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NEWS & NOTES
On Player Empowerment and Being In The Middle Of It:
"I think it’s different for everyone. I don’t want to speak on specific situations just because I don’t know all the facts and details, and I feel like everyone’s situation is different. I do think it’s definitely more vocal than it’s been in years past. I think everyone would probably agree with that. I just know personally, for me, where I was at, where I’m at now. I’m just happy with how everything worked out for me and that I’m still in Columbus."
In the photos, the reigning Norris winner is wearing the "A". Many people speculate that Werenski should be given the Captaincy as a way to lure him to stay in Columbus after his deal is over. I think, while being named Captain is quite the honor, I don't think it can be used as a bargaining chip to keep a guy with a team, and it's a bit overrated. Who's to say Werenski even wants to be the Captain?
2026 NHL PROSPECT TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 12th - 3:00 p.m. - Columbus vs. Pittsburgh - BELFOR Training Center
Sunday, September 13th - 3:30 p.m. - Dallas vs. Columbus - BELFOR Training Center
Monday, September 14th - TBD
Tuesday, September 15th - 2:00 p.m. - Detroit vs. Columbus - BELFOR Training Center
If I were building Columbus' blue line strictly around 2025-26 performance + analytics, I'd want:
Werenski — Severson
Mateychuk — Provorov
Fabbro — Christiansen
2026-27 PLAYER PREVIEWS
It will be interesting to see what kind of season Voronkov can have in 2026-27. If he has a strong season, it will help his chances of landing a nice payday for his next contract.
If Fabbro can be dependable defensively while chipping in a bit of offense from the point, he will be a nice part of the Blue Jackets' blueline this season. It will be interesting to see if he can be just that from here.
The Hockey News Magazine's Point Projection For Dante Fabbro: 18
It will now be interesting to see how many opportunities Copley gets with the Blue Jackets this season. In 78 career NHL games, he has posted a 44-17-8 record, an .898 save percentage, and a 2.85 goals-against average.
It will now be interesting to see what kind of season Wood can put together for the Blue Jackets in 2026-27 from here.
Overall, if Heinen can provide similar offense to this as a depth forward for the Blue Jackets, he could end up being a sneaky good signing for them. There is no risk in the Blue Jackets bringing him back on his two-way deal, and it will be interesting to see what he can do in 2026-27.
OPENING NIGHT COUNTDOWN
Dick Tärnström - 2008 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1994.
Tärnström was traded on February 1, 2008, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Curtis Glencross. He played 19 games with the CBJ and had 9 points.
After one season in Columbus, he left for Europe and never returned. He played in Sweden until he was forced to retire in 2013 due to a neck injury. Nowadays, he's the Director of Youth Hockey for MB Hockey in Sweden.
Chris Nielsen - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1998.
After signing with Columbus, Neilsen played 52 games over the course of two seasons. After bouncing around the AHL for a few seasons, he left for Europe and played in Germany for a year. He decided to retire in 2006.
Nowadays, he's the attending surgeon at University Health Network and an Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Who Wore It Best?
- James Wisniewski - Wisniewski played in 209 games for the Jackets over four seasons, scoring 26 goals and 121 points. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2015 and then went to Carolina in 2015-16, where he played only one game. He finished his career in Germany in 2016. In June of 2024, he was named Associate Coach of the Ohio State Women's Hockey Team.
Martin Špaňhel - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995.
Špaňhel played 10 games for Columbus in the franchise's first two years and scored two goals. He never played another NHL game after leaving for Europe in 2002, where he played in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway.
He returned to North America in 2011 and played in the ECHL, but then retired soon after. Nowadays, he's the Commissioner of the Columbus Adult Hockey League.
Mathieu Darche - 2001-2002 - Undrafted out of Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
Darche played 24 games for the CBJ over their first three seasons, totaling two points. Darche played until 2012, retiring with the Montreal Canadiens.
He was the Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Ops for the Tampa Bay Lightning for 6 years before being named the GM and executive VP of Hockey Ops and General Manager for the New York Islanders last season.
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