The Columbus Blue Jackets have 14 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #14.
Let’s take a look.
Ray Whitney – 2001-2003 – Drafted by San Jose in 1991.
Whitney played 151 games as a Jacket and was the Captain for one. During the one year he was the Captain, he scored 24 goals and totaled 76 points, which set a CBJ record. Ray Whitney is the best player to have worn #14 for the Blue Jackets.
When Ray Whitney was traded to the Blue Jackets, the 28-year-old had already played 528 games in the NHL spanning 10 seasons. But he had never played a full 82-game season; he only averaged 53 games a year. So, when the CBJ traded for him in 2001, fans were as excited as ever for the fledgling franchise. They were getting a goal-scorer and a relatively young playmaker.
After his time with Columbus, he went on to play for another 10 years and a total of 1,330 games. He played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL and had over 1,000 points. He would retire in 2015.
In a game at Nationwide Arena in November of 2001 against the St. Louis Blues, Whitney would score this goal, which is still a legendary goal in CBJ history. The radio call from play-by-play icon George Matthews, with his partner Bill Davidge, still gives me chills.
Greg Mauldin – 2004 – Drafted by Columbus in 2002.
Played 6 games for Columbus and had no points. He went on to play 30 more NHL games after leaving Columbus.
Mauldin left for Europe in 2012, where he played in Switzerland, Russia, Germany, and Norway. He played until 2024 before retiring.
Raffi Torres – 2009-2010 – Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2000.
Torres played 111 games for the Jackets and had 51 points. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, 2010.
Torres retired on November 5, 2016.
Grant Clitsome – 2011-2012 – Drafted by Columbus in 2004.
He played 93 games for Columbus and had 36 points before being put on waivers on February 26, 2012.
On June 1, 2016, Clitsome retired after suffering a serious shoulder injury.
Blake Comeau – 2013-2014 – Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004.
Comeau played 79 games and had 21 points for the CBJ. In the summer of 2014, he left in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He would go on to play 909 games in the NHL and retired during the 21-22 season.
Dean Kukan – 2015-2022 – Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland.
Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first-ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games.
Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. Where he excelled was in the minors, though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and totaled 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.
After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions, on a five-year contract.
Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF Worlds where he scored 9 points in 10 games.
Gustav Nyquist – 2020-2023 – Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004.
Nyquist played 200 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2023. During his time in Columbus, which included a missed season due to injury, he scored 43 goals and had 117 points.
After being traded to the Wild, he would leave that summer and sign with the Nashville Predators in 2023 on a two-year deal. On 1 March 2025, he was traded back to the Wild to finish the season. On 2 July 2025, Nyquist signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Gus Nyquist and his family still live in the Columbus area.
Joseph LaBate – 2025 – Drafted by Vancouver in 2011.
LaBate played a total of six games for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season. He originally signed a PTO with the Cleveland Monsters, but in November, the CBJ signed him to a one-year deal, which allowed him to play for Columbus.
LaBate signed a one-year deal with Vancouver this past offseason.
There are 14 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
The pre-season schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
* Games in bold are home games *
After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
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