war history in the state of Ohio, the name and logo is also meant to stand for pride and patriotism. During the civil war when Ohio was asked by President A lincoln to form ten regiments they responded by forming 23 volunteer infantry regiments, far more than anyone ws asking of them.

The logo depicts the flag of Ohio swirled around a start, The sweaters sport crossed hockey sticks over a civil war cap. Stinger, a bright green bug is the mascot of the Blue Jackets and he skates around the ice between periods and walk around among the fans during the games.

The Blue Jacket organization bought a hand made replica of a Napoleon cannon before the 2007-2008 season due to popular request for one from the fans. Since then, the Blue Jacket cannon has been fired at the start of all home games. The cannon is also fired at the end of any home game that the Blue Jackets win as well as every time the Blue Jackets score. During the cannons first season the cannon was fired 164 times.

The cannon has become an integral part of Blue Jacket fan culture and a Columbus Blue Jackets fansite with a Blue Jackets Forum has as an example choosen the domain name firethecannon.com. The cannon is loaded with smoke flash charges and the loud boom is produced by a .75oz concussion explosive placed above the rink. When the cannon is fired, the accompanying music “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) by AC/DC can be heard throughout the arena.

The Blue Jackets did as I mentioned earlier secure their first Stanley cup playoff in 2009 and they did so by defeating the Blackhawks. The Blue Jackets made several good trades during the 2008 off season which helped pawe the way for the playoffs including trading Nikolai Zherdey and Dan Fritsche to recieve Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman from the Rangers and Raffi Torres in exchange for Gilbert Brule. During the 2008-09 NHL season they traded Clay Wilson and a sixth-round draft pick to recieve Jason Williams. The Blue Jackets traded Pascal Leclaire and a second-round draft pick with the Ottawa senators this year in exchange for recieving Anoine Vermette in on of the first major deals of te 2009 NHL trade deadline.