Sources: Columbus To Host 2025 Stadium Series Game At Ohio Stadium

Sources: Columbus To Host 2025 Stadium Series Game At Ohio Stadium

Could the Columbus Blue Jackets finally be playing in an NHL Outdoor game?

Multiple sources have reached out to THN Columbus and told us that the Blue Jackets will be hosting a 2025 NHL Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium. The team they would play is rumored to be the Detroit Red Wings.

Per the sources, the game would be held "on or around" March 1st, 2025. March 1st is on a Saturday. March in Columbus, Ohio can be a bit of a crap shoot as well. Could be warm, could be cold, could be snowy, but will probably just be cold and grey, and hopefully not raining. 

I reached out to Ohio State and was told by The Athletic Department's Jerry Emig, "There is no news that we can confirm or report on at this time regarding an outdoor hockey game."

We have also reached out to the Columbus Blue Jackets for comment and they said "There's nothing to report on at this time." 

While the school and team won’t publicly confirm anything at this point due to the inner workings of these events, several credible sources have confirmed that we will see NHL hockey at Ohio Stadium. 

One of the main sticking points about a game never having been held at Ohio Stadium is the lack of modernized plumbing. The stadium is over 100 years old, and a lot of the pipes are exposed. I was told a few weeks ago that "multiple pipes" burst around the stadium due to prolonged low temperatures. Regardless of whether people believe it or not, the pipe "excuse" is a legitimate concern. 

The news that the Chicago Blackhawks are getting a Winter Classic game in 2025, got CBJ fans very riled up on Tuesday. Some fans will tell you it's long overdue for the Jackets to get an outdoor game. I am in the camp that the NHL needs to promote every team equally and treat them all the same in terms of promotion. The reality is that's not the case. Some Columbus fans will tell you that they haven't "earned" it. The NHL should've done a better job at getting every team in one of these games years ago though. Every team "deserves" to play in one of them, but not every team deserves to host an outdoor game. Some fans also are saying that since there is so much drama surrounding the Jackets right now, they don't need to be in a big-time game. I respectfully disagree and would argue there is no better time to put a team surrounded by drama in a game in which all eyes will be on it.

Now we wait for a formal announcement from the NHL, Ohio State, and the Blue Jackets, which could be months. But the 2024 Stadium Series is coming up, so we could hear something soon.

How awesome would it be to have OSU Men's play Michigan, Women's hockey play Minnesota, and then the Blue Jackets play Detroit? Seems like a good weekend to me. 

More From THN Columbus

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.