Everyone is part of the family at a Blue Jackets gameday

There is so much that goes into a Columbus Blue Jackets gameday at Nationwide Arena.  

On a game-to-game basis, almost 20,000 fans and employees may be traveling from all over to get to a CBJ game, and all of them will enjoy varying experiences within the confines of Nationwide Arena.  

As the 2023-24 season nears its conclusion, there are many stories to be shared. Whether it be from a fan’s first game or an usher’s 24th year working at Nationwide Arena, the memories made here will last forever. 

The Walter family – Brian and Jessica Walter as well as daughter Vivian – traveled to Columbus from Virginia over spring break and couldn’t leave without coming to a Jackets game. The April 1 game against Colorado was Vivian’s first game, making the experience more special.

“It's been a while since I've been to a hockey game, so I'm just excited to be here with all the excitement and watch it,” Jessica Walter said. “To watch her see it for the first time in person is pretty cool.” 

The family made sure to get up to the glass during warmups to give Vivian an up-close look at the players. She held up a sign that said “My 1st Hockey Game,” with a “Go Jackets!!!” at the top.  

“She likes all the lights, excitement, all the people,” Jessica said. “She's been super excited to go to a hockey game today. When she woke up, she was just like ‘I want to go to the hockey game.’”

And that is exactly what Vivian was in for as the Jackets secured a 4-1 win over the Avalanche to commemorate her first game.  

Brian Walter, a Columbus native, doesn’t miss a game despite having to watch each night on his phone. Brian and Jessica have traveled to Washington D.C. to watch the Jackets take on the Capitals over the years.  

“I like coming back, just seeing what’s changed,” he said. “There's always something new, and it's fun to see how the city is evolving. The experiences are different every time we come. There are always more things to offer.”

While young Vivian was enjoying her first game, Harold Nims was making his return to Nationwide Arena. It was a special occasion, as the 100-year-old World War II veteran was recognized as the team’s Elk+Elk Military Honoree for the game against Colorado.

An Army veteran, Nims was in good company as he came with an entourage of family members, including his kids and grandchildren.  

A Dublin resident, Nims said he has been a fan of the Jackets for years but became more invested last season. He followed every game and even decided to read the NHL rulebook to help him understand the game more, but he said he is still learning every day. 

“It’s been four or five years since I’ve been here,” he said. “A friend of mine and I used to come about three times a year. We’d sit down in the lower level and enjoy the game.” 

While Nims had the chance to enjoy the game with his family, he was also recognized by the crowd during the Star-Spangled Banner and during the game on the scoreboard. Former CBJ player Brandon Dubinsky brought him a personalized jersey, which he put on right away. 

“It was a great pleasure meeting him. I just can’t believe what they’ve done for me tonight,” Nims said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s well planned. Well done. Well organized, and I appreciate it.” 

While the military salute has become a time-honored tradition at CBJ games, things at Nationwide Arena are always changing. That could be new food vendors and bars decorating the concourses, fan amenities like the Safelite Safe Spot on club level, or even a state-of-the-art Fan Zone, which happens to be first of its kind in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets’ senior coordinator of fan engagement, Joel Rosenberg, has taken on the role of overseeing the COSI Fan Zone that opened last season. Rosenberg is in charge of making sure all of the simulators, video games, photo booths and other interactive amenities are running smoothly.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind space. There's no other space like it; no other arenas have it, especially in the NHL,” Rosenberg said. “Knowing that we're a part of something that is truly unique and individual to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nationwide Arena and knowing that we're offering an experience that can be enjoyed just as much by the first-time fans versus the longtime season ticket holders versus the people who know nothing about hockey, regardless of who they are. 

“They can come in here and see all the cool lights and sounds of this space and truly enjoy their time regardless of who they are. So, we're giving a good experience, and we've gotten great reactions and feedback from it so far, and I think it's all uphill from here." 

The Fan Zone is located on the main concourse near section 118 and is open to all fans who come to a Blue Jackets game free of charge. Rosenberg said working in the Fan Zone is a job that requires making changes on the fly but loves being able to make fans’ gameday more enjoyable. 

Rosenberg spends every game inside the Fan Zone, meaning the way he watches the Jackets play is unique.  

“Luckily, we have this giant nine-screen TV that is kind of the best possible place to watch it other than from really good seats because it looks incredible on there,” he said. “We have speakers all over to hear the broadcast. There are a lot of fans that if they want to get away from the chaos of the bowl, they just come sit in here and watch the game for a few minutes just to get away from it and then go back. It really is a special space for that.” 

Despite all of the fun opportunities Nationwide Arena offers, some fans will keep coming back to simply see the team play in person and be a part of all the excitement that live sports bring. 

Charlie Scott, a nine-year season ticket holder, grew up watching hockey on TV but didn’t get to experience it live until the Jackets came to Columbus.  

Despite being a basketball referee, Scott says watching hockey is unmatched.  

“Oh, I just love it. The atmosphere is great, and I think this is the most exciting sport to watch in person,” Scott said at the April 4 game vs. the New York Islanders. “You know, I'm a big basketball guy, but I would rather watch this than basketball in person. I think it's just a fast game. And that's what's fun.”  

Scott said that he is from a small town in Ohio called Perrysville, which is more than an hour drive away from Nationwide Arena. Yet, he never stops making the almost three-hour round trip to see the Blue Jackets play.  

“I’ve always been in 118, first row where the Zamboni comes out,” Scott said. “I love it. I will never give up those seats. I’ve got extra knee room, and we got the little ledge in front of us. Plus, we get to talk to the ice people all the time.”  

He has made lifelong friendships with the people he has met during his time as a season ticket holder. On top of that, he said he has many fond memories of his time as part of the 5th Line.  

“Probably my favorite memory, I got picked as a season ticket holder to have lunch with Nick Foligno,” Scott said. “I got to sit there and talk to him for about an hour and a half. Got our pictures. And I had kind of a relationship with him because every time I would see him at a signing, he would joke with me and I would joke back and stuff. A close second is the Tampa Bay series, when we swept them.”

It is only natural to create bonds after spending so much time at Nationwide Arena with other fans of the team. These fans can also include ushers.  

Jim Ketchel has been an usher at Nationwide Arena since the year 2000, and most fans who have been to game at Nationwide Arena would likely recognize him as he works his spot at the portal between sections 110 and 111 near the cannon.

“I actually won tickets for the first game,” Ketchel said. “I used to work for Nationwide across the street. I won tickets for game one, but game two was October 7. That was my first game, October 7, 2000. So, I've been here ever since. In fact, my first-year badge even has a misspelling in it that they asked me to return, and I said no, I'm going to keep that one.” 

Ketchel has worked at the arena long enough that he’s known season ticket holders from his section when they were little kids who are now adults with kids of their own still sitting in his section.  

“I have a girl that used to come with the shoes that lit up when she was 5,” he said. “She sat with her parents. Now she has twin 5-year-olds of her own and they’re still sitting in my section. I thought that was fantastic.”

Ketchel has fans who tell him he can never retire because he is all they’ve known since becoming fans of the Blue Jackets, which makes him feel thankful for the years he has spent here.  

When asked what keeps him going, he said it is all about the people around him and the experiences that he can help create for fans.  

“We’ve changed on the fly,” he said. “I’ve had six or seven jobs since then. It's a matter of finding time for it no matter what I'm doing and trying to bring that good attitude every time. You don't know if it's somebody's first game or their last game, so let's see what we can do to make things better. And you try to be positive. Even if you're having a bad night, make a joke out of it.

“You got to see the visitor, that might be the last time you see him and he's probably going to be in a hall of fame or something like that. Try to have fun. Not trying to say we're trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but trying to find the good things where you can.”  

Ketchel said when Nationwide Arena first opened, he walked over from his job across the street and asked for the head of the ushers, and he told him he was going to come work for them, no questions asked. The employee in charge of the ushers yelled to Ketchel as he walked away asking if he wanted to know what he’d be making.  

Ketchel responded with a “Nope!” and that was that. He has worked at the arena ever since.  

When asked how much longer he could see himself working games at Nationwide Arena, he said he has no plans in the foreseeable future to be finished. But he does like to joke with his regulars that he will be signing his letter of intent for next year.  

“But watching your kids grow up and everything else, it's kind of fun,” he said. “I think even if I wasn't working here, I’d probably be hanging around the rink on game days because I like it so much, and I know so many people.” 

Ketchel has worked in the same section since he started at Nationwide Arena, but not every staff member stays in one spot on gamedays. If you are a member of one of the promo teams for the Blue Jackets, you could spend most of the game running around. 

This is the case for Jordan Ashby, a second-year member of the Goal Patrol.  

Being a member of the Goal Patrol team means getting the energy up in the arena and making sure all of the games and activities that take place during breaks in the game or intermissions are running smoothly, she said.  

Ashby said she decided to apply for the job after moving to Columbus from North Carolina because she is a fan of professional sports and wanted to be able to make connections in the city.  

“I ended up getting the job,” Ashby said. “It was all out of a whim that I did it, and now I'm so happy that it happened. I would not change it for anything else. I love this job, and I've become more of a fan of hockey now than I was before.”

Echoing what Ketchel and Rosenberg said about their favorite parts of working during CBJ games, Ashby said she loves having the ability to make fans’ gameday experiences special.  

“My favorite part of this job, besides just having the opportunity to be around a professional sports environment, which is a dream of mine, is making sure the kids are having a great game,” Ashby said. “For the kids it's something special. They just get so excited about little things. We have these little Croc charms that we have been giving away and the children just light up. They love it.  

“Being able to pick them for the Zamboni, bringing them down and having them on the glass, just seeing their face, you can turn somebody into a lifelong fan from doing that. If I can just make one game special for one child, I'm good. I made the game. I did it.”  

Providing a memorable gameday experience is something that everyone who works in the organization and the arena wants for fans. Everyone in attendance comes under different circumstances and from all walks of life.

And no matter where they came from or why they’re there, everyone who attends a game is part of the Blue Jackets community.