But despite the consistent, hulking presence Commodore provided on the blue line at every stop, the Alberta native's pro career also included seven AHL stops as well as time with the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Lightning, not to mention a career-capping stop in the KHL with Admiral Vladivostok.
So the memorable defenseman with the shock of red hair and a gritty game to boot called plenty of places home in his hockey career. But speaking to BlueJackets.com on our Where Are They Now?series presented by Huntington Bank to mark the Jackets' 20th anniversary season, Commodore said there was no place he played quite like Columbus.
"One of the questions I get is, 'Where was your favorite place to play?'" Commodore said. "Don't get me wrong, none of the places were awful, but as far as my favorite place that I played when you bring it all in with the fans and that rink and the guys and the city, it's Columbus, Ohio, for me."
One of the highlights of his career was the first of his three seasons with the Blue Jackets in 2008-09, as Commodore had what he called the best season of his career. Keying the CBJ blue line while playing with Jan Hejda much of the year, Commodore played in 81 games and had a 5-19-24 line, plus-11 rating and 100 penalty minutes.
The cherry on top? Columbus made its first-ever Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance, finishing 27-15-6 over the last 48 games and clinching its bid with a shootout win in Chicago with three games left in the campaign.
"People were like, 'Whoa, wait a minute, these guys might actually be good,' " Commodore said. "All of a sudden the rink is full, and that rink is unbelievable. Fans in Columbus are awesome. And all of a sudden things started steamrolling. I'll never forget. As far as top-five moments in my career … (one of them) was making the playoffs with the Blue Jackets. I still remember we took a game to overtime in Chicago. I remember being on the ice when the horn went to end that third period, and I was pumped."
To catch up with Commodore, including why he signed with Columbus, his favorite teammates, the time he picked up CBJ fans in Phoenix as an Uber driver and his reinvention as a social media star, listen to the full interview above.
