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It's time to start thinking hockey.
Nationwide Arena is still almost three months away from hosting the Blue Jackets' home opener Oct. 14 against Tampa Bay, but don't let the hot July weather fool you.

With the
CBJ schedule out
and single-game tickets going on sale this week --
Flag Bearer subscribers
received their links today, while the
general public sale begins Friday
-- it's time to start thinking about watching Johnny Gaudreau, Zach Werenski, Elvis Merzlikins and the rest of the Jackets this upcoming season.
It will be a home-heavy start to the campaign in part because of the Blue Jackets' Nov. 4-5 trip to take on the Colorado Avalanche in Finland, with Columbus being given a bevy of games in Nationwide Arena around the trip to ease the travel load. Outside of the two Finland games, 14 of the 20 games in October and November will be at home, including eight of 10 November contests.
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And if you like weekends, you are in luck. Twenty of the 40 games to be held at Nationwide Arena this year will be on weekend dates, with seven on Fridays, nine on Saturdays and four on Sundays.
Here's a look at some of the top games on the docket for this upcoming season.

Notable Home Dates

Thanksgiving fun:They say Thanksgiving is about the three F's -- family, food and football -- but why not add a little hockey to the equation if you'll be around the capital city? The Blue Jackets have home games on both the Wednesday night before the holiday -- always a great night for friends to get together and have a little fun - as well as Black Friday. Montreal comes to town on Nov. 23, while the New York Islanders are on the docket for Nov. 25, with Thanksgiving right in the middle.
New Year's Eve party:It's become a little bit of a tradition for the Blue Jackets to host a New Year's Eve contest, with Columbus hosting 13 NYE games over the life of the franchise including contests in 2017, '18 and '19. While the Jackets were home on New Year's Day last year, this year the New Year's Eve party returns when Chicago comes to town. What better way to ring in the New Year than starting the night with a hockey game?
Valentine's Day:There will be love in the air Tuesday, Feb. 14, but maybe not between Metropolitan Division rivals New Jersey and Columbus when they meet in Nationwide Arena. But if you're looking for a date night idea, you can get ahead of the game getting tickets now for the Devils' lone visit to the capital city.
Season finale: Everyone talks about opening night, but why not secure tickets for the last game of the year, when playoff positioning can truly be on the line? Adding to the attraction this season is that Columbus will end the season Thursday, April 13, against rival Pittsburgh. With spring in the air, this could very well be the place to be in Columbus next April.

Foes To Know

While the defending Stanley Cup champs don't come to Columbus because the Jackets and Avs will meet in Finland, there are still plenty of notable squads to visit the friendly confines of downtown Columbus.
Pittsburgh (Saturday, Oct. 22; Thursday, April 13):We already noted the season finale against the Pens, but Pittsburgh also comes to town early in the campaign for a first-month matchup with the Jackets. It's fair to say the Penguins remain the Jackets' fiercest rival, so this will be an anticipated early contest.
Philadelphia (Thursday, Nov. 10; Tuesday, Nov. 15): Through a fluke of scheduling, former CBJ head coach John Tortorella comes to town twice in six days during the second month of the season, including the first contest after Columbus returns from Finland. The winningest head coach in franchise history will surely be welcomed back warmly by the Nationwide faithful.
Detroit (Saturday, Nov. 19; Sunday, Dec. 4):The Ohio vs. Michigan battle often lives up to the billing, and both franchises think they've made substantial improvements to their young teams this offseason. One of the most historic franchises in the league, Detroit is looking to return playoff hockey to the Motor City and will be locked in a battle with the Jackets for Eastern Conference standings points this season.
Toronto (Friday, Feb. 10): Love 'em or hate 'em, the Maple Leafs are always one of the most compelling teams in the league. 2021 Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews and the rest of the star-studded squad will be in Columbus just once this year, visiting on a Friday night in the Jackets' first game after the All-Star break. This should be a popular ticket.
Edmonton (Saturday, Feb. 25):The Oilers made a deep run into the Western Conference playoffs this year and feature two of the biggest names in the NHL in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They're always an interesting watch, and this will also be a Saturday matinee for those who want to bring the kids along.

Metro Madness

The Metropolitan Division race this year should be quite a battle, with the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Devils and Flyers trying to chase down 2021-22 playoff teams Washington, Pittsburgh, Carolina and the New York Rangers. We already mentioned three of those teams above, but here's when the rest of the division foes come to town.
Carolina:The high-flying Canes have made big additions this summer in Max Pacioretty and Brent Burns, and they come to Columbus for games Saturday, Jan. 7 and Thursday, Jan. 12.
New York Islanders:New head coach Lane Lambert will try to skipper the Isles to a bounceback season, which includes stops in Columbus on Black Friday as well as Friday, March 24.
New York Rangers:Artemi Panarin's squad got all the way to the Eastern Conference final this past season and will be in Columbus for games Monday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, April 8.
Washington Capitals: Alexander Ovechkin's assault on the NHL record books will continue with a pair of visits to Nationwide this winter with games Thursday, Jan. 5 and Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Road Trip!

We just went over the home schedule, but CBJ fans are always fond of hitting the road to see the Jackets, too. Here's a few trips worth considering.
- Why wait for the home opener when you can see the Blue Jackets kick off the season? Columbus will be in Carolina to take on the Canes on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and it's really not that far to Raleigh... - Get in the car getaways: According to Google Maps, eight NHL arenas are within seven hours of Columbus, which is the limit we'll use for calling a trip drive-worthy. Here are the places you can go within that boundary: Detroit (Saturday, Jan. 14), Pittsburgh (Tuesday, Jan. 6; Tuesday, March 7), Buffalo (Tuesday, Feb. 28), Chicago (Friday, Dec. 23), St. Louis (Saturday, Oct. 15), Nashville (Saturday, Nov. 26), Washington (Sunday, Jan. 8; Tuesday, March 21) and Toronto (Saturday, Feb. 11; Tuesday, April 4). - Who doesn't love a good Florida trip, especially during the depths of a chilly winter? You can check out the Jackets taking on both Florida teams in mid-December, with Columbus visiting the Panthers on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and then taking on Tampa Bay on Thursday, Dec. 15. You could also give someone a nice Christmas present and buy them tickets to the game in Tampa on Tuesday, Jan. 10, if you're so inclined. - This year's California trip will be in mid-March, with the Jackets visiting San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim from Tuesday, March 14, through Friday, March 17. From there, the annual game in Vegas -- always a popular CBJ getaway -- will be Sunday, March 19. That also happens to be the opening weekend of March Madness, always a busy time in Sin City. - The Western Canada trip now includes Seattle with the Kraken going into year two in the league. This year's version could be a snowy one, with Columbus set to visit Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle from Jan. 23-28.

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