A total of 10 players have worn jersey #15 since the start of the franchise.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 15 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #15.
Let's take a look.
Who Wore It First?
- Mike Maneluk - He played 39 games for the Jackets during the first season of the franchise and scored six points. He left for Europe and never played another NHL game. He retired in 2010.
Who Wore It Last?
- Dante Fabbro - Fabbro had a career year after being picked up on waiver by the Jackets in 2024. He slid backwards last year though, and was never able to recover. The CBJ need Fabbro to step back up again this year and be the anchor the third pairing needs if they want to be successful. He is entering year 2 of a 4 year deal, so he needs to be better now.
Who Wore It Best?
- Derek Dorsett - Dorsett played in 280 games for the Jackets. He had only 65 points, but he made his mark as an enforcer. He racked up 727 career penalty minutes for Columbus and 1,314 in his career. He retired medically in 2019 and served as the CBJ Development Coach until 2024. He is now a Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres.
Others That Have Worn #15
- Kent McDonell - Played 29 games for the Jackets in 03-04 and had three points. He never played another NHL game and played in Europe until 2017.
- Duvie Wescott - Wescott played six seasons and 201 games for Columbus, where he totaled 56 points. Wescott was very close to being the top player on this list. He retired in Germany in 2015.
- Nick Schultz - He played nine games for the Jackets after coming over in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers in 2014. He had one career point for Columbus. He retired in 2017.
- Jakob Lilja - Lilja played 37 games for Columbus during 2019-20 and had five points. He left for Europe in 2020 and still plays there today.
- Michael Del Zotto - Del Zotto played 53 games for the Jackets in 20-21 and had 13 points. He retired after spending 2023 in the AHL.
- Gregory Hofmann - Played 24 games for Columbus and had seven points during the 21-22 season. After one NHL season, Hofmann returned to the Swiss National League to continue his career. He still plays there today.
- Gavin Bayreuther - Bayreuther played in 103 games for Columbus and had 23 points. The Seattle Kraken legend is playing in the Swiss National League.
There are 15 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
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