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The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a tight start to the new NHL season after a tragedy

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a tight start to the new NHL season after a tragedy

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Dean Evason expected to find a mess as the Blue Jackets' new head coach.

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After two miserable seasons in which Columbus posted a 91-52-21 record, a spate of injuries, a coaching controversy that led to Mike Babcock's resignation, and a regime change in the front office, Evason naturally had concerns. And that was before the team's cohesion was horribly tested on August 29, when Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed while cycling together.

However, with the 2024/25 season underway, Evason believes that the bond between his players is one of the club's greatest strengths.

“I think this group was already tight,” Evason said. “A lot of people have talked about, 'Oh, we need to change the culture in Columbus' and this and that. I'm coming into a situation where these guys are already tight-knit, and I think that's a huge credit to our leadership group , starting with Boone (Jenner), who is just a good person.”

Jenner, the Blue Jackets captain, is also scheduled to meet with a specialist on Thursday to determine whether surgery is needed to repair an apparent shoulder injury that occurred in a practice last week. Combine that with the fact that Dmitri Voronkov is out at least until the end of November (also apparently suffering a shoulder injury), and the Blue Jackets are back in contention. Out of respect for Gaudreau and his family, they try to separate the devastation over his loss from their frustration over hockey injuries, but it's a difficult task.

The Blue Jackets play for the Gaudreaus, carry family in their hearts and wear a No. 13 jersey in their locker room, but they also play for each other. It's almost inconceivable that a grieving team would begin its season just six weeks after a tragedy that devastated it, but the NHL's schedule is unyielding.

All the Blue Jackets can do is lean on each other, be present and do something that has always made Gaudreau happy. Lace up your skates, head to the rink and play.

“We have no choice but to be there for each other,” center Sean Kuraly said. “I think all you see is, 'Listen, we need each other.' “We have to support each other.” And that’s our only way forward, right? How we can honor John is simple…doing it right. That’s all we’re trying to do.”

Together.

“We don’t have to feel sorry for each other (because of injuries) before Game 1 even starts, but we have to stick together,” Kuraly said. “We have 23 people and we just have to stick together. We need each other. We need each other badly and I think we will stick together. We look forward to the challenge.”

They also look out for each other.

Evason's teams tend to play with an edgy style based on maximum effort, intensity, physicality and responding to confrontations as a large, stubborn group. These are qualities the Blue Jackets haven't always shown in recent seasons, but they will now.

“We’re together,” Evason said. “This is a tight group. They become even tighter. They will stick together. They support each other. That’s the type of thought process, the type of attitude that I want in a team and that our coaching staff wants in a team, but I think most importantly…this is what the team wants.”

The Jackets also support each other off the ice. Gaudreau's death was a painful loss for the entire hockey community, but especially for Nationwide Arena. He is missed every day, but the Blue Jackets' shared memories are helping them begin a healing process.

“Everyone comes in here with a smile on their face, and we just appreciated being together,” defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. “At the end of the day, we just miss our boy and I can’t stop thinking about his family. It doesn't make it any easier, but it helps getting in here. I personally really enjoyed this training camp because it just helps to be here and be able to play.”

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@BrianHedger

Learn more about the Columbus Blue Jackets on the Cannon Fodder podcast

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