The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the fifth and final 25th Anniversary Celebration Game, presented by Garage Beer, on Saturday, March 21, when the club faces the Seattle Kraken at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, with a special pregame ceremony honoring five former Blue Jackets who played pivotal roles in shaping the franchise’s first 25 years: Rick Nash, Andrew Cassels, Lyle Odelein, Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin.
As part of the festivities, season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to attend a private luncheon with the alumni. The featured players will also participate in an autograph session on the Nationwide Arena concourse prior to the game beginning at 4 p.m. The alumni will be recognized in a special on-ice ceremony ahead of puck drop.
Selected first overall by Columbus in the 2002 NHL Draft, Rick Nash registered 289-258-547, 568 penalty minutes and 83 power play goals in 674 games with the Blue Jackets over nine seasons from 2002-12. He remains the club’s all-time leader in goals, points and power play goals and ranks second in assists behind Zach Werenski (316) and games played behind current Columbus captain Boone Jenner (786). He served as team captain from 2008-12 and led the club to its first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2009. A six-time NHL All-Star, the Brampton, Ontario native captured the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2003-04 after finishing tied for the league lead in goals when he notched 41-16-57 in 80 games. The left wing represented Canada in multiple international competitions, including three Olympic Games, taking home the gold medal in 2010 and 2014. In March 2022, the Blue Jackets retired his No. 61, making him the first and only player in franchise history to have his number raised to the rafters. He has been a member of the club’s hockey operations department since June 2019 and and currently serves as the Blue Jackets’ director of player personnel/development, continuing to help shape the organization’s future.
Andrew Cassels signed as a free agent with the Blue Jackets in 2002 and appeared in 137 games with the club from 2002-04, recording 26-68-94 while serving as an alternate captain during the 2003-04 campaign. In 2002-03, the center finished second on the team in assists and points with 20-48-68 in 79 games, highlighted by a five-point outing on Mar. 29, 2003 at Calgary that tied a franchise single-game record (1-4-5). The native of Bramalea, Ontario spent 16 years in the NHL from 1989-2006, posting 204-528-732 in 1,015 games. He also represented Canada internationally on multiple occasions, winning a silver medal at the 1996 IIHF World Championships. Following his playing career, Cassels transitioned into coaching, serving within the AAA Blue Jackets system from 2019-25, leading the club’s Learn To Play program, and remaining active in franchise initiatives as a Blue Jackets alumnus.
Lyle Odelein was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 2000 Expansion Draft, going on to serve as the franchise’s first team captain from 2000-02. The Quill Lake, Saskatchewan native recorded 5-28-33 and 207 penalty minutes in 146 games with Columbus. The defenseman scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket on Nov. 22, 2000 at Colorado. Drafted by Montreal in the seventh round of the 1986 NHL Draft, Odelein went on to play 16 NHL seasons from 1989-2006, totaling 50-202-252 and 2,316 PIM in 1,056 games with Montreal, New Jersey, Phoenix, Columbus, Chicago, Dallas, Florida and Pittsburgh. A 1993 Stanley Cup champion with the Canadiens, he ranks second in franchise history in penalty minutes with Montreal (1,367) and represented Canada at the 1996 World Cup.
Originally acquired by Columbus in a trade from Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2012, Jack Johnson skated in 486 games with the club over two stints (2011-18, 2024-25), recording 36-124-160 and 200 penalty minutes. He served as an alternate captain from 2012-15 and 2017-18 and led the team in time on ice for four consecutive seasons from 2012-16, including a single-season franchise record 25:58 in 2012-13. Johnson ranks among the top-five defensemen in club history in games played, assists and points. During his second stint in 2024-25, the native of Indianapolis, Indiana skated in his 1,200th career NHL game on Nov. 10, 2024 at Anaheim, becoming the seventh American defenseman in league history to reach the milestone. Drafted by Carolina third overall in 2005, Johnson totaled 77-265-342 in 1,228 career games over 18 NHL campaigns and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022. He has represented the United States internationally on multiple occasions, including helping the Americans earn a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Fedor Tyutin was acquired by the Blue Jackets in a trade from the New York Rangers on July 2, 2008, and went on to skate in 553 games over eight seasons with the club from 2008-16, recording 39-146-185 and 351 penalty minutes. Born in Izhevsk, Russia, Tyutin ranks seventh in franchise history in games played and third among defensemen in assists and points. He became the fourth player in club history to reach 500 games with the Blue Jackets on Oct. 22, 2015 at Minnesota. Selected in the second round of the 2001 NHL Draft, he went on to total 55-209-264 in 872 career NHL games over 13 seasons from 2003-17. He also represented Russia in three Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014) and several World Championships. Since concluding his playing career, Tyutin has remained involved with the organization, serving as a pro scout in 2018-19 and working in a coaching capacity with the AAA Blue Jackets program since 2020.
The March 21 game marks the culmination of the Blue Jackets’ 25th Anniversary Celebration series during the 2025-26 season, honoring the players, moments and milestones that have defined the franchise since its inaugural campaign in 2000-01.
For more information on the Blue Jackets’ 25th Anniversary, visit www.CBJHistory.com.
