Blue Jackets to participate in Red Wings' Prospects Tournament

This year's tournament at the Belfor Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena will include the Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects.

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By Blue Jackets Staff
BlueJackets.com

The Columbus Blue Jackets will begin preparations for the 2026-27 National Hockey League season at the Prospects Tournament to be held from September 12-15 at the Belfor Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.  This year's participating teams will include the Blue Jackets, along with the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Blue Jackets’ full practice and tournament schedule (subject to change) includes:

Saturday, Sept. 12

8:15 a.m. – Morning Skate

3 p.m. – vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Sunday, Sept. 13

8:30 a.m. – Morning Skate

3:30 p.m. – at Dallas Stars

Monday, Sept. 14

TBD

Tuesday, Sept. 15

9 a.m. – Morning Skate

2 p.m. – at Detroit Red Wings

The Blue Jackets will be coached in Detroit by Nick Bootland, head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, the club's American Hockey League affiliate.  The rookie camp roster features 23 players, including 11 that were selected by the team via the NHL Draft.  Competing for the first time as Blue Jackets are three picks from the 2026 NHL Draft – center Alessandro Di Iorio (94th overall), goaltender Parker Snell (142nd overall) and left wing Filip Novak (206th overall).  Other drafted players scheduled to participate in the tournament include: 2025 – C Owen Griffin; 2024 – D Charlie Elick, G Evan Gardner, D Luca Marrelli; 2023 – C Luca Pinelli, C Oiva Keskinen; 2022 – RW Jordan Dumais; 2021 – D Guillaume Richard.

The roster also features six players who signed entry level contracts with the club: F Josh Eernisse and D Boston Buckberger in 2026, D Caleb MacDonald and RW Jack Williams in 2025, LW Max McCue in 2024, and G Nolan Lalonde in 2022.

Blue Jackets veterans and rookies will open training camp, presented by OhioHealth, with medicals on Wednesday, September 16 with the first day of practice scheduled for the following day.  The Blue Jackets begin preseason play on Monday, September 21 vs. Detroit.  The club will open its 26th regular season on Thursday, October 1 vs. the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena.

BLUE JACKETS 2026 PROSPECTS CHALLENGE ROSTER (NUMERICAL)

NOTE: Roster subject to change

FORWARDS – 13
 
HT
DOB
BIRTHPLACE
SHOOTS
TEAM
LGE
GP
G
A
PTS
 +/-
ACQUIRED
20
Keskinen, Oiva ^
185
2/28/04
Ylojarvi, FIN
L
Tappara
Liiga
49
20
17
37
25
’23 Draft
22
Dumais, Jordan ^
167
4/15/04
Montreal, QC
R
Cleveland
AHL
46
7
11
18
-11
’22 Draft
53
Pinelli, Luca ^+
176
4/5/05
Stoney Creek, ON
L
COLUMBUS
NHL
3
0
0
0
-1
’23 Draft
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cleveland
AHL
68
14
32
46
0
 
55
Novák, Filip
198
3/7/08
Chomutov, CZE
L
HC Sparta Praha
CZE
9
0
0
0
-1
’26 Draft
 
 
 
 
 
 
HC Stadion Litomerice
CZE2
11
0
4
4
0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HC Sparta U20
CZEU20
28
11
24
35
2
 
65
Armstrong, Craig 
194
6/5/03
Crossfield, AB
L
Wheeling
ECHL
68
12
23
35
29
FA Invite
72
McGuire, Ryan
192
2/29/2004
Burlington, ON
L
St. Francis Xavier Univ.
USports
28
13
14
27
-2
FA Invite
75
McCue, Max ^+
180
2/10/03
Sudbury, ON
L
Cleveland
AHL
26
2
6
8
-9
’24 ELC
76
Eernisse, Josh
216
12/31/01
Apple Valley, MN
R
Michigan
Big10
38
11
8
19
17
’26 ELC
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cleveland
AHL
1
0
0
0
0
 
81
Di Iorio, Alessandro
194
3/17/08
Vaughan, ON
R
Sarnia
OHL
45
12
19
31
-37
’26 Draft
85
Baumuller, Joby
192
7/20/07
Wilcox, SK
R
Brandon
WHL
58
40
22
62
26
FA Invite
92
Williams, Jack ^
189
3/2/02
Biddeford, ME
R
Cleveland
AHL
72
15
23
38
0
’25 ELC
96
Griffin, Owen ^
161
4/8/07
Markham, ON
R
Oshawa
OHL
66
25
42
67
-28
’25 Draft
97
Provorov, Vladimir
154
2/9/08
Yaroslavl, RUS
L
Sudbury
OHL
67
7
18
25
-23
FA Invite
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DEFENSE – 7
 
HT
DOB
BIRTHPLACE
SHOOTS
TEAM
LGE
GP
G
A
PTS
 +/-
ACQUIRED
54
Marrelli, Luca +
184
10/4/05
Toronto, ON
Right
Cleveland
AHL
32
4
12
16
-14
’24 Draft
56
Buckberger, Boston
172
6/1/03
Saskatoon, SK
Left
Denver
NCHC
43
10
19
29
32
’26 ELC
57
Elick, Charlie ^+
205
1/17/06
Villach, AUT
Right
Tri-City
WHL
63
6
14
20
-15
’24 Draft
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cleveland
AHL
2
0
1
1
0
63
Topp, Rowan
203
4/2/06
St. Anns, ON
Right
Guelph
OHL
57
3
10
13
0
FA Invite
77
Croskery, Callum
187
1/29/08
Oakville, ON
Left
Soo
OHL
43
3
15
18
17
FA Invite
84
Richard, Guillaume ^
193
2/10/03
Quebec, QC
Left
Cleveland
AHL
70
7
11
18
20
’21 Draft
95
MacDonald, Caleb ^
223
11/29/02
Cambridge, ON
Left
Cleveland
AHL
58
3
9
12
-6
’25 ELC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GOALTENDERS – 3
 
WT
DOB   
BIRTHPLACE
CATCHES
2025-26
LGE
GP
MINS
W-L-OT
GAA
SV%
ACQUIRED
31
Lalonde, Nolan ^+
197
2/14/04
Kingston, ON
Left
Cleveland
AHL
1
1
0-0-0
0
1
’22 ELC
 
 
 
 
 
 
Toledo
ECHL
22
1,191
11/4/03
2.57
0.903
 
35
Gardner, Evan ^+
180
1/25/06
Fort St. John, BC
Left
Saskatoon
WHL
52
2,821
25-16-6
2.96
0.902
’24 Draft
40
Snell, Parker
176
4/21/08
St. Albert, AB
Left
Edmonton
WHL
33
1,886
21-9-1
2.74
0.895
’26 Draft

^ Participated in 2025 Prospects Tournament in Buffalo, New York
+ Participated in 2024 Prospects Tournament in Buffalo, New York

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