The Blue Jackets made no bones about the fact they wanted Damon Severson this offseason, and the 29-year-old defenseman wanted Columbus as well.
Given the chance to speak with Severson before he hit free agency, the Blue Jackets pitched the nine-year veteran on the opportunity to help build a winner here. The end result was an eight-year contract for Severson, who is expected to bring a solid two-way player to the right side of the blue line.
His entire career to this point has been spent in New Jersey, as Severson posted 58 goals and 205 assists for 263 points in 647 games with the Devils. He’s also been a dependable player, missing just three games over the past five seasons.
The affable Severson met with the CBJ media Thursday after his first practice with the Blue Jackets. The conversation has been edited for length.
You’ve been at another team’s training camp for the entirety of your NHL career, so how does CBJ camp compare on your first day?
“It’s awesome. It’s like the first day back to school. You get to see all your friends. These are new friends, but yeah, it’s exciting. It’s nice to be here and get the hang of things, get the swing of things, get right into it. There was lots of skating early. It was awesome. I’ve had no issues so far, and I’m very happy to be here. It’s good to get day one out of the way and I’m looking forward for what’s to come.”
You got to do some team bonding things before training camp, whether it was golf or things like that. What’s it been like to not just get to know the guys that have been here in Columbus but the new players in the dressing room as well?
“We played a little bit of golf the one day a couple of weeks ago. The owner has an amazing course here. It was awesome. I had a lot of fun out there. Got to hit some balls off some pretty lush fairways. It was a lot of fun doing that, and I've had a couple of dinners with different guys and their wives and girlfriends and stuff and with my wife as well. You’re just trying to get the hang of restaurants, communities, different parts of Columbus and the surrounding area. I’m slowly getting my feet wet, but everything has been rock solid so far.”
When you come into a new place like this, does it feel all that different, or is it like once you start playing hockey it’s the same?
“Once you start playing hockey, it’s hockey, but it’s just learning new players, new guys’ tendencies. Everybody has a certain style they like to play. I had a chance to play with some really skilled players the past few years and learn their tendencies, but watching these guys from afar and some of their high-end players, I’m looking forward to getting to know what they do on the ice and understanding their game. This is a chance to get to do that and get some chemistry early and hopefully continue that during the season.”
How was it throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in Cleveland earlier this month?
“Awesome. I have a baseball background; I played growing up. I didn’t want to throw a ball, let’s put it that way. I was getting a lot of messages. My wife’s family was all betting in our group text if I was going to throw a strike or not. I threw it perfectly on the corner, and they were like, we’re gonna need to see (the strike zone). But I got confirmation from (Guardians pitcher) Cal Quantrill, the guy that I threw it to, that it was a strike, so that’s all I need to hear.”
Did you get a chance to warm up at all?
“I threw about 10 balls. Their media guy was in the back hallway with us, and he brought a glove and a ball. I requested it. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going in cold and just throw it in the dirt, so it was good. It was a lot of fun.”
How long had it been since you played?
“Funny enough, my first three years in New Jersey, I’d go back to Saskatchewan in the summers and I played in a senior league. It was real baseball – it wasn’t softball or anything. The age group was like 18 to 45, so it was a huge age number. Guys are fresh out of high school and also have been working for a long time.
“And then actually this summer, I went home for my buddy’s wedding in Regina and I went to visit my family in Melville, the town I grew up in. The team coincidentally had a game. They asked me, ‘You’re going to be in town, right? You want to play?’ It was right in the middle of the negotiations with Columbus and I was trying to figure things out, and I was like, ‘What if I get hurt?’ But I was like, ‘You know what? If you’re scared to get hurt, that’s usually when you get hurt,’ so I was like, ‘I’m doing it. I have to play once.’ I ended up pitching six innings, too. We won the game, I think it was 5-3. I pitched six and it’s a seven-inning game. My other buddy pitched the last inning and gave up a run, but I gave up two runs and like five hits or something. It was actually a pretty good start. I’m a shortstop, but I’ve pitched and they asked me if I wanted to. I haven’t pitched in so long, so I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”
What’s your best pitch?
“I throw a fastball and a curveball. I tried a changeup, but it’s not good. Just a fastball. I was hitting the corners. I’m more of a hitter. I worked at the batting cages when I was 15, 16 years old. That was my summer job as a kid. When it wasn’t too busy, I’d just go sit in the cages and hit balls. The more you practice, the better you get at something, so I became good at that, I guess.”