The Columbus Blue Jackets have 12 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #12.
Let's take a look.
Ted Drury - 2001 - Drafted by Calgary in 1989.
Drury played a single game for the Jackets during the 00-01 season. He never played another NHL game after Columbus and would retire in 2007 after playing five seasons in Germany.
Ted is the brother of former New York Rangers Captain and current President and General Manager of the Rangers, Chris Drury.
Sean Pronger - 2002 - Drafted by Vancouver in 1991.
The brother of Hall of Famer Chris Pronger played 104 games in Columbus and had 17 points. He retired in 2005 after playing in Germany.
The brother of Hall of Famer Chris Pronger played 104 games in Columbus and had 17 points. He also attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
After his two seasons in Columbus, he played for Vancouver and then left for Germany, where he played one season before retiring.
Mathieu Darche - 2003 - 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 is now the Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Ops for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He started with Tampa Bay in 2019 and has held various positions.
Jiří Novotný - 2008-2009 - Drafted by Buffalo in 2001.
Novotný played 107 games for the Jackets and had 29 points. He never played another NHL game and left for Europe where he played until 2023.
Novotný spent time in Russia, Czechia, and Switzerland until he retired. He is now the Sports Manager for
HC Motor České Budějovice.
Elite Prospects said about Novotný "Novotný is a center with a sound two-way game. With good vision and passing ability, he is more of a playmaker than a shooter. Handles the puck and skates well, too. Can kill penalties and win faceoffs."
Mike Blunden - 2010-2011 - Drafted by Chicago in 2005.
Blunden played 41 games with the Jackets and totaled 4 points.
He retired in 2020 after playing the last two years of his career in Germany and Italy. He finished his NHL career playing in 127 games. Blunden has been a Pro Scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning for the last four season.
Ryan Craig - 2014-2015 - Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2002.
Craig played 8 games for the Jackets and had zero points. He was also the Captain of both the Springfield Falcons and the Cleveland Monsters. He retired in 2017 and went into coaching for the Vegas Golden Knights. He is currently the head coach of the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights.
Owen Sillinger - 2025 - Undrafted out of Regina, Saskatchewan.
Sillinger has played one career NHL game and has zero points. The older brother of Cole has spent his career playing for the AHL's Cleveland Monsters. In parts of four seasons, he has a total of 114 points.
Owen will be looked at as a vet on an otherwise very young Monsters team. Expect Sillinger to be called up should the CBJ need him.
One scouting report said of Sillinger. "Sillinger is a pure sniper. He might be the best shooter in this draft class. His wrist shot is powerful and accurate. He has quick hands and is able to get the shot off quickly. Sillinger also does a good job of changing the angle on his shot, fooling goaltenders. His snapshot is also very good and features a similar quick release. Sillinger also has a knack for getting open for a one-timer, especially on the power play. His slap shot is also very good. He can even score with a good backhand. Sillinger has the hands to get deflections and pounce on rebounds in front of the net. His lateral agility and hands allow him to move laterally to open up shooting lanes."
Another scouting report said of his defensive game, "Sillinger also needs work in his own end of the ice. He can become too focused on the puck away from the play, losing his man and getting out of position. He also seems to take risks at times, leaving the zone early and trying to create offence. Sillinger could improve by using his size and strength to help contain in the cycle game but is not always committed to working down low in the defensive zone. These are areas where he will need some strong coaching in helping out his defense."
There are 12 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
The pre-season schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
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