Wright's work in the community bonded him with Columbus forever

On Dec. 14, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted alumni Tyler Wright, David Savard, Jody Shelley, Chris Clark and Aaron Johnson for the third 25th Anniversary Game of the season, presented by Nationwide.

Wright’s return to Columbus sparked reflection on his tenure as a Blue Jacket and his role in the establishment of the Blue Jackets Foundation’s Hats for Heroes program.

More than 20 years later, original Blue Jackets forward Tyler Wright’s connection to Columbus and its community remains strong.

On the ice, his tenacious play and clutch goals made him a fan favorite. Off the ice, his passion for helping pediatric cancer patients left a legacy of service through the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation’s Hats for Heroes program, which he helped spearhead alongside Wendy Bradshaw, the first Executive Director of the CBJ Foundation.

Since its inception, one of the pillars of the CBJ Foundation has been supporting the fight against pediatric cancer through fundraising and other initiatives.

“When we were establishing the Blue Jackets Foundation, we knew we wanted to have an initiative that was tied to the Hockey Fights Cancer league-wide initiative,” Bradshaw said. “In talking with the players, many of them had young kids, and it became apparent that they would like to focus on the pediatric side of cancer and drive our impact around supporting the kids and their families.”

Wright’s passion for pediatric cancer has always been personal, starting from his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he played before coming in Columbus in the expansion draft.

“Coming from a team in Pittsburgh, there were a lot of veteran players,” Wright said. “Tom Barrasso was our goalie and older than I was at the time, and his daughter was going through cancer, and my locker was right beside his. And every day, when his locker would open up, there was a picture of her in the hospital, and it kind of always sat with me.”

Witnessing his teammate experience the difficulties of his daughter’s battle with cancer, Wright arrived in Columbus in the year 2000 looking to make an impact. As the Blue Jackets were an expansion franchise, Wright recognized the unique opportunity to establish community engagement as a key part of the Blue Jackets’ identity from the get-go.

“I knew that coming to an expansion team that (we) could kind of lay the groundwork down of the foundation, of the expectations of a professional athlete, of a Blue Jacket for that matter,” Wright said. “You have an obligation to do something in the community, and whatever that is, if that's (Nationwide) Children's Hospital, kids with cancer, (it was) whatever we did. We did a ton of different charity events that touched different organizations throughout."

Between the Foundation’s commitment to fighting pediatric cancer and Wright’s personal ties to the mission, it was a perfect fit. When Wright sat down with Bradshaw to discuss how he could get involved in the community, Hats for Heroes developed naturally.

Centered around the sale of a CBJ-branded hat, funds were raised to support pediatric cancer patients in collaboration with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 9, with a new hat design available for purchase each season. However, it was always much more than the hats. The impact is in the genuine relationships created between patients and their families with hospital staff as well as the Blue Jackets organization.

Many years later, those relationships are still extremely important to Wright, who stays in touch with many of the patients and families he met. Although it was created to support patients and their families, the Hats for Heroes program ended up changing his life as much as theirs.

“Without getting emotional, I think it's something, obviously, that I've been proud of,” Wright said. “You meet a lot of people along the way, and (there are) some stories that don't end very well, but it touches a lot of people. I think as you get older, you kind of realize that you were fortunate enough to play a game that you loved, and you were good enough to make a living at it, but I think it was that platform that kind of drives you to make a make a difference in somebody else's life.

“You don't really realize it at the time, but I think when you look back and you reflect on the good stories, and some were really good stories that had happy endings and continue on, and there were some not so happy endings. And I think as you, as me, as a person, and as a father, yeah, you take those things for granted.”

“Hats for Heroes is something I'm very, very proud of. Not just me, the foundation and the people behind the scenes, and obviously Wendy Bradshaw was the driving force behind it as well. So it's something that I'm very fond of.”

As he invested in the patients’ lives and built lasting relationships, Wright’s involvement launched the success of Hats for Heroes. Bradshaw remembers countless times when Wright went above and beyond to show up for the heroes.

“I remember days that we would go and he would be suited up with a mask and all the gear so he could go visit a kid who was immunosuppressed,” Bradshaw said. “He was very connected to the kids. ... The visits were way more than just signing autographs. The visits were true, deep connections with the kids that lasted way beyond them ringing the cancer bell. It was a celebration of ending chemo, but it was a relationship that continues even today, 25 years later.”

One of those relationships was with Jesse Crow, one of the Blue Jackets’ first heroes who became inspired to work in cancer research, including at the Nationwide Children’s Research Institute. Crow and Wright quickly formed a connection, and Wright even participated in show-and-tell at her school.

“I'll literally never forget when she asked Tyler if he would come to her school for show-and-tell,” Bradshaw said. “We went to the school in Lancaster and he had a bag of gear, and he pulled out stuff, and he was explaining (what it was). Hockey at that time, nobody knew exactly what we were talking about. And she beamed with a smile I’ll never forget.”

In many ways, Wright’s commitment set the tone for how Blue Jackets players are involved in their community.

“If you could just brighten their day somehow ... I think that at the end of the day, you have a vehicle, you have the means, and you have a platform to make a difference in somebody's life,” Wright said. “If you can take out a little part of your day to do that, I think it's your obligation as a professional athlete. I think it's your obligation as a Blue Jacket.”

Wright’s engagement helped cement Hats for Heroes as a signature program of the CBJ Foundation and encouraged his Blue Jackets teammates to give back, leaving a legacy that can still be felt today.

“That was the driving force when we started this initiative, that we are here,” Wright said. “This is the only professional sports team at the time in Columbus. Let's make a difference, and you're going to get out into the community in whichever way that is.

“If that was for Hats for Heroes, or it was with the fire and the police and motorcycles, there was always another charity event that we could do. We were going to support each other in any way because that's what a Blue Jacket did.”

Inspired by their resilience, the stories of the heroes remain an integral part of the organization, and Bradshaw and Wright are still connected with many of the families they met.

“There were kids that we lost, and it was really difficult, but he was there for the families,” Bradshaw said. “So it became way more than we even thought it could be, and that's really rooted in the spirit of the kids who are truly the heroes of the story, and the family strength that comes from having to experience and go through something like that. We were definitely more inspired than they might have been by our visits.”

Today, Wright looks back on his time in Columbus fondly, with special affection for what he and the Blue Jackets accomplished off the ice. He considers the relationships he built, his impact in the community and the longevity of Hats for Heroes among the proudest accomplishments of his career.

Struck by the courage of the heroes amid some of the toughest battles, Hats for Heroes gave Wright perspective.

“We all have busy lives, no matter whether you're a professional athlete or just a working person,” Wright said. “I mean, we're all tired. We all can take the easy road sometimes. We can all complain that you're so hard done by. I think if you're having a bad day, like, go to the hospital. That's a bad day.”

Editor’s Note: The story’s author, Madeline Bradshaw, is the daughter of Wendy Bradshaw.