The Columbus Blue Jackets have 20 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #20.
Let’s take a look.
Martin Špaňhel – 2001-2002 – Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995.
Špaňhel played 10 games for Columbus during the first two years of the franchise and scored two goals. He never played another game in the NHL after leaving for Europe in 2002, playing in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway.
He returned to North America in 2011 and played in the ECHL but then retired soon after. Nowadays he’s the Commissioner of the Columbus Adult Hockey League.
Lasse Pirjetä – 2003-2004 – Drafted by Columbus in 2002.
Pirjetä played 108 games and had 31 points for the Jackets. He played his final NHL games with Pittsburgh after being traded on March 10, 2004.
He retired in 2008 after playing in Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. He was also an asst. coach in Finland for various levels.
Mike Rupp – 2006 – Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1998, and then the New jersey in 2000. (re-entry)
The Cleveland, Ohio native played 39 games for the Jackets in 2005-06, scoring four goals and totaling six points, after being traded to Columbus on on October 8, 2005.
Rupp famously played for the Danbury Trashers during the lockout of 04-05 in the UHL. If you haven’t watched that documentary on Netflix – DO IT! He retired in 2014.
Nowadays he can be seen on The NHL Network as an analyst. He was also a broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins for 8 years.
Curtis Glencross – 2007-2008 – Undrafted out of
Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
Glencross played 43 games as a Jacket and had 12 points. He was traded to the CBJ from the Anaheim Ducks on January 26, 2007. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2008 in exchange for Dick Tärnström.
He finished his career playing for the Flames and Capitals and had some very good years. On October 20, 2015, Glencross retired.
Kristian Huselius – 2009-2012 – Drafted by Florida in 1997.
Huselius played 189 games for Columbus and had 142 points, after signing a four-year, $19 million contract with the CBJ.
The ending of Huselius’ career was a bit controversial. Huselius said that the Blue Jackets rushed his recovery, and that he was not given ample time to recover from a chest muscle injury. He said that he was forced into game action too early, which resulted in him pulling his groin muscle, and forcing him to miss the rest of the season with a slow recovery.
On 8 January 2013, Huselius retired from hockey.
Tim Erixon – 2013-2015 – Drafted by Calgary in 2009.
Erixon came to Columbus in the deal for Rick Nash. He only played 52 games as a Jacket and had 11 points. He was traded to the Blackhawks in December of 2014.
In 2019, he left for Sweden, where he would play for the Växjö Lakers HC for two seasons, and then with the Timrå IK, where he still plays today. He is currently listed as out indefinitely due to a herniated disc.
William Karlsson – 2015 – Drafted by Anaheim in 2011.
It’s a common misconception that Karlsson was drafted by the CBJ. Taken by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, he was traded to the Jackets in March 2015. He played 165 games for Columbus and had 47 points, mostly as a fourth-line grinder and penalty killer.
He was chosen by Vegas in the expansion draft of 2017 and has been there ever since. His career in Vegas has been up and down, but he’s managed to get 396 points playing for Vegas. In 2018, he won the Lady Byng, and in 2023, he helped his team win their first Stanley Cup.
Brandon Saad – 2016-2017 –
Saad played 160 games as a Jacket and had 106 points. Saad came to Columbus on June 30, 2015, in a trade with Chicago. On June 23, 2017, Saad was sent back to Chicago, along with Anton Forsberg for dynamic winger Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and a sixth-round draft pick in 2017.
He currently plays for the Vegas Golden Knights, and is signed through 25-26.
Riley Nash – 2019-2021 – Drafted by Edmonton in 2007.
Played 179 games for the Jackets. He scored 10 goals and 33 points during his time in Columbus. He was traded to Toronto in 2021 and has bounced around since, playing for Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and New York.
He announced his retirement on July 8, 2025 after suffering a season ending knee injury that caused him to miss the entirety of 2024-25.
There are 20 days left until opening night at NWA.
The pre-season schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
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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