Everything you may have missed this week from The Hockey News: Columbus Blue Jackets.
This past week was a long exhausting week for all involved, from the franchise to the fans, but it's over and the training camp has started. Today marks the first preseason games, two split-squad games between the CBJ and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hockey is back. Follow the links below for the stories you may have missed.
Below are the gameday rosters in case you missed them.
It was reported last Sunday that HC Mike Babcock was expected to resign, and then just a short time later, it happened. The Jackets announced that Babcock had stepped down. Ending the saga that had plagued the team for a week.
There's nothing to do but move on when it comes to the Mike Babcock fiasco, and the team has started that process.
The Jackets held their annual preseason media day. Instead of talking about star prospects and guys coming back from injury, they talked about the last week of drama and the hiring of Pascal Vincent. Here are some notes and quotes from that day.
The CBJ released the training camp schedule, meaning preseason is upon us, and it couldn't have come soon enough.
Former Cleveland Monster Thomas Schemitsch got an invite to the CBJ training camp.
Mathieu Olivier can and should be a valuable piece to this CBJ team for his toughness. However, it was announced that he would miss some time due to a lingering leg issue.
Jake Bean was ready to make a push to secure a spot on the blue line. His shoulder is healthy and ready to go. However, the team says he has an abductor strain and will miss some time. I promise I'm not the jinx.
A study done of the 2022 season found that Blue Jacket fans don't drink nearly as much as we would've thought. But they are second in the metro behind the Penguins.
Injuries mar the start of CBJ training camp. Jake Bean, Mathieu Olivier, Daniil Tarasov, and Kirill Marchenko are all injured. It was also announced on Saturday that Yegor Chinakhov is dealing with a strained back.
A poll was done by THN of all 34 regional THN reporters. The Blue Jackets had a few players pop up on people's radars.
Former Blue Jacket RJ Umberger appeared on the Nasty Knuckles Podcast last week and talked about his history in Columbus, and also offered up an opinion on the Mike Babcock situation.
The Jackets training camp is in full swing. The season will be here before we know it.
The Jackets held an open practice and scrimmage on Saturday, and per the usual, several thousand fans showed up to support the team. On a beautiful Saturday morning, lines wrapped around the arena to get in.
As always, follow THN Columbus for everything you need when it comes to the Blue Jackets.
Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.