From then to now, AAA Blue Jackets alums can see hockey's growth locally

All it takes to judge the growing popularity of hockey in Columbus is a short walk inside the doors of the OhioHealth Ice Haus.
Over in the corner of the Blue Jackets' practice rink, which is attached to Nationwide Arena, is the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets' locker room. All by itself, it helps tell the story of hockey's emerging presence here merely by existing.
"Before the Blue Jackets and the NHL came to the city, youth hockey didn't have the backing that it does now," said Boston Bruins center Sean Kuraly, who grew up in Dublin and came through the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets program. "It didn't have the excitement and didn't have any kids thinking, 'Maybe one day I'll play for the Blue Jackets.' We didn't have any of that before they arrived. Now, we come back here in the summer and [the AAA Blue Jackets] have a locker room."

That's quite an accomplishment in the eyes of alums like Kuraly, who is one of three AAA Blue Jackets alums currently playing for NHL teams. Connor Murphy (Chicago Blackhawks) and Jack Roslovic (Winnipeg Jets) are the other two and there's more either playing in the American Hockey League, college or junior levels - including Kole Sherwood, a Blue Jackets forward prospect who's from New Albany.
Most remember their AAA Blue Jackets experience vividly, which means they're able to track the popularity of hockey in Columbus anecdotally - observing what it's like now for the program's players. Not only do the current AAA Blue Jackets have their own locker room, but they also have off-ice training tools and play in the prestigious Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.
"We didn't even have this rink a lot of the time," said Murphy, the son of former Blue Jackets assistant coach Gord Murphy. "We started out with the AAA Blue Jackets] and we'd be at the fairgrounds rink or the Chiller North or Worthington Ice Arena - the 'Bubble' - and different places where a lot of times you couldn't even shower, really. Now, you come here and you've got your own locker stall and there are fans and everything. They're definitely set up well now, and pampered a bit, but hopefully that leads to more wins for them."
Murphy, Kuraly and Roslovic are in town going through on-ice workouts at the Ice Haus with other pros in town, including a number of Blue Jackets players and prospects. They will join 43 other AAA Blue Jackets alums for the program's inaugural Alumni Game, which will be held 3 p.m. Sunday at the Ice Haus.
[Tickets
are $5 or $20 for a family pack of five and proceeds will benefit the AAA Blue Jackets program, helping current and future players pay for the costs of participating.
It's more than just a fundraiser, though. It's also a celebration for AAA Blue Jackets alums and Ed Gingher, who heads up the program.
"There's been a lot of chatter amongst the guys through the years, but in all the years we've had it, we've really only had 130 or 140 alumni," Gingher said. "It finally got to the point where enough guys were like, 'Hey, let's do something.' That's what makes it extra-special for us. They're the ones who, organically, are saying, 'It's time. Let's get the band back together.'"
In all, 46 alums have committed to playing - split onto teams that were decided by a draft. Kuraly and Murphy will head up one team, while Roslovic and Trent Vogelhuber will head up the other.
Vogelhuber, who played for the AHL's San Antonio Rampage last season, was the first AAA Blue Jackets player to advance to the collegiate level (Miami of Ohio) and also the first to get drafted by an NHL team - selected by the Blue Jackets in the seventh round (No. 211) in the 2007 NHL Draft.
"It's going to be a fun weekend," Gingher said. "We've got guys who played on our first team all the way up to guys from a couple years ago. As they say, every kid's path is different and we're going to see a lot of those paths this weekend, from guys who are executives, police officers and attorneys to guy playing in the National Hockey League."
Gingher keeps a close eye on the NHLers but is just as proud of those who've transitioned into careers outside of hockey.
"They're good kids and hockey's been a big part of what they've done," he said. "It's fun for us to be a part of that path throughout their development."
Hockey's just as important to youth players now, locally, and it continues to gain a stronger foothold with each crop of kids who give it a whirl. The proof is scattered across North America, from junior and college ranks to the pros.
"It's a tight-knit group that we have here, which is really fun," said Roslovic, who's been training this summer with Blue Jackets forwards Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. "Even the [Blue Jackets] guys who are in the summer, that just goes to show how popular this city is, how it's booming and how hockey in Columbus is going."