2003 Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets, men's professional ice hockey team and one of five teams in the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club name reflects the significant participation of Ohio residents in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The club mascot is Stinger, a bee that wears a blue uniform resembling that of a Union soldier. The team colors are red, white, and blue. The Bluejackets play in Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

On June 25, 1997, the NHL officially announced that Columbus; Atlanta, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Saint Paul, Minnesota, had been awarded NHL franchises. Businessman John H. McConnell is the Blue Jackets' majority owner, and Doug MacLean is the general manager. Columbus's first season in the NHL was the 2000-01 campaign. Before the season the team filled its roster by selecting players in a series of drafts.

The Blue Jackets, in existence since 2000, saw a 12 point improvement over their campaign in '01-'02 -- thanks in Doug MacLean's taking over for fired Dave King halfway through last season. Fans will be looking for free-agent acquisitions Todd Marchant and Trevor Letowski to help sure up an offense that also contains speedster Geoff Sanderson, Andrew Cassels, and former first-round pick Rick Nash, who was an All-Rookie selection last year. MacLean, who doubles as the team's GM, also landed defenseman Darryl Sydor from the Dallas Stars via trade. Sydor provides a presence on the blueline that the Jackets have lacked in their short tenure in the NHL. In front of the net, ironman Marc Denis is back again, after logging an NHL-record 4,511 minutes in 77 games last season. Free agent acquisition Fred Brathwaite will be a steady backup who can ideally give Denis a break here and there as well as help handle the array of shots that will be crossing the Bluejackets' blue line. The Blue Jackets play their home games at the Nationwide Arena, which also home to the National Lacrosse League's Columbus Landsharks as well as special events and concerts.

Note: The Blue Jackets are commonly mis-spelled as one word, the Bluejackets.