25 years in, some fans still are enjoying their first Blue Jackets games

As the Blue Jackets organization celebrates its 25th Anniversary on the ice, the team continues to introduce new fans to the game of hockey.  

The arrival of the team to Columbus has sparked the immense growth of hockey in Central Ohio over the past quarter-century, but it's also true that at each and every game, someone is experiencing live hockey for the first time. 

BlueJackets.com has spoken with fans who were picking up their free personalized first game pucks at Ohio’s 529 CollegeAdvantage table at section 119/120 throughout the season to see what it’s like to join the party in year 25. 

A Family Connection

At his first Blue Jackets game, 5-year-old Ethan Poe was the good luck charm. 

According to his mother, Amy, Ethan predicted that the Blue Jackets would score five goals for the win. The final score against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 13?  

5-4 Blue Jackets. 

“He was actually the one that said, ‘I think we're going to score five points,’” Amy said. “I was like, ‘Hockey is not really a high scoring game,’ and we ended up scoring five goals and won the game. So he was like, ‘I told you they were going to score five points.’”

Having moved to Columbus about a year ago, Amy said the family was looking for ways to get involved with the community. 

“He's the reason we started coming in the first place,” She said. "(The Blue Jackets) had a booth set up at the Delaware Arts Festival. We got on the mailing list so he could get a prize and because we're on the mailing list, we got the invite to come look at season tickets.” 

After receiving two complimentary tickets for attending a prospective season ticket holder event, the Poes attended their first hockey game together. 

“You could see the whole rink. We were about (in the) dead center of the ice. It was fantastic,” Amy said. “We loved it enough that we asked Grandma to buy us more tickets as a Christmas gift.” 

According to Amy, the family experienced a warm welcome from The 5th Line. 

“The person beside us, he knew his hockey,” she said. “Every once in a while we were like, ‘Hey, why are they doing this?’ We learned some of the rules from him. All of the people were great.”  

Not only is Amy a new Blue Jackets fan, she said she is also a fan of the fictional New York Admirals from the popular streaming series Heated Rivalry, even wearing a Scott Hunter Admirals’ jersey. 

“I'd always been a sports fan in general, but I'd never been to a hockey game. I’d get bits from ESPN or TikTok, but my sister actually convinced me to watch the show because it had sports in it,” Amy said. 

“I thought, ‘All right, I'll watch a hockey show,’ and then became completely obsessed with it. My sister said, ‘Tell me how many people ask you about Headed Rivalry.’ 

“We have started really getting into hockey and actually learning about the game." 

This upcoming fall, Amy said Ethan will participate in the Blue Jackets’ Learn To Play program.  

Learn To Play presented by Performance Columbus is a three-step introductory program to hockey for boys and girls ages 10 and under. With first-time enrollment, participants receive a new set of head-to-toe equipment. 

“We’ve started some ice skating, and hopefully by the time the fall rolls around, he'll be comfortable enough with that so he can learn some hand-eye coordination with a stick and a puck,” Amy said. 

A Birthday Victory

Maddy Katz celebrated her 21st birthday experiencing her first Blue Jackets win. 

On Feb. 4, the Jackets shut out Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks by a 4-0 score for their seventh straight win.  

Katz said she wanted to spend her birthday at Nationwide Arena because she has watched the Blue Jackets since she was 3 years old but hadn’t been able to make it to a game. 

“I love watching hockey,” she said. “I watched the Blue Jackets with my dad growing up and my sister growing up, and they've been to games." 

Originally from the Columbus area, Katz currently attends the University of Cincinnati to study theatre and performing arts.  

According to Katz, the CBJ Student Rush program helped her get to the game. 

“I wanted to come to try something new and get Student Rush tickets because I'm a college student,” Katz said. “I heard about the Student Rush program and thought, ‘I'll check it out and see how the experience is.’” 

Student Rush offers discounted tickets and rewards to high school and college students. From Sunday to Thursday, students can purchase $25 upper-level tickets and $35 lower-level tickets to regular-season home games. On Friday and Saturday, $30 upper-level tickets and $40 lower-level tickets are available. 

Through purchasing Student Rush tickets and completing challenges, students can earn points that are redeemable for game tickets, signed memorabilia, experiences, gift cards and more. 

Katz said before the game that she hoped to hear the cannon and was excited to finally watch hockey in person. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the team and having fun,” Katz said. 

Tickled To Be There

At their first Blue Jackets game, Karen and her husband, Kevin, embraced Elmo as the team’s unofficial mascot. 

In matching Elmo crewnecks, they travelled from Cincinnati to attend their first hockey game Jan. 3 to watch the Jackets take on the Buffalo Sabres.

Karen, 37, said she and Kevin are relative newcomers to watching hockey – they started about two years ago – but the Blue Jackets are their team. Talking before the game, she said she was looking forward to experiencing the excitement of a hockey game in person. 

“The atmosphere is the part that I've been told is really cool about a hockey game, since the sport is still sort of new to me. That's sort of the part that I'm most excited about,” Karen said. “The cannon is awesome. I’m really hoping we fire it many times. That would be a good sign.” 

With a toddler at home, Karen said the Sesame Street connection also resonated with the family. The presence of an inflatable Elmo balloon that has taken up residence in the Nationwide Arena rafters has led the CBJ fan base to embracing the character, making Elmo a rallying cry for The 5th Line. 

“When we heard that was sort of one of the mascots here, we definitely thought, ‘All right, we're gonna wear Elmo (sweatshirts) today,’” Karen said. 

The legend of Elmo in Nationwide Arena runs deep, as the balloon has been stuck in the rafters for years. Since then, it has gone viral on social media, with fans and visitors often searching for it during games.  

“It’s just fun to see Elmo on the screen, and you stare up in the rafters and look for the balloon,” Kevin said. 

“It’s another cool thing about the Blue Jackets and the atmosphere aspect of it,” Karen said. 

The two said they thoroughly enjoyed watching the Blue Jackets win 5-1. 

“It’s fantastic,” Karen said. “I was telling (Kevin), ‘It’s like being at a disco but watching a sports game.’”