Steve Mears was named the play-by-play announcer for Columbus Blue Jackets hockey, now on the Blue Jackets Hockey Network, on July 2, 2024.  Beginning with the 2026-27 campaign, he will be featured on both the Blue Jackets’ television and radio platforms for games, including flagship station Sports Radio 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, via simulcast.

Before joining the Blue Jackets, Mears spent 18 years broadcasting games and serving as a host on NHL Network, as well as handling play-by-play duties for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.  He has been the play-by-play voice for numerous high-profile NHL and international hockey competitions, including the Stanley Cup Final, All-Star Games, outdoor games and the IIHF World Junior Championships.  In 2024, he called play-by-play action on TNT during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and hosted NHL DataCast powered by AWS, an alternative broadcast that used NHL EDGE data to provide fans with a new way to watch the Western Conference Final series between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers on truTV and Max.

The 46-year-old is a native of Western Pennsylvania and a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he broadcast games for the Falcons hockey team.  He joined Columbus after spending seven seasons with the Penguins, calling the action on both television and radio from 2017-2024.  Prior to that he spent five seasons with NHL Network, serving as host of NHL Live, NHL NOW and as the play-by-play voice for NHL International.  He also broadcast games for the New York Rangers and was a host on the MSG Radio Network during his time in New York City.

Mears began his career as the voice of the Central Hockey League’s Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, where he spent four seasons and was named the CHL Broadcaster of the Year in 2005.  He then joined the Islanders as the club’s radio play-by-play announcer from 2006-09 before returning to Pittsburgh as a host on the Penguins Radio Network and contributor on PensTV from 2009-12.  In addition, he served as the host of MLB Tonight on MLB Network from 2015-17 and called play-by-play action for U.S. Open tennis matches from 2020-22.

Mears and his wife, Kirstin, reside in Dublin with their son, Carter.

Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jody Shelley rejoined the organization in August 2013 when he was named a broadcast associate and team ambassador. He began serving as the club’s television color analyst in 2014.  Beginning with the 2026-27 campaign, he will be featured on both the Blue Jackets’ television and radio platforms for games, including flagship station Sports Radio 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, via simulcast.

In addition to his broadcast duties, the Columbus fan favorite is also actively engaged in various business and community initiatives for the franchise, including leading the organization's alumni group.

Along with his duties on the club’s television and radio networks, Shelley is featured on Jackets TV on BlueJackets.com.  He also serves as a color analyst on TNT and Amazon Prime's weekly coverage across Canada.

Shelley, who retired in 2013 after a career that spanned 16 years and over 600 NHL games, was signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on Jan. 31, 2001 and made his NHL debut with the club against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 17, 2001. He went on to appear in 380 games with the club, registering 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points with 1,025 penalty minutes. He led the Blue Jackets in penalty minutes four times (2001-06) and owns the club record for penalty minutes in a season with 249 PIM in 2002-03. Through the 2018-19 campaign, Shelley sits second on the club’s all-time list in penalty minutes. He was also an active participant in the club’s community initiatives through the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and received the team’s Community Service Award for the 2006-07 season.

After leaving Columbus in January 2008, Shelley spent parts of three seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He then joined the New York Rangers during the 2009-10 season before spending his final three campaigns with the Philadelphia Flyers. He wrapped up his NHL career with 18-36-54 and 1,538 penalty minutes in 627 games. He also appeared in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games with San Jose and Philadelphia.

Prior to turning professional, he spent three seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He tallied 48-50-98 and 933 penalty minutes in 181 games from 1994-97 and had his number 25 retired by the club. He began the 1997-98 season at Dalhousie University before making his pro debut with the American Hockey League’s Saint John Flames that same year.

Shelley was born on Feb. 7, 1976 in Thompson, Manitoba and raised in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre joined the Blue Jackets television broadcast in the 2019-20 season as a studio analyst on Blue Jackets Live pre- and post-game shows and intermissions on Blue Jackets Hockey Network.

Grand-Pierre, who has been a contributor on Blue Jackets radio broadcast during the past three Stanley Cup Playoffs, was a member of the Blue Jackets' inaugural team in 2000-01. He appeared in 202 games with the club, registering four goals and 10 assists for 14 points with 239 penalty minutes between 2000-04. He tallied 7-13-20 and 311 penalty minutes in 269 career NHL games with Columbus, Buffalo, Atlanta and Washington and went on to play professionally in Sweden, Finland and Germany before retiring in 2013.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Grand-Pierre was a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 1995 NHL Draft. He played for Beauport and Val-d'Or in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before making his professional debut with the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans in 1997-98 and appearing in his first NHL game with the Sabres the following season. He was acquired by Columbus in a trade with Buffalo on June 23, 2000. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of a daughter, Darby, and son, Dennyn. The family resides in New Albany.