With 55 days until opening night at NWA, we look at the jersey history of #55. Who was your favorite player to have worn #55? Let us know in the comments below.
Who Wore It First
- Ole-Kristian Tollefsen - Drafted out of Norway in 2002, Tollefsen was known for his heavy fists. In his first season with Columbus, he played in 70 games and had a whopping 123 PIMs. In his second season, he played in 51 games and had 111 PIMs. After those two years, he would only play another 19 games for Columbus and another 18 for the Philadelphia Flyers. He returned to Europe in 2010 and retired in 2017. Tollefsen is now the head coach for the Norway U20 team.
Who Wore It Last
- David Jiříček - The David Jiříček saga finally came to an end last year when Columbus traded him to the Minnesota Wild. Jiříček played a total of 53 games for the CBJ and had 11 points. After his trade to the Wild, he played just 6 games for the Wild and spent most of his time playing for the Iowa Wild. Jiříček was traded to Philadelphia by Minnesota for Bobby Brink on March 6, 2026.
Who Wore It Best
- Mark Letestu - Letestu was traded to Columbus by Pittsburgh for Columbus' 4th-round pick on November 8, 2011. He played in 255 games in two different stints with the CBJ, scoring 44 goals and totaling 102 points. He also played 64 games for the Cleveland Monsters during the 2018-19 season, where he scored 50 points. He would play his last NHL game on October 13th, 2019, for the Winnipeg Jets. In 2021, he was hired as an Asst. Coach by the Monsters, where he served until 2025. In the Summer of 2025, he was hired by the AHL's Colorado Eagles as their next head coach. After just one season, Letestu was hired by the Vegas Golden Knights to join ex-teammate Ryan Craig's staff.
Other Who Wore #55
- John Ramage - Ramage played in 1 career game with the Jackets and 170 games for the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters, where he totaled 61 points. He left North America in 2019 to play in Germany until 2025.
- Carson Meyer - Columbus-area native Meyer played in 41 games for Columbus after being drafted in the 6th round of the 2017 NHL draft. He totaled 6 points during his time with Columbus. He spent the majority of his career in the AHL for the Cleveland Monsters, where he played in 172 games and scored 110 points. Meyer is tied for 12th all-time in points in Monsters history. He left as a free agent and played for the Anaheim organization last season. He signed with Buffalo in 2025 and remains there this season.
Who was your favorite #55?
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