I wanted to get to this during the preseason but it had to wait until now.
One of the best things about this job is the chance to talk to CBJ players.
Obviously, right?
But as you go along, you get to know them, and certain things they say tend to stand out, whether it be because it's funny or it shows a true window into their mind-set.
It could be because of their personality. It could be because they're legitimately funny. But here's a few things Blue Jackets players said during the preseason that I found enjoyable or interesting, and hopefully it gives you a little window into their personalities a bit.
Michael Del Zotto
The quote: "I was definitely lucky to grow up in an Italian household, so we weren't short of food at all, or recipes. COVID has upped my baking game. I've never baked before. I got into that and healthy recipes."
The reaction: Credit to Fox Sports Ohio's Dave Maetzold, who is working on a feature for the network about how the Blue Jackets players are handling the pandemic when it comes to filling the time they'd normally spend with teammates. For Del Zotto, the newly signed CBJ defenseman, the answer included working on his cooking game. Including baking.
Max Domi
The quote: "I don't game, that's for sure. I've tried. I think every team I've been on, including juniors, I said, 'OK, I'm going to get a PlayStation, I'm going to get an Xbox. I'm going to figure it out.' I don't know. I think I missed the boat on that one. Once you start playing, these guys are so good. You get killed. It's not very fun."
The reaction: OK, full disclosure, this is another question from Maetz about how he's filling his downtime off the ice. Seriously, I've given away most of his story (it'll still look good on TV, though). And I included this one because I can relate to Max. My college roommates wanted me to learn Super Smash Brothers, mostly because they knew the game, I was a newbie, and they wanted to repeatedly kill me, I suspect. It's not fun!
Elvis Merzlikins
The quote: "In the last 11 years when I was in Switzerland, in Lugano, I never changed teams. (Coming to Columbus) was for me the first time changing the team, changing the country, the new teammates. So that was hard. Right now I feel like I am in the family, so it's much easier, but I am still young. I am going to make mistakes. I have to learn. So be ready on that."
The reaction: I've covered sports for 15 years and rarely is someone so refreshingly honest and self-effacing as Merzlikins. The reality is he's a strong personality who came into an established locker room at the sport's highest level, doing so all while moving across from one continent to another. It was always going to be a bit of a culture clash, which he admits, but he also seems to be much more comfortable this season now that he has that year of experience under his belt. He also admits he's still not perfect, but his learning curve is in a much better place than it was a year ago. It's hard not to like the guy, no?
Seth Jones
The quote: "I have thought about (winning the Norris Trophy). Obviously a goal of mine is to win the Norris Trophy one day in my career. I guess I'm in that cluster of defensemen every year. I obviously want to put myself over the top, and in order to do that, I have to score more points. That's the way it is. Last year I got hurt, but I still didn't have the greatest totals in the games I did play. I have to produce a little more offensively."
The reaction: A very NHL answer to a question about winning one of the league's highest honors would normally run along the lines of, "I'm just going to play my game, and if I happen to win the Norris Trophy, that would be great." Instead, Jones said it was a level he actively aspires to get to. And who doesn't love that?
