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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 32 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #32. 

Let's take a look.

Radim Bičánek - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 1993.

Bičánek played 69 games for the Jackets and had 8 career points. He played for Columbus during the first two years of the franchise's existence but never played another NHL game after that.

He returned to Europe in 2004 and played there until he retired in 2016. He played at various levels of hockey in Czechia. 

Kent McDonell - 2004 - McDonell was drafted twice. The Carolina Hurricanes drafted him in the 1997 draft, and then the Detroit Red Wings drafted him in the 6th round of the 1999 draft. 

McDonell played two seasons for the franchise and totaled 32 games. He had just 3 career points. He never played another NHL game after his time in Columbus and finished his career in Europe. He played in Europe for 13 years and retired after playing in Norway, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark. 

Cale Hulse - 2006 - Drafted by the New Jersey in 1992. 

Hulse played 27 games in Columbus during the 2005-06 season. He had 3 assists in those 27 games. On October 8, 2005, he was traded to the CBJ from the Coyotes along with Michael Rupp and Jason Chimera for Geoff Sanderson and Tim Jackman.

After going to Calgary during that same season and playing 12 games, he would retire after that season. 

Mathieu Garon - 2010-2011 - Drafted by Montreal in 1996. 

Garon played two seasons for the Blue Jackets after signing in Columbus on July 1, 2009. He had a record of 22-23-12 with a save % of .902%, and a GAA of 2.77.

After his time in Columbus, he played two years in Tampa Bay and then finished out his career playing one season in the KHL. His career SV% is .903 and a GAA of 2.83. He also has 144 career wins. 

Cody Bass - 2012-2014 - Drafted by Ottawa in 2005.

Bass played a total of 15 games for the CBJ and had 1 career point. He signed with Columbus in 2011 and spent most of his time with the Springfield Falcons. 

He would retire after the 2019 season. Bass spent 4 seasons as a pro scout for the Colorado Avalanche from 2019 to 2023. 

Rene Bourque - 2015 - He was undrafted out of Lac La Biche, Alberta.

Bourque played 57 games for Columbus over two seasons. He totaled 7 goals and 12 points. He signed in Colorado for the 16-17 season, and then after one year, left for Sweden, where he would retire after one season. 

Adam Cracknell - 2015 - Drafted by Calgary in 2004. 

He played 17 games for the Jackets and had one career point after being claimed on waivers by Columbus on October 7, 2014. 

In 2019, he left for the KHL and then Denmark before returning to North America in 2021. In 2024, he again left for Europe, this time signing with HK Poprad in Slovakia. He is signed to play with the for the 25-26 as well. 

Jake Christiansen - 2022 - Undrafted out of West Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Christiansen played in a career-high 68 games for Columbus last season and totaled 8 points. He has played 112 games over four years. Before last season, Christiansen spent most of his time playing for the Cleveland Monsters. He's currently the Monsters franchise leader for points by a defenseman.

Christiansen will most likely be the 6th/7th defenseman during the 25-26 season and is signed through 2027. So, he will be looking to have a couple of good years and earn a nice, big contract.  

Jon Gillies - 2023 - Drafted by Calgary in 2012. 

Gillies played 3 career games for the CBJ, going 1-1. He was traded to the CBJ on March 2, 2023, in exchange for Jakub Voráček and a pick. After taking the 23-24 season off, he came back and signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. He also played for the Orlando Sun Bears of the ECHL that same season. 

He is signed to play for Orlando again for the 25-26 season. 

Malcolm Subban - 2024 - Drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2012. 

On March 8, 2024, the Blues traded Subban to the CBJ and sent him to Cleveland to help with their playoff push. He did start one game for the Jackets after being recalled and lost. 

He played last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins and Belleville Sens of the AHL. He isn't retired but also hasn't signed on to play anywhere for 25-26. 

With 32 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena, the anticipation for the season is in full swing. Take a look at the schedule of events below.

Blue Jackets Participate in 2025 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo

The Blue Jackets will take part in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo from Thursday, Sept. 11, to Sunday, Sept. 14. They’ll play three games and have one day off.

The schedule looks like this:

Thursday, Sept. 11 - 7 p.m. vs. New Jersey Devils

Friday, Sept. 12 `- No Game Scheduled

Saturday, Sept. 13 - 7 p.m. at Buffalo Sabres

Sunday, Sept. 14 - 3:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be the second year Columbus has participated in the Prospects Challenge. Before that, they played in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City. As for the roster, it won’t be released until closer to the tournament.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Starting today, the Golden Knights’ roster of promising young players will hit the ice for the team’s 2025 Rookie Camp. 

From September 12-14 the roster will hit the road, traveling to Denver, Colorado, to take part in the 2025 Rookie Showcase at the South Suburban Family Sports Center. The tournament will feature top prospects from both the Colorado Avalanche and Utah Mammoth, alongside the Knights. 

2025 ROOKIE CAMP SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 11

Practice, 10 a.m. PT (City National Arena)

 Friday, September 12

Practice, 9 a.m. PT (City National Arena)

Saturday, September 13 

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth, 3 p.m. MT (South Suburban Family Sports Center)

Sunday, September 14

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche, 1 p.m. MT (South Suburban Family Sports Center)

HOCKEY IS BACK 🤩

VGK Rookie Camp presented by Martin-Harris Construction starts this week! Read below for schedule & roster 👇https://t.co/FLTqBPvf7D

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 8, 2025

Fans can stream the tournament live in each market and FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9 FM /1340 AM will broadcast the Golden Knights’ two games in Denver. 

The roster includes several familiar faces from the 2025 Golden Knights Development Camp earlier this summer. Among them are the 2025 draft selections Mateo Nobert and Alex Weiermair and the 2024 first-round pick Trevor Connelly, plus a few fresh additions. There are a total of 24 players, comprising 15 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders.

2025 ROOKIE CAMP ROSTER

FORWARD (15): Braeden Bowman, Mathieu Cataford, Trevor Connelly, Joe Fleming, Jordan Gustafson, Jackson Hallum, Ben Hemmerling, Mateo Nobert, Matyas Sapovaliv, Sloan Stanick, Andreas Straka, Trent Swick, Kai Uchacz, Tuomas Uronen, Alex Weiermair

DEFENSEMEN (7): Peteris Bulans, Artur Cholach, Viliam Kmec, Mazden Leslie, Samuel Mayer, Carter Sotheran, Bronson Ride

GOALTENDERS (2): Carl Lindbom, Cameron Whitehead

 NUMERICAL ROSTER:

8 Mathieu Cataford Forward

18 Alex Weiermair Forward

24 Trevor Connelly Forward

25 Matyas Sapovaliv Forward

30 Carl Lindbom Goaltender

37 Tuomas Uronen Forward

38 Jordan Gustafson Forward

39 Cameron Whitehead Goaltender

42 Braeden Bowman Forward

43 Mazden Leslie Defenseman

45 Mateo Nobert Forward

47 Artur Cholach Defenseman

50 Joe Fleming Forward

56 Carter Sotheran Defenseman

57 Bronson Ride Defenseman

59 Jackson Hallum Forward

63 Ben Hemmerling Forward

68 Peteris Bulans Defenseman

70 Andreas Straka Forward

76 Trent Swick Forward

77 Kai Uchacz Forward

79 Viliam Kmec Defenseman

92 Sloan Stanick Forward

96 Samuel Mayer Defenseman

Golden Knights Development Camp Spotlight: Trevor Connelly The Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp is underway, showcasing the organization’s young up-and-comers and what they could bring to the team’s future. One of the standouts from Monday’s ice session was 2024 first-round draft pick Trevor Connelly. Golden Knights Trade Up To Select Mateo Norbert With 85th Overall PickThe Vegas Golden Knights traded up for the second time on Saturday, grabbing Pittsburgh's pick in the 85th overall slot in exchange for the picks 91 and 154. Golden Knights Select Alexander Weiermair And Gustav Sjoqvist With Back-To-Back Picks At 186 And 187The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their 2025 NHL Draft in Round 6 by selecting Alexander Weiermair and Gustav Sjoqvist. 

The Montreal Canadiens have had a busy off-season, and it is understandable when noting that they took a major step in the right direction this past campaign. Due to this, they brought in multiple new players this summer. However, there is no question that the Canadiens' top addition of the summer was defenseman Noah Dobson. 

The Canadiens acquired Dobson from the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Emil Heineman, the 16th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft (Victor Eklund), and the 17th overall pick of the NHL Entry Draft (Kashawn Aitcheson). The Canadiens then signed Dobson to an eight-year, $76 million contract after the move, so he will be sticking around in Montreal for a long time. 

Now, the Canadiens have received some major praise for pulling off this blockbuster move. 

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz ranked the Canadiens' trade for Dobson as the best move of the entire NHL off-season.

When noting that Dobson is a legitimate star when playing at his best, it is easy to understand why Gretz ranked it as the top move of this off-season. This is especially so when noting that the Canadiens were able to quickly lock up Dobson long-term after it, and that the Canadiens' right side needed a boost. 

Dobson appeared in 71 games this past season with the Islanders, where he posted 10 goals and 39 points. This was after he had a monster 2023-24 campaign, scoring 10 goals and setting career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games. With numbers like these, there is no question that he has the potential to provide serious offense from the point, and it will be huge for the Habs if he does just that from here. 

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On Wednesday night, the New York Islanders dropped episode one of "On The Island", their behind-the-scenes footage of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

After the Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick, he received calls from Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and then Mathew Barzal. 

“Matty, what's up, you stud?" Barzal said as soon as Schaefer answered the one phone.  "We’re going to be dancing out there.”

Barzal has been showcasing his excitement for Schaefer anytime he's been asked about him, whether it's been on Frankie Borrelli's podcast or on NHL Sirius XM. 

Having a dynamic defenseman like Schaefer is something that plays right into Barzal's skillset, which is what Barzal was alluding to in his phone call. 

"He skates like the wind," Barzal said on NHL Network Radio while representing the Islanders at the 2025 NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour.

Catch episode 1 of "On The Island" below: 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Yesterday it was announced that former Red Wings player Henrik Zetterberg is returning to his childhood club Timrå IK as an advisor. The news created a lot of excitement in Sweden, and Zetterberg did several interviews throughout the day following his appointment to the new role. Among others, Henrik spoke with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. The original interview can be found here.

After spending a year in Detroit following the end of his playing career, Zetterberg has settled down in Sweden. He has made his home in the south of the country and has lived a quiet life in the years since retiring from hockey. Gaining more attention is not the purpose of his new role, and the humble Zetterberg said that the attention wasn’t something he was seeking when the role was announced.

“It’s not the public attention I’m seeking by taking on this role as an advisor. I’ve actually had this role for about a year now in Timrå, but we haven’t really made much of it publicly. I love hockey and have a strong connection to Timrå. Now we’ll be a team working to push Timrå forward, and I’ll focus on being a sounding board for young players and their coaches in the club to help them develop. I’ll also continue supporting Kent Norberg (GM of Timrå) with thoughts and opinions on potential signings. It’ll be fun to see what kind of development we can achieve together,” says Henrik Zetterberg.

Several of his former Detroit teammates have gone on to start careers in management and coaching. Zetterberg was asked about his future plans and whether a role as a sporting director or GM is something he envisions down the line. However, he was quick to play down those speculations.

“I have no plans to take over after ‘Nubben’ (current GM at Timrå) that’s not something I’m thinking about at all. I want him to stay in Timrå forever, and I think he’s doing a fantastic job. My passion lies in helping younger players make the same journey that I once did.”

Henrik Zetterberg was also asked about his connection with the Red Wings and whether he might use his current role to help Detroit. His former captain and fellow Swede Nicklas Lidström is also based in Sweden while serving as Detroit’s Vice President of Hockey Operations. The connection to Detroit is still there, but there is no official collaboration between Zetterberg and his former club at this point.

“Of course I’ll probably have thoughts and questions during the season. I have people around me who have worked in hockey and have a lot of experience. Almost everyone on the Red Wings staff today are my former teammates, and I feel like I always represent Detroit since I played there for so many years. But we’ll see how that can help me in my professional role.”

Finally, Zetterberg was asked how he expects Timrå to perform this season. The team has lost valuable pieces during the offseason, including Filip Hållander and Oliver Kapanen, who have both left for the NHL.

“There’s no denying that losing Filip Hållander and Oliver Kapanen is a big blow for the club. They did a lot for the team last season. But we have other guys who are very talented and maybe flew a bit under the radar last year. Now it’s up to them to take the lead and push the club forward. Timrå is in a good position to surprise, but they might not be a top team just yet. There are many strong top teams. I don’t need to name them, it’s obvious who they are.”

Oliver Kapanen played 18 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season but returned to Timrå on loan. The season was a success for Kapanen, who recorded 15 goals and 35 points in 36 games. It’s an impressive points tally in the defensively minded SHL.

Filip Hållander returns to Pittsburgh with the ambition of earning a roster spot with the Penguins. He has played in three NHL games for Pittsburgh and has also appeared in 104 AHL games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Swedish center is coming off a brilliant SHL season, finishing second in the league in both goals and points with 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games for Timrå.

Despite having 25 games of NHL experience over two seasons, Fraser Minten was announced as part of the Boston Bruinsrookie tournament roster this week. Speaking to reporters at Warrior Ice Arena, Minten was asked how it came to be that he would take part in the tournament. It turns out Minten didn’t volunteer. He’s just following Bruins GM Don Sweeney’s orders.

“I got a phone call saying you will participate,” Minten said with a smile.

Fraser Minten is just following orders pic.twitter.com/3ICmmhuPPD

— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) September 10, 2025

Minten, originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with their first pick (38th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, impressed the club enough that he made Toronto's opening night roster during the 2023-24 season. He played in four games before being returned to the junior league. The following season, Minten looked more polished, putting up two goals and two assists in 15 games.

Fraser Minten's Remarkable Journey From Under the Radar Before Training Camp to the Maple Leafs' Opening Night RosterThe Maple Leafs didn't expect their second-round pick to make the team this year, but Fraser Minten's performance at training camp was hard to deny.

But as the Maple Leafs sought to add depth for a playoff push, the club traded Minten to Boston along with a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Brandon Carlo. As it became clear the Bruins weren’t destined for the postseason, they called up Minten. He played in six games and scored one goal.

'More Backcheck And There'll Be A Greater Paycheck': Maple Leafs React To Losing Players And Prospects On Trade Deadline DayDENVER — The Toronto Maple Leafs made some big moves ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade deadline. The Leafs acquired forward Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins.

Minten didn’t take part in the development camp the Bruins held in the summer that featured a lot of prospects his age. Given he’s about to embark on his first training camp in Boston, he understood the reasoning for the early attendance.

“I haven’t been here for a while, even for me but for them they haven’t seen me play a ton as much as other guys,” Minten said. “It just gives them a chance to get a look at me and my game.”

A look at Boston's depth chart shows a third-line center spot ripe for the taking for Minten, the role he played in Toronto. As the Bruins go through a bit of a rebuild after eight consecutive seasons of being in the playoffs, the opportunity is there for the former Maple Leafs draft pick to take another step in his development.

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Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is hopeful to do something next year that has been on his checklist for a long time.

The 37-year-old NHL veteran and future Hockey Hall of Famer wants to suit up for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

Marchand was one of 26 forwards and 42 total players who were invited to Hockey Canada's Orientation Camp last month in Calgary.

He was also one of five Panthers players to receive an invite, along with forwards Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

The last time NHL players participated in the Olympic Games was in 2014 in Sochi.

Canada won gold, but Marchand was not there.

Like this year, Marchand was also part of that team’s orientation camp, but that was as far as his Olympic dream would go that year.

To say he’s been feeling the hunger to represent his country and compete for a gold medal in the time since would be an understatement.

"There's nothing I want more than to play for the Olympic team," Marchand said during last month’s camp in Calgary, per NHL.com. "That drive has been there since I went to that (orientation) camp in (2013) and didn't make that team. Since then, it's been my goal, my driving force every year, every summer. That's why I was so disappointed in '18 and then the next one. Everything I have done for the last 12 years has been for this tournament."

Now fully healthy and fresh off an incredible run with Florida during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as well as a strong showing for Team Canada at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Marchand is ready to make his Olympic dream come true.

If and when the opportunity comes, Marchand understands just how rare and unique a position it would be for him to find himself.

"I think you really understand how fragile these opportunities are," he said. "They're not a given. Even when you think you're going to go, it doesn't mean you're going. The last one we thought we were going for sure. It's the end of December, a month and a half before we're leaving, and it gets pulled from us. The one before that, someone's decision allows us to not go again. You could have an unbelievable NHL career and play for a very long time and not have an opportunity to play in these games."

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Photo caption: Feb 17, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) skates during the first period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team Finland at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)