Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today that the club will sign forward Cam Atkinson to a one-day contract that will allow him to officially retire from the National Hockey League as a member of the Blue Jackets. The club will honor Atkinson prior to the club’s game against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, October 16. A press conference with Atkinson and Waddell will be held that morning at 11:30 a.m. ET at Nationwide Arena. It will be streamed live on BlueJackets.com and the club’s YouTube page.
Atkinson, 36, spent his first 10 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2011-21, registering 213 goals and 189 assists for 402 points with 146 penalty minutes and a cumulative +17 plus/minus rating in 627 games. He is among the franchise’s all-time leaders in numerous statistical categories, ranking second in points (Rick Nash-547), goals (Nash-289), game-winning goals (42; Nash-44) and shots on goal (1,883; Nash-2,278), while standing third in power play goals (42), fourth in power play points (95) and fifth in assists. He also represented the Blue Jackets at two NHL All-Star Games in 2017 and 2019 and was named to the Blue Jackets’ Quarter-Century Team.
The 5-8, 178-pound right wing collected the most hat tricks in franchise history with six: Apr. 5, 2012 at Colorado; Mar. 27, 2015 at Chicago; Jan. 25, 2016 vs. Montreal; Mar. 15, 2018 at Philadelphia; Nov. 17, 2018 at Carolina and Dec. 4, 2018 vs. Calgary. He is also the club’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as he tallied 10-16-26 in 35 career postseason games as a Blue Jacket.
The Riverside, Connecticut native was selected by the Blue Jackets in the sixth round, 157th overall, in the 2008 NHL Draft. He played three seasons at Boston College, where he was a First Team All-American (2011), Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist (2011) and won a national championship (2010). He made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2011 vs. Nashville and went on to register 253-236-489 and 194 penalty minutes in 809 career games with the Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
