Equipment donations have helped keep one family in the game

Growing up in Central Ohio, it didn’t take long for Chase Ensman to decide what sport he wanted to play. 

In fact, he even knew what position. 

“I became a goalie because of Bob,” Chase said. “I just liked the saves he made.” 

It’s been seven years since Sergei Bobrovsky donned the pads for the Blue Jackets, but he clearly made an impact on Ensman, now 13 and a goalie for the EYHA Mavericks. 

“It’s his passion,” his mother, Kelli, said. 

Then came the complex part – finding the gear for Ensman to wear between the pipes. Hockey can be an expensive sport to get into, and that’s doubly true for young goalies, who not only have to buy pricey gear but must replace it as they get grow. 

For the Ensman family, the Blue Jackets’ Recycle the Game initiative presented by ADS, which turns donated equipment into low-cost purchases for local families, has been a blessing. Each fall since 2019, the Ensmans have an opportunity to attend the Equipment Sale and purchase donated gear that Chase can use, all at a reasonable price that allows the family to stay in the game.

“Only recently did we start to get some other things, but every year we have gotten something,” Kelli said. “That is what he has used throughout the season the past five or six years. 

“It is absolutely (a weight off our shoulders). It’s much more affordable than if he tried to go to a regular store. We are a single-income family, so I try to do everything I can to help with making it affordable for our kids to play.”

Equipment donations for this year’s Equipment Sale have opened and are accepted at participating OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks as well as the Liberty Township/Powell YMCA. Gear can be brought to the front desk inside the rink lobby or dropped in a Blue Jackets-branded equipment bin on the exterior of participating rinks. 

Through September, fans who donate at participating Chiller Rinks will receive an exclusive ticket offer for a 2026-27 Blue Jackets home game.

In 2025, the Recycle the Game initiative brought in more than 2,000 pieces of donated equipment, which helped 183 families find the gear they needed. In addition, more than $8,800 was raised through the sale to support the growth of youth hockey, upping the total raised since 2012 to more than $85,000.

For Chase, the favorite piece of equipment he’s acquired to this point was a set of white Brian's leg pads that he used during his season.  

“I mostly look for pads,” Chase said. “It’s fun because you get some different options and you get to see what you want to pick.” 

The Equipment Sale is also a great opportunity for those who are just getting into the game and learning what gear is essential for players to have. Especially with kids, one important factor is sizing the gear properly, and the Blue Jackets staff on hand has helped the Ensman family not just get equipment but the right equipment.  

“The people here were wonderful,” Kelli said. “They said, ‘This is how you need to fit your gear,’ because we had no clue. That really helped us out. Coming into the world of goalies, a lot of times, there is new gear as well as used gear, and just being able to figure out those sizes (is crucial) because you’re new to the world and have no idea what you’re looking for.”

Now that he’s a veteran of the process, Chase has taken on an active role in helping others. His younger sister, Madison, has followed in his footsteps as a netminder and has used his experience as a guide, and will be suiting up in the Blue Jackets Hockey League and for the EYHA Mavericks 10U Select squad this upcoming season. 

In addition, at last year’s sale, Chase helped one of Madison’s classmates fit and pick out a set of gear.  

“It’s come full circle where he was getting fitted, and now he’s helping to fit other kids,” Kelli said. “A lot of people, since they know he is a goalie, whether we are at our club or in school or just out and about, they come to him to ask those questions and for answers because he’s learned how to be able to help others.” 

Now, the Ensmans are a hockey family, and a major part of that has been their ability to both enter and stay in the sport because of programs like Recycle the Game.  

“It’s a chance for us to bond as a family,” Kelli said. “(Chase's) love for the sport, our love for watching the sport ... it just brought everyone together to enjoy something that you don’t always have nowadays. Everybody is kind of kind of always going here and doing that, you have social media that people are paying attention to, but this is something where, as a family, we can come together and appreciate and just have a good time.”