Shootout Success

After being beat worse than Jim Mora-coached-teams in the playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets returned to their winning ways with two shootout victories over Western Conference foes.

This is the Midweek Report.

Last Three:

Detroit:

The Blue Jackets entered last Wednesday’s game against Detroit on a five game point streak, but left the game embarrassed.

Not only did the Jackets fail to redeem themselves against the team that sent them packing in just four games in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, they failed to show up.

The 9-1 loss was one of the largest defeats in Columbus history, and Detroit’s nine goals set a record for most goals scored against the Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena.

Goaltender Steve Mason was pulled during the first period after giving up three quick goals, then put back in to start the second.

In all, Mason allowed a total of eight goals on the night.

The game, which was the 1,000th coached in Ken Hitchcock’s NHL career, was also the first time Columbus faced Detroit while being ahead of them in the Central Division standings.

Anaheim:

After struggling mightily against Detroit, Columbus got off to another slow start against Anaheim.

Midway through the first period, Columbus was being outshot 10-2 and had allowed the first goal of the game to Bobby Ryan.

Rick Nash’s 13^th goal tied the score at one.

After a scoreless third period and overtime, the teams entered the shootout where Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon has excelled.

After a goal by Kristian Huselius, Rick Nash gave Columbus the win with this goal on one leg.

Garon made 32 of 34 saves for the win.

Edmonton:

Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon improved to 18-4 in shootouts with the shootout win over Edmonton on Monday night.

After a scoreless first, the teams each tallied goals in the second and third periods to reach the 2-2 tie at the end of regulation.

In the shootout, Columbus’ Fedor Tyutin put one past Nikolai Khabibulin to give the Blue Jackets the lead. It was his first shootout attempt since clinching the win for Columbus over Chicago last season in the game that earned the team its first ever Stanley Cup Playoff birth.

After Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky forced a fourth shooter by tying the shootout total at one, Columbus’ Jakub Voracek scored the winning goal for the Jackets.

To secure the victory, Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon denied former Columbus first-round pick Gilbert Brule.

The Youth:

The Blue Jackets have announced that they have loaned winger Nikita Filatov to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season.

Filatov has appeared in 13 games this season, and scored 2 goals.

Filatov was Columbus’ first-round pick, sixth overall, at the 2008 entry draft.

Last season he tallied four goals in eight games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota on Jan. 10.

Power Play:

Columbus went 0-2 verses Detroit, 1-4 against Anaheim, and 2-4 against Edmonton.

This brings the season total to 17 for 73, or 23.3 percent, good enough for seventh best in the NHL.

The power play continues to be a big area of improvement for the Blue Jackets, after ranking last in the category nearly all of last season.

The Kill:

The Blue Jackets killed off 2 of 4 against Detroit, all 5 verses Anaheim, and 3 of 5 against Edmonton.

This brings the season total to 68 for 87, or 78.2 percent, a far cry from when the Jackets led the league in this category after killing nearly 30 straight penalties earlier this year.

Central Race:

Columbus currently sits two points back of division-leader Chicago, with 24 points.

With one less game played than Columbus and Chicago, Detroit is close behind with 23 points.

Nashville and St. Louis have 21 and 16 points respectively.

Injury Report:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres took a puck to the face in last Wednesday night’s game against Detroit and, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website,

has been place on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least one week.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets begin a five-game road trip Thursday at Dallas. The trip will take them to Nashville, New York, Montreal, and Ottawa before returning home to face Jerome Iginla and the Calgary Flames on Nov. 28.

Western Woes

The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up two of a possible eight points on a disappointing western road trip during which quality defense was sparse.

Through four games, the Jackets tallied 15 goals while allowing 22. At times, the offense was spectacular, scoring goals in large numbers. The defense and goal-tending on the other hand, struggled mightily at times, squandering 3 and 2 goal leads in consecutive games.

The Jackets have also allowed the first goal in 6 straight, a trend that must stop if they want to be successful on the road.

Here is this week’s midweek report.

Last Three:

At Edmonton:

After falling to Calgary 6-3 on Tuesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets headed even further north for a late-night encounter with the Edmonton Oilers.

In a game in which Mathieu Garon got his second start of the year between the pipes, the Jackets gave up the first goal of the game only 58 seconds into the opening period.

The Columbus offense however, had an answer, scoring two goals in the first, and another two to open the second, to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

Kristian Huselius tallied his third and fourth goals of the season; Chimera and Torres also added goals.

But moments later, Dustin Penner would help cut into the Columbus lead, scoring his sixth goal of the season.

Late in the second, Columbus took three consecutive penalties, and killed off the first two, but was not able to withstand the pressure on the third, allowing the Oilers to close the gap to 4-3.

They say when it rains it pours, and in the third period it poured all over the Blue Jackets as they allowed three goals. Two of the three came on the power-play, the later of the two an empty-netter albeit.

Garon stopped 26 of 31 shots. Former Blue Jackets first round draft choice Gilbert Brule missed his second consecutive game because of the flu.

At Anaheim:

On a day where all 30 NHL teams were in action, the Blue Jackets were led by captain Rick Nash who posted two goals and an assist while leading Columbus to their only win on the four game trip.

The two teams traded first and second period goals to reach a 2-2 tie before Jakub Voracek connected on two consecutive goals; both assisted by Antoine Vermette late in the second.

After allowing the Ducks the re-tie the score at four in the third, Fedor Tyutin slapped in the game winner on a shot from just inside the blue line.

Nash added an empty-netter with 16 second remaining to seal the 6-4 victory.

Mason played well in this one, denying Anaheim when it counted.

Blue Jackets Center Samuel Pahlsson skated for 19 and a half minutes, but was pointless against his former team.

At Los Angeles:

The Kings struck early and often in this one, jumping out to a three- goal lead before Antoine Vermette got the Jackets on the board late in the second.

The biggest story of this game may have been the dirty hit L.A.’s Rob Scuderi laid on Columbus’ Jason Chimera. Tuesday, the NHL announced it fined Scuderi an undisclosed amount for the low blow.

Steve Mason appeared to struggle, stopping only 19 of the 25 L.A. shots. The absence of Jan Hejda, who is +8 on the year, also may have contributed to the defense’s struggles.

The Youth:

The young offensive firepower of Jakub Voracek was on full display in Calgary and Edmonton, tallying two goals and two assists in the two games.

Nikita Filatov skated in all three games after sitting out the pervious three. He averaged 6.7 minutes of ice time but did not record a point.

Steve Mason recorded his first point of the year however, an assist on Rick Nash’s empty net goal against Anaheim.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 1-4 on the PP against Edmonton, 0-2 at Anaheim, and 1-4 against L.A. for a total of 2-10.

This brings the season total to 9-38, or 24%.

The Kill:

After entering Thursday night’s game with the leagues best penalty kill, things went downhill quickly, killing only 5-8 at Edmonton, 0-2 against Anaheim, and 2-4 vs. L.A.

In the three games, the Columbus PK was abysmal, allowing seven power play goals, after giving up only one in the previous seven games.

The season total is now 34-42, or 81%, dropping 15% in just three games.

Although the defense itself was sub-par when down a man, the real problem may be the fact that they were forced to play that way eight times in one game.

Leading 4-2 against Edmonton, Columbus took three consecutive penalties, finally surrendering a goal on the third, after killing off their 28^th and 29^th consecutive penalties.

Central Race:

Despite the losses, the Blue Jackets remain in second place in the central with 12 points.

Chicago leads the division with 15, while St. Louis, Detroit, and Nashville have nine, eight, and seven points respectively.

Columbus leads in goals per game average with 3.3, while Chicago leads in goals against with an average of 2.4.

Injury Report:

According to their official site, the Blue Jackets have placed Andrew Murray on the injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 20.

Murray is suffering shoulder problems and is expected to be out until mid-November.

Jan Hejda and Fredrik Modin both remain on the IR with knee injuries and Jared Boll is listed as questionable for the Oct. 28 match against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Defenseman Mike Commodore made his fist start of the season Saturday night at Anaheim after missing the first eight games due to a nagging groin injury.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets come back home for two games to face Phoenix and Pittsburgh before heading east to take on Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Nov. 1.

A young Phoenix team is led by winger Shane Doan, who has 10 points on the year.

The Blue Jackets will face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night when Sidney Crosby and company bring their 9-2 record to Nationwide Arena.

Midweek Report 10/21

Last Two:

Los Angeles:

After signing defenseman Kris Russel to a three-year contract extension through the 2012-2013 season, the defenseman returned the favor to the club by assisting on a Raffi Torres power play goal, which turned out to be the game winner.

For the second straight game, Columbus gave up the first goal of the game, but fought back after being down.

LA scored their lone goal of the game 10:08 into the first period on a wrist shot from Dustin Brown.

But with less than a minute remaining in the period, Jason Chimera intercepted a pass in his own zone, drove down the ice, and fired a bullet from the top of the face-off circle to the right of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick to tie the score at one.

Torres’ second period power play goal proved to be the difference in the game, coming with only 2:58 remaining in the period, assisted by Brassard and Russel.

The Blue Jackets tacked on two insurance goals in the third, a shorthanded goal from the captain Rick Nash, and an empty net power play goal from Jakub Voracek with just over a minute remaining.

The goal by Nash extended his point streak to five games.

At Calgary

The Jackets headed back west for a Tuesday night affair with the Calgary Flames. After quickly falling behind by two goals, the Blue Jackets were able to get on the board courtesy of another Rick Nash shorthanded goal to cut the deficit to 2-1.

According to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the goal was Nash’s 11th shorthanded goal since the start of the 2007-2008 season, which is second in the league behind Philadelphia’s Mike Richards with 12.

The Jackets again fell down by two goals when Jay Bouwmeester added his first goal of the season, but retaliated with two straight power play goals from Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek to tie the game at three.

In a game where Columbus goaltender Steve Mason struggled, making only 16 of 22 saves, Calgary added three more goals to bring the final to 6-3.

The Youth:

In only the past two games, forwards Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek have combined for three goals and two assists. Kris Russel also added an assist.

Nikita Filatov did not skate for the third straight game, but is expected to play Thursday night when the Jackets face the Edmonton Oilers.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 2-6 with the man advantage Saturday night against Los Angeles with the later of the two coming on a late-game empty net goal from Jakub Voracek.

The Blue Jackets were 2-7 against Calgary, bringing the season total to 7-28, or an even 25%.

The Kill:

Columbus continues to impress on the penalty kill, having scored more than they have given up.

The Jackets were 5-5 against the Kings and 5-5 against the Flames as well, bringing the season total to 27-28, or 96%, which is tops in the league.

With Nash’s shorthander against Calgary, the Jackets have scored three shorthanded goals while only allowing one all year.

Central Race:

With seven games played, Columbus, with ten points, currently sits a half-game behind central leading Chicago, who has played eight games and recorded 11 points.

St. Louis and Detroit follow with seven points apiece, while Nashville brings up the rear with a 2-4-1 record and five points.

Columbus leads in goals against average at 2.5, while Chicago leads in goals for with an average of 3.6 goals a game.

Injury Report:

Defenseman Mike Commodore is still recovering from a groin injury but has began practicing, and is expected back in the lineup soon, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website.

Fredrik Modin and Jan Hejda both remain on the injured reserve with knee injuries and are expected to be out until late October and mid November respectively.

With the absence of both Commodore and Hejda, defenseman Fedor Tyutin has seen his playing time rapidly increase, logging a team leading 17:06 minutes in Saturday night’s victory over Los Angeles.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets continue their western road trip with stops in Edmonton, Anaheim, and LA.

Columbus faces-off with the Oilers Thursday night in Edmonton.

Edmonton is 5-2-1 on the season and currently sits in third place in the Northwest Division.

Former Blue Jacket Gilbert Brule has tallied four goals and three assists in only seven games played with the Edmonton.

Midweek Report 10/14

Three games later, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still off to their best start in franchise history. A loss on the road at San Jose Thursday night, followed by consecutive victories over Phoenix and Calgary led the Jackets to their 4-1 record, and a spot atop the central division.

Last Three:

At San Jose:

After successive wins over Minnesota and Vancouver to start the season, the Blue Jackets took their winning streak on the road to face Dany Heatley and the San Jose Sharks.

Columbus struck first with an opening period goal from Rick Nash, but San Jose was relentless, scoring four times in the second, and twice again in the third to reach the 6-3 final.

Heatley, acquired by the Sharks from Ottawa only a month ago, recorded his eighth career hat-trick, with the third goal coming on a late-game penalty shot.

At Phoenix:

Recently acquired goaltender Mathieu Garon got his first start Saturday night in Phoenix, and capitalized on the opportunity.

Garon was perfect, stopping all 36 Coyote shots, and leading his team to a 2-0 victory in the desert. It was the first shutout of the year from CBJ net-minders, after reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason recorded ten a year ago.

Rick Nash tallied his second goal of the season on a beautiful tic-tac-toe pass from Huselius and Brassard. R.J. Umberger put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal with 17 seconds remaining, also his second on the year.

Calgary:

Tuesday evening’s affair was the first game back on home ice since the season opener, and offered a tough test in the then 4-1-1 Calgary Flames.

Calgary got on the board first with a goal from former Blue Jacket Curtis Glenncross, and led 1-0 after one.

The Blue Jackets countered with two goals just 2:04 apart, scored by two former Flames in Anton Stralman and Kristian Hueslius, the first coming on a five-on-three man advantage late in the second period.

Rick Nash assisted on both goals, extending his multi-point game steak to four. Huselius has also put-up points in four straight games.

Mason was able to hang on for the victory, making 22 saves in a 2-1 Columbus victory.

The Youth:

After spending a brief one game stint down on the second line, Derick Brassard returned to the top line for Saturday night’s game against Phoenix, and has played well since, recording assists and creating opportunities in both games.

Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filatov have been quiet recently; both were pointless through the past three. Filatov was a healthy scratch against Calgary.

Mathieu Roy tallied an assist on a Chimera goal at San Jose, and is +1 on the year.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 1-3 on the PP against San Jose, 0-2 against Phoenix, and 1-4 against Calgary. This brings the season total to 3-15, or 20%

The power play was an area of need for the Jackets a year ago. The 20% the team is averaging this year is much improved from the 11% the team averaged last year.

The Kill:

The penalty kill, on the other hand, seems to be an area of great strength for the Blue Jackets. Columbus entered Tuesday night’s game as the best penalty-killing team in the NHL, and did not do anything to hurt that status, killing off the only penalty they took all night.

Columbus was 4-4 on the kill at San Jose and 6-6 at Phoenix, including a late-game double minor to Derick Brassard.

On the year, Columbus has killed 17 of 18 penalties, or 94%.

Fortunately the Jackets have done a good job killing off the penalties, but an even better way to prevent power play goals is to stay out of the box in general, somewhere many Jackets have spent significant time over the past few games.

Central Race:

With eight points, Columbus has claimed their spot at the top of the central, but is closely followed by Chicago, who sits just a point away with a 3-1-1 record.

St. Louis, Nashville, and Detroit each have four points.

Chicago leads in goals for with 19, while Columbus leads in goals against average with 2.2.

In recent years, with Columbus, Chicago, and St. Louis all struggling, the division was know as the “Comedy Central.” Now, the division may be the best in all of hockey. Who’s laughing now?

Injury Report:

Defenseman Mike Commodore (groin) and winger Fredrik Modin (knee) both remain on the injured reserve.

Commodore is listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings and Modin is expected to be out until at least late October.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets face off against the 4-1 Los Angeles Kings Saturday Oct. 17 at Nationwide Arena, then head back on the road for a four-game western trip making stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim, and Los Angeles.

The Kings have won four in a row after dropping their season opener and are led by wingers Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smith who each have four goals on the season.

Midweek Report

Coming off the best season in franchise history, the Columbus Blue Jackets are off to the best start in franchise history. The team is 2-0 for the first time sice their inception into the league nine years ago.

The Blue Jackets have been getting good play from the entire team and have propelled themselves to victories over Minnesota on Saturday, and at Vancouver on Monday. Here is the midweek report.

Last two games: 2-0

The Jackets opened the ’09 season with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild, in front of a sold-out Nationwide Arena on Saturday night.

The teams played a relatively uneventful first period after a rambunctious pre-game opening ceremony, ending play in a scoreless tie.

The Jackets were on the board for the first time of the year in the second period when forward R.J. Umberger scored on a shorthanded breakaway goal. Moments later Captain Rick Nash was presented with the same opportunity, but was not able to capitalize on the breakaway.

Minnesota tied the score with a third period goal from Andrew Brunette at 4:43. Minutes later, the only remaining original Blue Jacket celebrated his new four-year deal with the club by putting the finishing touches on the teams first victory of the year.

Rostislav Klesla scored at 10:10 of the third and the reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason held on for the win. Mason finished with 32 saves in all.

Monday night’s affair with the Vancouver Canucks offered a new test for Columbus. It was the first road game of the year, and the first of a three game western road trip for the Jackets.

Vancouver struck first, at 15:29 in the first, but Columbus responded, killing off a five-on-three man advantage and scoring just moments after the penalty expired to end the first in a 1-1 tie.

The Jackets would add three consecutive goals in the second, scored by Huselius, Klesla, and Filatov before Vancouver added one more to close the cap to 4-2.

The Canucks made it close with a third period goal from Willie Mitchell, but Columbus added some insurance courtesy of a power play goal from Fedor Tyutin with 4:57 to play.

With the win, Columbus climbed to 2-0, while Vancouver fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2001 despite averaging 40 shots a game.

The young guys:

The younger guys performed well in the first two games. Nikita Filatov tallied his first goal of the season against Vancouver. Brassard seems to be fully recovered from his surgery and the shoulder injury he suffered last December, and appears to be poised to center the top line with great strength.

Jakub Voracek is bigger and stronger, and posted assists in both games. Even young Mathieu Roy has gotten in on the action, and has filled in nicely while Mike Commodore had missed time due to injury.

Power play watch:

Columbus was 0-2 on the PP on Saturday night and 1-4 with the man advantage on Monday. That puts the season total at 1-6, or for those of you who can’t do it in your head, about 17%.

The penalty kill was 3-4 on Saturday and 4-4 on Monday, bringing the season total to 7-8 or 87.5%.

Central Race:

The Jackets currently sit in a two-way tie atop the Central Division. St. Louis is also 2-0 while Chicago lurks close behind with three points at 1-0-1. Nashville is in fourth with a 1-0 record and Detroit is bringing up the rear at 0-2.

St. Louis leads the division in goals for with 9, while Detroit leads in goals against with 9.

Injury report:

After taking a cheap hit Monday night from Vancouver’s Darcy Hordichuk, Jared Boll was taken off the ice and is listed as questionable for Thursday night’s game. Fredrik Modin is still on the IR due to knee problems. Mike Commodore is expected to play against San Jose on Thursday.

Next up:

Thursday night, 10:30 pm at San Jose.

Will most likely be the premiere of new Jackets defenseman Anton Stralman.

San Jose is 1-2 coming off a 6-4 loss at Los Angeles.

The Sharks sit in a four-way tie atop the Pacific Division with two points.

Everything you need to know about opening night

Coming off the franchise’s first ever playoff birth, the upcoming season may be the most highly anticipated Columbus Blue Jackets season since the inaugural season back in 2000. Here is everything you need to know about opening night.

The Blue Jackets are 3-3-1-1 all time on opening night, and 2-1-1-1 at home. This is the first time that the Blue Jackets have opened their season with the Wild, a team that entered the league the same year as Columbus.

The Jackets have opened with the Blackhawks twice, in 2000 and 2002, but have never opened with any other team more than once. The other teams the Jackets have seen on opening night are St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, Vancouver, Anaheim, and Dallas.

Three times have the Blue Jackets opened the season with an overtime game. The first, a tie against St. Louis in ’01, then an overtime loss at Vancouver in ’06 and a victory over Dallas a year ago.

The Jackets have scored 22 goals on opening night in their nine-year history. The team leader for goals on opening night is Rick Nash with three. David Vyborny and Dan Fritsche each have two. Fritsche’s pair came in the same game, a loss against Washington back in 2005.

The quickest goal scored by a Blue Jacket on opening night was scored just 31 seconds into the first period by Geoff Sanderson in a 3-3 tie to St. Louis in 2001.

The Jackets first all time goal was scored by Bruce Gardiner in the team’s first opening night game in 2000.

The goaltender with the most opening night wins for the Blue Jackets is Pascal LeClaire, with victories in 2007 and 2008. And if you care, Blue Jacket goaltenders have allowed 21 total goals.

The all-time Nationwide Arena opening night attendance is 90,396, including four sellouts.

Opening night is Oct. 3. Come support your team, and help them add another victory to the all-time total.

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Grad skates his way from ACRN to NHL in-game host

If you have been to a Columbus Blue Jackets game over the past few years, you’re sure to have heard the voice of Mike Todd.

Todd is the in-arena host at Nationwide Arena, and one of three in-game personalities to have graduated from Ohio University.

As a telecommunications major at OU, Todd was involved in many campus wide activities including the All Campus Radio Network, Campus Crusade for Christ, as well as some political groups.

While at OU, Todd met his ACRN radio show co-host and current Blue Jackets PA announcer, Greg Murray. Together the two hosted the university station’s morning show "Murray, Todd and More", and even set an Ohio record for most consecutive time on the air, over 99 hours.

Todd, unlike Murray, was a big hockey fan in college. “We used to go over to Bird Arena and rattle the chain link fence they had around the ice during hockey games, it was always a good time,” Todd said.

Although he was always a fan of the game, he never saw himself doing what he does today. Like Murray, he knew he wanted to work in radio when he graduated, but initially took at job at Compucard as a phone salesman. “I needed to put food on the table,” he said, “working at Compucard really helped me when it came to people relations.”

He also spent time working at several central Ohio radio stations before a good friend of his made him aware of the Blue Jackets job posting on the website and suggested he try out. Todd then called Greg Murray, the Blue Jackets PA announcer, and asked him what he thought. “He told me I better be prepared to get the job,” Todd recalled. “I didn’t recommend him to anyone, but I knew he would get it,” Murray said.

Todd did get the job, and now is one of the more recognizable personalities at a Blue Jackets game. During the game, Todd is in charge of the games and contests and is often found hanging around with the Pepsi Power Patrol or Cannon Crew.

Before each game, Todd and Murray script and perform a pre-game show called “The Rink Report”, which previews the upcoming opponent and also takes a look at other games around the league.

Along with being the in-arena host, Todd also does a lot of charity work with The Blue Jackets Foundation. Events include a golf outing, a fashion show called “Black Ties, Blue Jackets” to support pediatric cancer research, and according to the foundation’s official website, “a day long extravaganza throughout Nationwide Arena of games, autograph sessions, locker room tours, interactive photo stations, auction, and more”, known as Hockey Fest. “The work we do with the Blue Jackets Foundation is very rewarding,” Todd said.

Todd also became very close with the late Ryan Salmons and his family during his fight with cancer. “Getting to know Ryan and his family was a great privilege of mine,” Todd said.

When asked about his favorite part of the job, he responded by saying it is the people. “I have the pleasure of working with a lot of wonderful and talented people,” Todd said, “including Greg Murray.”

Besides his work with the Blue Jackets, Todd owns and operates three restaurants in the central Ohio area, as well as his own DJ business with which he works parties and weddings.

“Coming from a small town, OU allowed me to experience different viewpoints and cultures,” Todd said. “Through the telecommunications school, and organizations such as ACRN, I was able form the relationships and gain the experience needed to be successful.”

From Bobcat to Blue Jackets

If you saw him on the street, you most likely wouldn’t recognize him, but it is his voice that would give him away.

As a broadcast journalism major at Ohio University, Greg Murray did not know a thing about hockey.

“I would go over to my brother’s place to watch hockey and have no idea what was going on,” Greg said.

Now, as the PA announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets, his love for the game has grown immensely. So much so that it can occasionally even be to the displeasure of his wife. “It can sometimes get to her,” Murray said. “But it’s the best sport in the world to watch.”

Murray is one of three former Bobcats, along with in-arena host Mike Todd, and anthem singer Leo Welsh, to have a major role on the in-game experience at a Blue Jackets hockey game.

While at OU, Murray worked for the All Campus Radio Network, and as a DJ at a local bar. During his time with ACRN, Greg and Fellow host Mike Todd set a record for the longest radio marathon in Ohio history, over 99 hours.

When Murray graduated from OU in 1990, his intention was to work in radio, as a DJ, and he did. Murray bounced around between a couple radio stations before landing what he considered his dream job at QFM 96 in Columbus.

It was there, at the High Street studios of QFM, that Murray watched the construction of the future home of the Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena.

When Murray heard about the PA job opening, he sent in his tape, the management liked his voice, and he got the job.

As PA announcer, Murray is most well-known for sayings such as “Jackets on the power play,” or his pre-game announcement of the starting lineups, but few people know about the other responsibilities Murray takes on.

Before each game, Murray and Todd script and perform a pre-game show called the “Rink Report”, which takes a look at the upcoming match as well as other games around the league. He is also responsible for “spotting” the game, and notifying the presentation and production directors of breaks in the actions, so that they can know the appropriate time to display a video, or play a sound bite.

Greg and the crew take time before each game to go over the pronunciation of all the player’s names for the upcoming game. Names like Nikolai Khabibulin (hah-bee-BOO-lihn) or Wade Dubielewicz (DOO-bih-wihtz) could give an unprepared announcer trouble. “That’s the hardest part,” he said. “People get really upset if you mispronounce names, you lose credibility.”

Murray, as well as Todd, also takes part in many Blue Jackets Foundation charity events such as a golf outing, Hockey Fest, and a fashion show dubbed “Black Ties, Blue Jackets”, to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research.

When asked what his favorite part about the job was, Murray responded by saying it was working with his best friend, Mike Todd. “Mike is my best friend, working with him is an absolute blast.” “This is not a job to me,” he said.

Along with being the public address announcer at the Blue Jackets games, Murray owns and operates MurrVox Voice Imaging, that according to its website “provides professional television, radio and industrial voiceovers and commercial and audio production”. Murray also does some freelance work for various Christian radios stations throughout the country.

At the conclusion of the 2008-’09 season, Murray had announced 362 consecutive home games. “You’ve got to be on your game night in and night out,” he said. “We take it very seriously.”

Youngster Get Chance to Shine

It has been an interesting pre-season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, so much so, that their record, which stands at 1-2-1, may be the least intriguing and relevant news.

A big story of the preseason thus far has the play of some of the young guys. Maksim Mayorov tallied two goals in the opening game against Pittsburgh. Alexander Picard also added a goal.

According to sources, John Moore has looked outstanding. As a skater, he looks far beyond his years. He does not look like an eighteen year old on the ice, and it appears he going to be around for a while, at least until the end of camp.

Forward Michael Blunden, who has looked good in camp, has impressed coaches, and could compete for the fourth line center position.

Grant Clitsome is another youngster that has impressed. Clitsome finished a nice goal on a beautiful pass from Derick Brassard in Monday night’s game and has played well with the puck.

The team has also seen strong goaltending from recently signed goaltender Mathieu Garon. He has played so well in fact, that as backup goaltender, Garon should push Mason to be better.

Not only have the young guys been able to produce, but the veterans have played strong as well. In Monday night’s game against Minnesota, the first line tallied a total of seven points.

The line played with great chemistry and connected on an impressive tic-tac-toe play from Nash to Huselius to Brassard. Vermette has also played strong, adding a shorthanded goal to a 5-1 win over the Wild Monday night.

Unfortunately, the team has also experienced its fair share of injuries. In a 2-0 loss to Minnesota, Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera was carried off the ice on a stretcher after being violently checked into the boards by Wild center Eric Belanger with just over six minutes remaining in the second period.

Left Winger Fredrick Modin has also sustained an injury that is expected to keep him out four to six weeks. Raffi Torres is out with back spasms.

The team faces off against Boston Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.

A Look at the KHL

By now we’ve all heard about the Kontinental Hockey League, and their bid to land the Jackets 2008 first round pick Nikita Filatov. And although the Russian Super League has yet to have a direct impact on the Blue Jackets, there are a few former Jackets that have made the switch to the Russian league including Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Svitov, and potentially 2004 first round draft pick Nikolai Zherdev.

Although Russian professional hockey dates back to 1946, the KHL was founded in 2008. It is the successor to the RSL, or Russian Super League. The KHL currently has 24 teams, 21 of which are located within the Russian Federation.

There have been talks about expanding the league’s map and adding teams across Europe in order to establish itself as one of the world’s top leagues.

As the list of former NHL players in the KHL grows, which now features familiar names such as Jiri Hudler, Sergei Zubov, Joakim Lindstrom, and Richard Zednik, we are left wondering what type of impact the Russian League could have on the NHL.

One reason that the KHL has been able to woo away NHL free agents is because they have been able to offer tax free, incentive laden contracts worth more than what most NHL teams are willing to pay for a player.

Although the KHL has had some success tapping into the European pool of talent, they have had virtually no success in luring away American and Canadian born players.

The KHL has also had trouble corralling young NHL talent. With a few exceptions, the players that have made the switch overseas have mainly been older, past their prime players such as Fedorov and Zubov.

So unless the KHL can somehow begin luring away North American talent, which is unlikely considering concerns such as playing conditions, medical care, and Russian culture, the chances of the KHL overtaking the NHL as the world’s hockey power seem dim.

The KHL is a growing league which has had some success in acquiring talent, but how long can the KHL last by throwing inflated contracts in the face of washed up NHL players?

The fact of the matter is that the majority of the talent is in the NHL. The NHL is the big dog of professional hockey, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Training camp begins September 12!

-T17M

Owners Fantasy Draft

The Players are not going to be the only ones with a lot at stake when Blue Jackets training camp begins September 13, but the owners will as well.

On Tuesday night at a private function in Nationwide Arena, majority owner John P. McConnell and minority owners Ron Pizzuti, Jay Crane, and John F. Wolfe held a fantasy hockey draft in which they each drafted a 16-player team from the Blue Jacket’s training camp roster.

Each team was required to select three centers, seven wingers, and six defensemen. Goaltenders were not drafted but instead will be assigned to a team on a daily basis.

When asked for the motives behind the fantasy draft, Jacket’s head coach and brainchild of the draft Ken Hitchcock cited unequal opportunities in previous year’s camps, and an opportunity for players to meet owners as main reasons.

The rosters for each team were released, but the draft order and order in which players were selected was not. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the teams, broken down by forwards and defensemen, are as follows:

Team Wolfe

F:Rick Nash, Derek Mackenzie, Kristian Huselius, Tom Sestito, Michael Blunden, Jared Boll, Daniel Steiner, Andrew Clarck, Tim Miller, Jon Mirasty

D:Kris Russel, Mike Commodore, Grant Clitsome, David Savard, Tim Filangieri, Spencer McAvoy

Team Crane

F: Derick Brassard, Sammy Pahlson, Derek Dorsett, Pascal Pelletier, Trvor Frischmon, Tom Cavanagh, Matthew Calvert, Darren Archibald, Brock McBride, Zak Ray

D: Fedor Tyutin, John Moore, Mathieu Roy, Doug Lynch, David Liffiton, Dylan Reese

Team McConnell

F: Antoine Vermette, R.J. Umberger, Raffi Torres, Chris Higgins, Thomas Kubalik, Alexandre Picard, Stefan Legein, Andrew Aggozino, Kevin Harvey, Cass Mappin, Matt Caria

D: Jan Hejda, Rostislav Klesla, Brent Regner, Steven Delisle, Cam Brodie

Team Pizzuti

F: Jake Voracek, Nikita Filatov, Jason Chimera, Fredrik Modin, Jared Aulin, Maksim Mayorov, Andrew Murray, Scott Tanski, Ian Duval, Tayler Jordan, Tyler Murovich

D: Marc Methot, Jonathan Sigalet, Andrei Plekhanov, Kevin Roeder, Paul Bezzo

The teams will play a four-team playoff in which the winners of the first game advance to the championship match while the losers battle it out for third place.

The matchups are as follows:

September 13, 10:30 am

Team McConnell vs. Team Crane

September 13, 2 pm

Team Wolfe vs. Team Pizzuti

September 14, 10:30 am

Third Place Game

September 14, 2 pm

Championship Game

“It’s going to be good,” Hitchcock said. “It’ll be fun, and we’ll get a good evaluation.”

We know that it was a snake style draft in which the order reverses after each round. With that being said, we can only assume that Team Wolfe had the first selection since he has Rick Nash listed on his roster. Other than that though, the rest of it is pretty unclear.

I’ll let you decided who has the best team.

-T17M