“To me, the story of the season I think is our fans,” Central Ohio native Sean Kuraly said. “This season, our fans have just shown through, and it was obviously not the product we wanted to show them at all times, but wow, we were impressed with how they showed up on a nightly basis. It’s really impressive, and obviously it hits a little closer to home with me. That means a lot. It puts a little extra emphasis on trying to produce some results for them.”
More than just the raw numbers – which we will point out included 11 sellouts in a 13-game span from December into February – the passion of the Blue Jackets fans stand out. We can report as someone who travels around the league that sellouts and rowdy crowds can’t be taken for granted, especially for teams that are out of the postseason race.
But in Columbus, Nationwide Arena was constantly filled with energy throughout the season, something CBJ players couldn't help but notice.
“We have incredible fans that are very passionate, very underrated,” Cole Sillinger said. “I don’t think the league understands what we have here. We love playing in front of them every night. They’re the backbone of our team. They’re our energy. They’re everything to us. It’s our goal to give them more exciting hockey and the most meaningful hockey.”
It’s just the latest data point in the fact that Columbus is a hockey town in the middle of a hockey state (the team’s AHL affiliate in Cleveland averaged 10,347 fans per game, the most in the league in 25 years).
Looking around Central Ohio, the city boasts one of the largest adult leagues in the country, while youth hockey continues to explode, as evidenced by the fact the AAA Blue Jackets program has produced seven NHLers in the past few years. Olentangy Liberty’s state hockey championship a season ago was the first for a Central Ohio team, while the success of the two-time NCAA champion Ohio State women’s team has led to a new wave of girls playing hockey in the area.
It’s a region that has clearly fallen in love with the sport, where hockey has become part of the culture, which is one reason why the Blue Jackets hope to soon deliver a winner to an area yearning for one.
“Obviously they’ve showed up again through a tough year,” captain Boone Jenner said. “It’s not where we want to be as a group or where we want to be at in this league, but they continue to show up. You’ve seen it time and time again, and they continue to show the hockey world why this is such a great market. Huge shutout to them.
“It doesn’t go unnoticed by us players, and players around the league, honestly. It’s a pretty special place to play, and they make it that, so I’m happy that they stick with us through these times. But you really want to reward them with some better games and getting back in the playoffs and more wins and more stuff to cheer for, because they definitely deserve it.”
At the conclusion of the season last week, after the Jackets’ 6-3 win over Carolina, the fans broke out in a “C-B-J" chant while players gave a final stick salute. Looking back at that moment, head coach Pascal Vincent couldn’t help but think of better days ahead.
“It makes me dream of giving them the playoffs and having them cheer for playoff hockey wins,” Vincent said. “They’ve been amazing since I’ve been here for three years now.
“You’re just a big piece of the Columbus Blue Jackets.”
