A Rough Start for the Columbus Blue Jackets
The NHL regular season has only just begun, but there have been some major hits and losses for the Columbus team already. This offseason was interesting for a lot of teams like Toronto, Chicago, and Carolina, in the league. Arguably none have lost as much as the Blue Jackets. These losses affected every team and every fan as well.
Starting Off
The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially started their 2024-25 regular season with a match against the Minnesota Wild to start them off. They lost with a score of 3-2, which doesn’t mean much at this point in the season as they have only played two games. Their second was last night against the Colorado Avalanche and they had a win with 6-4. Again, this does not show us much about how the team will be playing for the rest of the season, but it can give us a look into the team leadership.
Boone Jenner
Boone Jenner, the captain of the Blue Jackets has recently sustained an injury this past summer. This could cause him to miss the entire regular season. To add to Jenner’s long wait, he had to face a terrible tragedy this summer within his family. He had to face the loss of his child in birth over the summer break. This of course takes a toll on people, and Jenner is not cut from this statement. Even though he had such a great loss, he continued on and practiced with the Blue Jackets this preseason. This is when he got injured and was taken to receive surgery on his shoulder.
To add to the injury list, there are three other players with injuries keeping them from playing regularly. Though, luckily, none have an extensive wait like Jenner does. With this injury, there are plenty of opportunities for players to receive bigger roles. One of which is Yegor Chinakhov. Chinakhov is a young player, at only 23 years old. He has been promoted to a spot on the first line, replacing Jenner.
Johnny Gaudreau
There is, of course, the loss of a beloved player, Johnny Gaudreau. He passed away this summer in a freak accident while riding his bike with his brother. His brother, Matthew, also passed away after the incident. The accident took place only a few days before their sister’s wedding. A player lost like Gaudreau is not taken lightly. It certainly affected everyone in the league and all hockey fans in the NHL. Since their deaths, there have been many memorials dedicated to them, and dedications before games. They will be remembered in hockey’s history.
Going Forward
With all these losses adding up, the Blue Jackets cannot seem to catch a break. Going forward Dean Evason, the coach, will have his work cut out for him. Though these losses are tragic for the team, there are great opportunities as mentioned above. It will be fun to watch players like Chinakhov and their growth this season.
