David Výborný was drafted in 1993 by the Edmonton Oilers but never played a single game for them. When he did come to North America, he played in 76 games for the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. He showed his flash by scoring 23 goals and grabbing 61 points. After one season in the AHL, Výborný headed back to Europe until 2000.

Výborný signed with the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets on June 8th, 2000. And then on October 7th in his first NHL game, he scored a goal. Fans instantly fell in love with the little-known young Czech.

In the Inaugural year for the Jackets, David went on to score 13 goals and had 32 points. The next year was nearly identical with 13 goals and 31 points.

In the 2002-03 season, Výborný would finally break the 20-goal mark, netting 20 goals and dishing out 26 assists. The 2003-04 season again would see him break 20 goals, this time with 22 goals and 53 points. And then comes 2004-05, a lockout that would last the entire NHL season. Výborný went back to his native Czech Republic to play 51 games for Sparta Praha.

The next two seasons saw Výborný break out in a big way. The 2005-06 season saw him again score 22 goals, but would also grab 43 assists for 65 points. In the 2006-07 season, he would again have a great year, only scoring 16 goals, but would have 48 assists, and total 64 points.

The 2007-08 season saw the then 33-year-old have a season he would rather forget. He played in only 66 games. Had 7 goals and only 26 points. All of his stats were down that season, and CBJ fans were sad he was having such a bad year. Výborný was such a likable guy, and to see him struggle so much, hurt.

After that season, Výborný chose to return home and play in his homeland. He would on to play another 8 seasons, winning back-to-back championships in the Czech second division in 2013 and 2014, and earning his team a promotion to the top Czech league. But after suffering a torn ACL, he would retire in 2016.

David Výborný currently sits 8th all-time in games played for the CBJ (543). 6th all-time on goals (113). 3rd all-time in assists (204). 6th all-time in points (317). 5th in PP goals (36) and 3rd in SHG (7). He once held the Blue Jackets record for most consecutive games played, with 161. He also scored the first penalty shot in CBJ history on October 15th, 2000.

In 2025, Výborný was elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame. NHL legends Henrik Lundqvist, Frans Nielsen, and Zdeno Chara will join him in the 2025 class.

"Výborný played during the glory days of the Czechs’ dominance in IIHF competition. He was part of the team’s historic run of three consecutive gold medals at the Men’s Worlds (1999-2001) and won five gold medals in a ten-year span (1996-2005). In all, he played in 12 World Championships in addition to the 2006 Olympics (bronze), 2004 World Cup, and two World Junior Championships (1993, 1994). Vyborny also had a lengthy and successful career in the NHL, playing 543 games with Columbus over a seven-year period (2000-08)."

The Columbus Blue Jackets Quarter Century Team was announced earlier this year, which was selected by the media. Výborný was left off the list, but here at THN Columbus, we have him on as a second-team forward.  

David Výborný played his way into the hearts of fans in Columbus with his offense. Just about everyone loved him. and he has stood the test of time. Many CBJ fans from day 1, will name David Výborný as their all-time favorite Blue Jacket, or a close second behind Rick Nash.

David Výborný was the original #9, and in some eyes, the greatest #9 to wear the Union Blue. Today, we salute David Výborný. 

Let's look at the other players who have worn the number.

• Ivan Provorov - Provorov played 164 games in his first two years for Columbus and totaled 65 points. He was signed to a 7-year contract extension this summer.

• Colton Gillies - Gillies played 65 games as a Jacket and had 8 points. He never played another NHL game after Columbus and left for Europe in 2015, where he retired in 2020 after spending four years in the KHL. 
• Jeremy Morin - Morin played 28 games for Columbus and totaled six points. He retired in 2019. 
• Gregory Campbell - Campbell played 82 games for the Jackets and had 11 points. He went into coaching after retiring in 2016. He spent three years coaching in the Columbus organization before leaving for the Florida Panthers. He's currently the GM for the Charlotte Checkers and AGM of the Florida Panthers. 
• Artemi Panarin - Panarin played 160 games for the CBJ before bolting for the bright lights of NYC. He scored 55 goals and totaled 169 points in two seasons. He would've been the greatest player to ever wear a CBJ uniform had he stayed in Columbus. He had no designs on signing with Columbus in 2019. 
• Mikko Koivu - Koivu only played 7 games for Columbus at 37 years of age. He had two total points in those seven games. He would choose to retire during his season with the Jackets after playing 1,035 NHL games. 

There are 9 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.

Who is your favorite #9? Please share your thoughts on our forum.

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