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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 26 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #26. 

Let's take a look.

Andrej Nedorost - 2002-2003 - Drafted by Columbus in 2000.

Nedorost played 28 games for Columbus from 2001 to 2004. He also played parts of three seasons with the Syracuse Crunch. After his time with Columbus, he would never play another NHL game.

He left for Europe in 2004, where he began playing in Russia. He also played in Czechia, Sweden, Slovakia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Poland. His last professional season was 2015. 

Todd Marchant - 2004-2006 - Drafted by the New York Rangers in 1993.

Marchant played 95 games for Columbus and totaled 43 points after signing in 2003.

Marchant refused to waive his no-trade clause, which would have allowed Columbus to send him to Anaheim as part of the Sergei Fedorov trade. After trading for Fedorov, Columbus placed Marchant on waivers in order to circumvent his no-trade clause. Anaheim picked Marchant up on waivers on November 21, 2005, to make him a Mighty Duck.  

Derek MacKenzie - 2008-2009 - Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. 

MacKenzie played 279 games over the course of seven seasons for Columbus. He signed in Columbus in 2007 and made his debut in December of that year. 

He left for the Florida Panthers in 2014 and would play there until he retired in 2019. Later that year, he was named an asst. coach for Florida. He's spent the last two seasons as an asst. coach for the Nashville Predators. 

Samuel Påhlsson - 2010-2012 - Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. 

Påhlsson signed with Columbus in 2009 and played a total of 222 games. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2012, which would be his last NHL season.

He made a move to Europe in 2012 to play in Sweden. He played three seasons before retiring on April 16, 2015.

Corey Tropp - 2014-2015 - Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2007.

Tropp was claimed off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres on November 27, 2013. He would play a total of 105 games with Columbus, including 61 in 2014-15. On June 30, 2015, Tropp was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal that brought Brandon Saad to Columbus. 

After spending three straight seasons in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, Tropp left for Europe. He played a season in Germany and one in Poland before retiring. 

Kyle Quincey - 2017 - Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2003. 

Quincy played 20 games with the Jackets after being traded to Columbus from New Jersey on March 1, 2017. He would play one year in Minnesota before leaving for Finland to play one more season. He retired after that one season in LIIGA. 

Thomas Vanek - 2018 - Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2003. 

Vanel was traded to the CBJ on February 26, 2018, from the Vancouver Canucks. He played a total of 19 games and had 15 points. 

He signed a one-year deal with Detroit in 2019. That would be his final season in pro hockey. He is now the Hockey Operations Advisor for the San Jose Sharks. 

Zac Dalpe - 2021 - Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008.

The former Ohio State Buckeye forward played 25 games for the Jackets and had 4 career points. Where Dalpe made his money was in the AHL, playing for six different franchises, including five with the Cleveland Monsters.

Dalpe played in 133 games for the Monsters and had 100 points. For his career, he played 574 games and totaled 393 points. On July 7, 2025, Dalpe retired from hockey and was hired by the Seattle Kraken as a Development Coach. 

There are 26 days until opening night at NWA. 

Next up is training camp, which kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Camp will run until the pre-season begins and then transition directly into the full pre-season schedule. Here’s what the Blue Jackets have lined up so far.

After the first few days of camp, most rookies who received an invite will be cut and sent back to their junior teams. From there, the cuts will come more often as pre-season play gets underway.

The pre-season schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET

Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

* Games in bold are home games * 

After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

There are 26 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.

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Blue Jackets Dealing With Injuries At The Start Of CampThe Columbus Blue Jackets held their annual preseason media day yesterday with GM Don Waddell, HC Dean Evason, Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski, and Adam Fantilli.  Blue Jackets' 2025-26 Training Camp Scheduled ReleasedYesterday afternoon, the Columbus Blue Jackets released their 2025-26 training camp schedule. 27 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #27Kevin Dahl - 2001 - Drafted by the Montréal Canadiens in the 1988 draft.

Hockey is officially back as the Vancouver Canucks are about to begin their 2025 Training Camp. This year's training camp will take place in Penticton from September 18-21. Overall, there are many questions heading into training camp, including which players from last year's Abbotsford Canucks have the most to gain with a strong performance.

With plenty of talent in the AHL, there will be some fights for roster spots both in Abbotsford and Vancouver. There will also be some internal competition to determine which players get called up if injuries occur at the NHL level. While a strong training camp doesn't guarantee a call-up during the year, it can help leave a lasting positive impression with both Canucks management and the coaching staff. 

Arshdeep Bains

Arshdeep Bains is at the point in his career where he needs to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. The 24-year-old has already played 21 NHL games, but hasn't been able to produce enough to justify a permanent spot in the bottom-six. After playing a key role in helping Abbotsford claim the 2025 Calder Cup, the hope is that Bains has developed to the point where he can be a reliable third or fourth liner in the NHL. 

The big question for Bains is if he has rounded out his game enough to be an efficient bottom-six player at the NHL level. This includes getting in on the forecheck, playing a physical game and being defensively responsible on a consistent basis. If Bains comes into camp and can prove he is very difficult to play against, it could help his chances of landing a spot on the opening night roster. 

Max Sasson

Max Sasson has proven to be a free agent steal for Vancouver over the past few seasons. The 25-year-old played 29 games with the Canucks before becoming a key piece in Abbotsford's championship run. A versatile player who can play on the wing or at center, Sasson will be in the conversation for a spot on the fourth line this year. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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Sasson is the perfect example of a player whom coaches love. He has continued to develop since leaving the NCAA and, in just his second full season with the organization, was wearing a letter in the AHL. While Sasson will most likely start the year in the AHL, a strong camp could mean he is back in Vancouver sooner rather than later. 

Jonathan Lekkerimäki

The 2025-26 season is a massive one for Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Not only does he need to dominate the AHL, but he also needs to impress Adam Foote and the Canucks staff so they have confidence to play him in the top six once he is called up. It is clear that Lekkerimäki is a skilled player; now he needs to demonstrate that he can have success at the pro level. 

Who Lekkerimäki will be partnered with at camp will be something to keep an eye on. While his line placement isn't a direct indicator of where he will start the year, it does give insight into what management and the coaching staff are at least thinking. Regardless of who his linemates are, Lekkerimäki needs to make an impact both on and off the ice while in Penticton. 

Victor Mancini

How Vancouver manages Victor Mancini this year will be intriguing. The Canucks could send him back to the AHL to play 20+ minutes a night, or keep him on the roster as a seventh defenceman who can jump into the lineup when an injury hits. With Mancini still waiver-eligible, the most likely option is another season with Abbotsford despite the fact that he looks ready to play third-pair minutes in the NHL at least. 

Ultimately, Mancini will be battling with Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kirill Kudryavtsev and Tom Willander during training camp and the pre-season. The winner will get the seventh defenceman spot in the NHL, while the other three will start the season in the AHL unless injuries occur. Overall, the battle for the seventh defenceman spot will be intriguing with Mancini being one of the favourites to land it heading into training camp. 

2025 Training Camp Schedule:

Thursday, September 18, Doors Open 9:00 am

Friday, September 19, Doors Open 9:00 am

Saturday, September 20, Doors Open 9:00 am, Scrimmage TBA

Sunday, September 21, Doors Open 8:30 am

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

After the two games played this weekend against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets hopefuls at the Bell Centre, there were only 17 players left at the Montreal Canadiens' rookie camp for the last practice session.

On Wednesday, the main camp will kick off with the medical and physical tests for everyone, including the veterans. Before then, the coaching staff put the 17 remaining kids through their paces. PTO Kevin Mandolese joined the group to act as the second goaltender since Arseni Radkov and Mikus Vecvanags were sent back to their junior teams, leaving Jacob Fowler as the sole goaltender remaining at rookie camp.

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After the cuts, only three defensemen remained: David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, and Owen Protz, whose impressive play over the weekend earned him an invite to the main camp. Up front, Matthew Wang was the only player cut after the prospect challenge, meaning that 13 forwards remained at camp: Owen Beck, Ivan Demidov, Will Dineen, Joseph Dunlap, Mark Estapa, Egor Goriunov, Oliver Kapanen, Filip Mesar, Israel Mianscum, Vinzenz Rohrer, Tyler Thorpe, Luke Tuch, and Florian Xhekaj.

Everyone was on the ice 15 minutes before the practice was meant to start, so the coaches hit the ground running with a session that lasted about an hour. They warmed up the players with simple shooting drills to start, before moving on to the two-on-two or three-on-three sessions at each end of the ice, in about three-quarters of the defensive zone.

They then worked on the transition game, with the defenseman tasked with making a good first pass, and the forwards trying to get a good shot on net while screening the goaltender. The next drill focused on zone entries two-on-two, followed by a bit of three-on-three on half the rink to wrap up the practice.

Speaking after the practice, coach Pascal Vincent was pleased with how the camp went:

I learnt to know some of our young players. We also got to see the physical progression of some of our players, like Xhekaj, who took a lot of volume. I thought Owen Beck was playing with a lot of purpose; there was always a reason behind his decisions. Of course, results are secondary this time of the year. We wanted to evaluate the players individually, and many of them performed well.

- Vincent on the rookie camp

Vincent also had kind words for the scouting staff:

I think Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe have donee some phenomenal work, the quality of not only the players but the individuals and the diversity in the picks as well, there are physical players, offensive ones, defensive ones, there are players who can play a plethora of different roles, it’s exciting for the coach, I can only imagine that it can be for fans as well.

- Vincent on the work accomplished by the scouting department

During the Prospect Showdown, the physical play of Owen Protz, a fourth-round pick (102nd overall at the 2024 draft), stood out, and when asked about the youngster, Vincent explained why he had earned the right to stay for the main camp:

He showed an interesting physical side; he had a presence on the ice, and management decided to keep him for the main camp, which was thoroughly deserved. He’s a young man who we brought up with us [with the Laval Rocket] during the playoffs to see how it would go, and he was working hard during practices. I think he knows who he is; he doesn’t try to be someone else on the ice. That may seem trivial or simple, but that’s not always the case. Players often struggle to make the transition from junior, college, or European hockey to professional hockey because they sometimes have to adjust their role, but he knows who he is. I loved the way he played, his first pass, and the physical aspect was impressive.

- Vincent on Protz

Asked about Protz, former blueliner Francis Bouillon agreed:

I loved the way he played. We aim to play to his strengths, considering the reasons behind our draft. The players we draft must know why we drafted them. Sometimes when guys go back to junior, they all try to be scorers or offensive guys. Still, what he showed this weekend —playing with a lot of physicality and making good first passes —is precisely what we expect of him. I spoke to him after the second game, and I think he deserves his spot at the main camp.

- Bouillon on Protz

At 19 and with a crowded blueline, it’s evident that Protz won’t find his way in the lineup right now. Still, when he is sent back down to junior, he will have a tremendous experience to build on and a camp that will no doubt be a significant building block for him and a motivational factor.

It must have been quite an experience for the blueliner on Saturday night to have the crowd react as it did when he set the tone for the game with a bone-crushing hit, the kind of experience he’ll remember for the rest of his life, no matter what happens in his career.

With the rookie camp now out of the way, things are about to ramp up in Brossard, and we’ll have all the happenings for you in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned!

Kirby Dach is putting in the work on that knee, skating with an elastic holding him back #GoHabsGo@TheHockeyNewspic.twitter.com/5qLL7B2YNe

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) September 16, 2025

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Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Florida Panthers are back in Fort Lauderdale.

This week, the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions will kick off their annual training camp at the Baptist Health IcePlex.

Excitement couldn’t be higher as many experts are looking at the Panthers a possibility to be the league’s first back-to-back-to-back champs in over 40 years.

As the players prepare to hit the ice, THN Florida is going to through Florida’s roster and give you one word for each player as they prepare to open the 2025-26 season.

We’ll start with the forwards.

Sasha Barkov: Legacy

The first Finnish NHL captain to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup has carved out quite a spot for himself in hockey lore over the past several seasons. The Stanley Cup’s and Selke Trophies are starting to stack up. If he stays on this path, Barkov could soon be leading the conversation of greatest Finnish hockey players of all time.

Sam Reinhart: Special

Teams, that is. I mean, yeah, Reinhart is an exceptionally special hockey player. Since arriving in South Florida during the summer of 2021, Reinhart has racked up 160 goals and 324 points. It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that more than half of his goals (82) and about one-third of his assists (56) have come on special teams. Reinhart has become an integral part of Florida’s power play and penalty kill, which in turn are big keys to their continued postseason success.

Matthew Tkachuk: Wolverine

Tkachuk is going to miss the first several months of the season while recovering from surgery after he played through a torn hip abductor and sports hernia during Florida’s latest Stanley Cup run. Hopefully, he can channel his inner-Wolverine (the X-Men member whose mutant power is superhuman healing) and get himself back to 100% in time for the winter Olympics in February and the run to the playoffs that will follow. Tkachuk very much wants to play for his country in Milan, so the sooner he’s healed, the easier the transition back to high-level hockey and lesser chance of any kind of setback.

Sam Bennett: Moderation

Bennett has proved over the past few years that his style of play within the Panthers systems is perfect for playoff hockey. However, playing at that kind of physically intense level for 82 regular season games just doesn’t make sense if he wants to be at 100%, or as close to it as possible, for Florida’s next playoff run.

Carter Verhaeghe: Precision

One of the most clutch players in the NHL saw his shooting percentage drop significantly last season, resulting in a decrease in goal-scoring. The rest of Verhaeghe’s game remained the same as the guy with the endless motor continued to provide quality minutes inside Florida’s top six. Once he starts picking those corners again, expect the goal total to pop right back up to the 30-40 range.

Anton Lundell: Twenty

Lundell is going to turn 24 years old a few days before Opening Night. This will already be his fifth season in the NHL, and it’s going to be his first where he cracks the 20-goal mark. The growth in his game has been apparent, but expect that to go up a notch this season.

Evan Rodrigues: Unsung

Rodrigues plays all over the lineup, wherever he’s asked, and bring the same consistency regardless of his linemates or ice time. His name was also the first to come up when trade rumors began swirling due to Matthew Tkachuk going on LTIR. To his credit, Rodrigues just keeps smiling and plugging away, and his coaching staff adores him for it.

Brad Marchand: Twilight

No longer feeling the pressures of being the face of an Original 6 franchise, Marchand can now enjoy the rest of his career much as he did Florida’s playoff run from last season. He’s still playing at an elite level, and his tenacious brand of hockey fits in quite well with the Panthers’ style of play.

Mackie Samoskevich: Experienced

I know, I know, Samoskevich is still just 22 years old with all of two pro seasons under his belt. But he’s also now been to two NHL training camps and played a full season with the Panthers that included a Stanley Cup victory. Samoskevich should have an excellent understanding of what it takes to succeed at the game’s highest level, and that knowledge should help him prepare for, endure and ultimately thrive in his sophomore season with the Cats.

Tomas Nosek: Steady

Centering Florida’s fourth line can be tricky because you never quite know what group you’ll be matched up against or when your number will be called. A defensive zone draw against a top six group could happen just as easily as an o-zone start after an icing against a tired checking line. Nosek proved that he can remain stable and sturdy regardless of the situation, a trait that endeared him to Paul Maurice and co.

Jonah Gadjovich: Established

Between the second half of last season and the playoffs, Gadjovich found himself playing regular minutes on Florida’s line. It was a unit that Paul Maurice praised multiple times and utilized in crucial situations during their latest Stanley Cup run. We’ll see if that can translate to Gadjovich establishing himself as an everyday player for an entire season.

A.J. Greer: Fun

The spotlight isn’t on Greer very often, but if you just zero in on him during a shift, get ready to see a guy who looks like he’s having the time of his life while giving 110% every second he’s out there. It’s just plain fun watching Greer do his thing, especially on a team like Florida, where combining skill and muscle will go a long way.

Jesper Boqvist: Build

That’s exactly what Boqvist needs to do following a strong first season with the Panthers. A career high in goals and games played led to Boqvist earning a two-year extension from Florida that carries a higher AAV than he was given on any of his previous deals. It will be very interesting to see how Florida’s lineup shakes out if Boqvist continues to impress the coaching staff, as he did last year.

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Photo caption: Apr 14, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates with center Aleksander Barkov (16) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) after scoring against the New York Rangers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks are bringing veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to training camp on a PTO. He will be one of the oldest players, 31, on the blue line. 

Connor Murphy is 32 years old, which makes him the true elder on the team, but every other defenseman expected to be on the roster is 24 years old or younger. Whether it's Alex Vlasic, Ethan Del Mastro, Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, Wyatt Kaiser, or Kevin Korchinski, there are going to be young players playing early and often. 

Having a veteran like Grzelcyk around would be great for these young players. A lot of them are looking to become full-time NHL defensemen while gaining valuable experience, so having someone there to look up to will help them. 

Grzelcyk is also a solid player. It is odd to see a player like him make it this far without anything other than a PTO. On a lousy Pittsburgh Penguins team in 2024-25, Grzelcyk only scored one goal, but he had 39 assists for 40 points.

Those 40 points would have led the Blackhawks' defensemen by 10. Vlasic led the blue line with 30 points on four goals and 26 assists.

Even Seth Jones, who was traded by the Chicago Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers and played a huge role in them winning the Stanley Cup, had fewer regular-season points than Grzelcyk. 

More ice time for Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov could raise their point totals, but Grzelcyk is someone who could lead the team in points by a defenseman if he were to make the team. He can play a solid defensive game while being a good puck distributor in all three zones in all situations (power play, penalty kill, etc). 

Forwards on the team, if Grzelcyk makes the roster and plays to his capabilities, would benefit from it as well. The likes of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Ryan Donato, and Teuvo Teravainen would love the addition of another puck-moving defenseman on the team. 

If the Blackhawks did sign him and he played a fair amount of games, he could play with Sam Rinzel or Artyom Levshunov to help bring them along (the other would play with Alex Vlasic), or he could be on an all-veteran pair with Connor Murphy. Jeff Blashill would have options there. 

Grzelcyk would certainly have to make an impression during training camp and the preseason to make the team, but the tools are there, and he's only 31 years old. There are leadership qualities and offensive abilities there that make him worthy of consideration. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a paid tryout (PTO) contract on Friday, along with that came the announcement that he'd be appearing in one final pre-season game in Pittsburgh on Sept. 27 against the Columbus Blue Jackets before officially retiring from the NHL. 

And given how much Pittsburgh is anticipating Fleury's return, the price of admission should come as a surprise to no one. 

As of Wednesday, the cheapest ticket available to Fleury's final game on Ticketmaster is more than $175, with the lowest price on Stubhub going for more than $170. Other retailers like Gametime and SeatGeek are selling at similar clips.

For comparison's sake? The Penguins' first pre-season home game against the Detroit Red Wings on the night before - a Friday night - are selling for as low as $18.

Fleury, 40, was selected by the Penguins first overall in 2003 and remained with the club through the end of the 2016-17 season, helping the team win three Stanley Cup Championships in that time. He was the first player drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, and he stayed there for four seasons before moving on to the Chicago Blackhawks for a half season and the Minnesota Wild for the last four of his NHL career.

If anything, these ticket prices show just how much Pittsburgh loves its legendary netminder and how him coming back to Pittsburgh is a full-circle moment, something that Fleury expressed Tuesday. 

“I wanted to go back where it all began," Fleury told NHL.com. "I see it as a wink to my past. I’ll wear the Penguins jersey one last time, and I’ll see some old teammates and friends again. It’s a way to come full circle."

For Fleury And The Penguins, A Storybook Ending Is In StoreWhen a young netminder from Sorel, Quebec made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003, it's difficult to imagine that folks in Pittsburgh, Pa. knew what was in store for the next decade and a half. 

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