Cap City Summer Elite League instant success in Columbus area

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio -- J.C. Campagna was thinking small at the start, but with the success of the inaugural Cap City Summer Elite League, its co-founder is dreaming big.

"I thought maybe 10 people would show up to watch us play," he said.

Instead, for the last three Tuesday afternoons in July, more than 1,000 fans jammed OhioHealth Chiller North near Columbus to watch current and former Columbus Blue Jackets, players from Ohio State University and other colleges, and some junior players skate in a nonchecking format.

"I don't know how big this can get," Campagna told NHL.com. "My dream is that the championship is played at Nationwide Arena (the Blue Jackets' home). I mean, that would be awesome for fans, for everybody, but right now we're taking it week by week."

Campagna, a 30-year-old forward who has played in the ECHL, American Hockey League and Europe, founded the venture with Pat Cannone, director of player advancement and development for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets; Nick Petraglia, executive vice president of the AAA Blue Jackets; and Joey Nahay, owner of The Battery Hockey Academy, which was co-founded by former Columbus forward Cam Atkinson, now of the Philadelphia Flyers.

"It's great," said Blue Jackets forward Carson Meyer, a Columbus-area native who played for the AAA Blue Jackets, Miami (Ohio) University and Ohio State. "I feel like we finally have the numbers in town with professional players, collegians and juniors to make something like this happen. Credit to the four guys who put it together. It's been a blast for us as players. It keeps us in shape and we get to do something competitive, and the turnouts have been unbelievable."

Other AAA Blue Jackets alumni who grew up in the area and are playing in the summer league include Columbus forwards Jack Roslovic and Sean Kuraly, and Nashville Predators forward Kiefer Sherwood.

In addition to Atkinson, defenseman Jack Johnson (Colorado Avalanche) and forward Gustav Nyquist (Predators) are other former Blue Jackets who have participated.

The curiosity of fans has been piqued by a few players returning to action after season-ending injuries: Atkinson (neck) and two current members of the Blue Jackets, forward Patrik Laine (triceps strain) and defenseman Zach Werenski (shoulder).

Laine said he's not surprised by the fan enthusiasm.

"People are interested. That's what I've noticed in the time I've been here," he said. "They care about hockey. It's the middle of the summer and they're here."

The league consists of four teams playing an eight-game schedule, with the championship Aug. 31. They play two 25-minute halves, with the first two weeks being 3-on-3 before play shifted to 4-on-4 the third week. Eventually they'll go to 5-on-5 if the players want to.

"The rink is packed," Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. "People are ready for some hockey, and it was fun to play in front of a crowd like that. A lot of kids and excitement around the rink here, so it was cool."

Admission and parking are free, and games are streamed live using multiple cameras.

"I can't stress enough this is not a men's league," Campagna said. "This is a pro-style, competitive way to stay in shape for high-end athletes."

Kuraly wishes the league was around years ago.

"Looking back when I was a kid, it would have been fun to do on a Tuesday afternoon, come down and see some NHL players and players that will be soon," he said. "This is something that occurs in mature markets when you've got players that spend summers in towns like this, so I think it says a lot about how far hockey has come here. This is a Detroit, Minnesota, Canadian-market kind of thing."

Photos courtesy of Dani Smith