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Tag: Ohio Columbus Blue Jackets

  • U.S. pays tribute to Gaudreau brothers at the Winter Olympics

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    MILAN — Johnny Gaudreau was working hard to make the U.S. team heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics. He and brother Matthew Gaudreau watched the event growing up, always with eyes on playing in it.

    “It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau said of her sons.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. men’s hockey team will play for gold against Canada, and it has honored Johnny Gaudreau’s memory along the way

    • Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau died on Aug. 29, 2024, when an SUV hit them as they rode bikes in New Jersey

    • Team officials say Johnny Gaudreau would have been on this roster
    • A blue No. 13 jersey hangs in the locker room near Matthew Gaudreau’s No. 21. Teammates say it keeps them close

    Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau died on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding. Their deaths shocked the hockey community, and they have been honored since with retired numbers, a memorial 5K and more.

    An elite player a decade into his NHL career and the all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play, Johnny Gaudreau was on track to be in Milan for the tournament that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold medal. His father, Guy Gaudreau, said USA Hockey was gracious enough to tell the family their oldest son was on the projected roster.

    “He wanted to be on this team,” Guy Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win on Friday night. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”

    The U.S. is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them in their locker room at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.

    “It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” said Dylan Larkin, who played with Johnny Gaudreau at multiple world championships. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”

    Jane and Guy Gaudreau, along with Johnny’s widow, Meredith Gaudreau, and their two oldest children arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau parents had been planning a trip to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.

    “Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,’” Jane Gaudreau said. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”

    The Gaudreau family connections to players on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny Gaudreau played with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

    “Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room,” Hanifin said. “We know he’d be here with us, so we’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us.”


    Werenski said after he and his teammates advanced to the final that Meredith Gaudreau reached out to his wife a few days earlier to let them know they were coming.

    “It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game, so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”

    Not that it would have been much of a debate, but coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what management told the Gaudreaus: Johnny Gaudreau would have been on the team if he were still alive, based on his body of work and how well he has played in a U.S. uniform.

    “He was one of America’s very best,” Sullivan said. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”

    Players still talk about Johnny Gaudreau, and “all the stories are funny,” according to Charlie McAvoy, who played alongside him at worlds.

    “Just an amazing person, just an infectious personality,” McAvoy said. “The detail, really, with our staff and our equipment staff especially to make sure that he’s always with us, little reminders of him in the room, and they just go a long way. You always see them. They’re just gentle. They’re right there. But we know that he’s always with us.”

    Along with Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey is that number on the wall alongside Matthew Gaudreau’s No. 21. It’s similar to what USA Hockey did a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Guy Gaudreau took part in practice as a guest coach.

    This would have been Johnny Gaudreau’s first chance to play at the Olympics after the NHL did not participate in 2018 and 2022. But it almost certainly won’t be the last time his jersey hangs in the U.S. locker room at the game, a tradition that could continue for years to come.

    “I hope so,” Larkin said. “I sure hope so.”

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets beat Flyers 5-3 for third straight win

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Charlie Coyle had a goal and an assist and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

    What You Need To Know

    • Kirill Marchenko, Eric Gudbranson, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets

    • The Blue Jackets have won seven of their last eight games and are tied at 57 points with the Flyers and Capitals for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division

    • Marchenko put the Blue Jackets back in front with 19.3 seconds left in the first, skating four-on-four, before Gudbranson made it 3-1 at 1:57 of the second period

    • The Blue Jackets head to Chicago on Friday night

    Kirill Marchenko, Eric Gudbranson, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets to offset a hat trick by Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny.

    Elvis Merzlikins stopped 24 shots for Columbus and Zach Werenski had two assists, giving him 35 points in his last 21 home games.

    The Blue Jackets have won seven of their last eight games and are tied at 57 points with the Flyers and Capitals for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.

    Konecny’s hat trick was the third of his career and Dan Vladar made 26 saves in his first start after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Rasmus Ristolainen left with a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return in the Flyers’ second straight loss.

    Coyle gave Columbus the lead 38 seconds into the game before Konecny pulled Philadelphia even at 9:03.

    Marchenko put the Blue Jackets back in front with 19.3 seconds left in the first, skating four-on-four, before Gudbranson made it 3-1 at 1:57 of the second period, with his first goal of the season and a league-leading 39th by a Blue Jackets defenseman.

    Konecny pulled Philadelphia within a goal at 4:08 of the third period and completed his hat trick at 4:46 to tie it. His 38 points against Columbus are the most he has against any NHL team.

    Monahan put Columbus back in front to stay with 3:28 left in the third, and Olivier sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:06 remaining.

    Up next

    Flyers: Visit Boston on Thursday night.

    Blue Jackets: Visit Chicago on Friday night.

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    Associated Press

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  • Winter storm postpones Blue Jackets’ game against Kings

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NHL postponed the Columbus Blue Jackets’ home game against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night because of a major winter storm that created dangerous travel conditions across much of the United States.

    What You Need To Know

    • Almost a foot of snow fell in Columbus, Ohio
    • The game is rescheduled for March 9 in Columbus

    • Wind chills are also making temperatures dangerous

    Almost a foot of snow fell in Columbus, Ohio, and windchill factors were forecast to be around minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night. The game is rescheduled for March 9 in Columbus.

    The NBA postponed games in Memphis and Milwaukee on Sunday because of the storm.

    The Dallas Mavericks tried twice to fly to Milwaukee for their Sunday night game against the Bucks, but conditions didn’t allow it. A decision to postpone was announced a few hours before tipoff. Food that had been prepared for the game was donated to shelters in the Milwaukee area.

    Earlier Sunday, a game between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies was postponed about three hours before tipoff.

    Reschedule dates were not announced.

    The NBA also changed the start times for two games on Monday: Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets tipped off at 3 p.m. ET instead of 7 p.m., and the Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks at 1:30 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.

    The Memphis area was experiencing a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain that began falling early Saturday morning and continued Sunday morning. South and east of Memphis, freezing rain collected on power lines and trees, causing widespread outages and blocked roads. Authorities had recommended people stay off the streets as the wintry mix and frigid temperatures caused a refreeze.

    The Nuggets said they planned to fly out at some point Sunday, depending on the conditions at Memphis International Airport. They are scheduled to play at home Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.

    The Grizzlies are scheduled to be in Houston for a game against the Rockets on Monday.

    An NBA G League game scheduled for Monday between the Memphis Hustle and Stockton Kings in Southaven, Mississippi, was postponed and rescheduled for Feb. 19.

    At least two college women’s basketball games were postponed: No. 17 Tennessee’s visit to No. 18 Mississippi on Monday and Tulane’s visit to Memphis on Tuesday. Reschedule dates were not announced.

    In men’s basketball, a game featuring Tennessee at No. 21 Georgia was pushed back a day from Tuesday to Wednesday. Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indianapolis, and Southern Illinois and Evansville had Sunday games postponed without make-up dates announced.

    The schedule changes come after dozens of games were moved around last week in anticipation of the storm.

    Separately, on Saturday, the NBA postponed a game between the Warriors and Timberwolves to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after the fatal shooting of a man by a federal officer in a district located less than two miles away from where the Timberwolves play.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Ducks score late to defeat Blue Jackets

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    ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pavel Mintyukov slid a shot from the slot past Elvis Merzlikins with 3:29 left and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Saturday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Anaheim’s goalie made 23 saves

    • Dmitri Voronkov, Mason Marchment and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus

    • Merzlikins made 24 saves

    Mikael Granlund threaded a pass from the right circle to set up Merzlikins, and also scored. Jacob Trouba and Mason McTavish added goals to help the Ducks move back into first place in the Pacific Division.

    Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal made 23 saves. He was pulled Friday night in an 8-3 loss to Dallas after he gave up four goals on seven shots in the first 14 1/2 minutes.

    Dmitri Voronkov, Mason Marchment and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus. Merzlikins made 24 saves.

    Werenski tied it at 3 with 7:16 left, taking a pass from Denton Mateychuk and snapping a shot from the left circle over Dostal’s right blocker. He has five goals in three games and 14 overall.

    Werenski was injured when he blocked a shot with 2:11 left and struggled to get to the bench, the Blue Jackets taking a penalty for too many men on the ice that stifled any comeback hopes.

    Columbus tied it at 2 when Marchment, acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Friday, redirected a waist-high, blue-line shot from Damon Severson past Dostal 3:39 into the second.

    Anaheim took a 3-2 lead when fourth-line winger Ross Johnston slipped a pass from behind the Columbus net to McTavish, who snapped a shot from the slot over Merzlikins’s right shoulder with 6:24 left in the second.

    Up next

    Ducks: Host Seattle on Monday night.

    Blue Jackets: At Los Angeles on Monday night.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets add veteran toughness in acquiring forward Mason Marchment

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets added veteran size and toughness to their roster by acquiring forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken in a move completed on Friday night just before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken
    • The Kraken received a 2027 second-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft

    • Marchment provides a physical presence in being listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds

    The Kraken received a 2027 second-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft, which the Blue Jackets previously acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers.

    The 30-year-old Marchment provides a physical presence in being listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. He’s also a two-time 20-goal-scorer over his seven-year career, and had four goals and 13 points in 29 games with Seattle this season.

    “Mason is a player I know very well, and I think he will add a great deal to our team,” Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said. “He is a physical, hard-nosed competitor with proven offensive ability and we are very excited to have him join the Blue Jackets.”

    The trade involved two struggling teams seeking to shake things up after getting off to slow starts. Columbus is tied for last in points in the Eastern Conference standings, while Seattle is tied for last in the West.

    Aside from adding draft picks, the Kraken freed up salary cap space on a player who is in the final season of a four-year, $18 million contract.

    “This trade gives us more draft capital and flexibility as we look to improve our team moving forward,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said.

    Undrafted, Marchment broke into the NHL as a 24-year-old by appearing in four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2019-20 season before being traded to Florida. He spent two seasons with the Panthers before signing with the Dallas Stars.

    The Stars then acquired two draft picks in trading Marchment to Seattle in June.

    Overall, he has 80 goals and 202 points and 284 penalty minutes in 331 career games.

    The Blue Jackets also announced forward Brendan Gaunce has been designated non-roster in being away from the team due to personal reasons. Gaunce has a goal and four points in 12 games with the Blue Jackets this season.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • DeBrincat scores in overtime as the Red Wings beat the Blue Jackets 4-3

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    DETROIT — Alex DeBrincat scored 1:50 into overtime, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Saturday.

    DeBrincat skated in from the right side and lifted a shot over goaltender Jet Greaves’ left shoulder. It was his 10th goal this season.

    Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot each had a goal and an assist for Detroit, which won for the third time in four games. Lucas Raymond also scored, Patrick Kane added two assists and Cam Talbot stopped 30 shots.

    Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist for Columbus. Adam Fantilli and Miles Wood also scored, and Greaves made 29 saves.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs 6-3

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cole Sillinger had two goals and an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

    What You Need To Know

    • Toronto outshot Columbus 9-6 in the first period but trailed by two goals after 20 minutes

    • The Blue Jackets scored three goals in an 8 1/2-minute stretch later in the period to pull away

    • Cayden Primeau had 19 saves as the Maple Leafs snapped a two-game win streak

    Mathieu Olivier had a goal and three assists, Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won five of six. Charlie Coyle had four assists, and Elvis Merzlikins finished with 35 saves.

    Sammy Blais and Nicholas Robertson each had a goal and an assist, and John Tavares scored his 500th career goal for Toronto. Cayden Primeau had 19 saves as the Maple Leafs snapped a two-game win streak and lost for the fourth time in six games (2-3-1).

    Toronto outshot Columbus 9-6 in the first period but trailed by two goals after 20 minutes.

    Sillinger gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 6:56 into game, taking a pass from Coyle inside the blue line, skating up on Primeau and beating the goalie with a forehand shot past the blocker. Coyle got his 300th career assist on the play.

    Werenski made it 2-0 with 8:44 remaining in the first as he fired a shot past Primeau on the glove side.

    The Maple Leafs then had an 18-7 advantage on shots in the second and fell further behind.

    Blais, in the lineup in place of William Nylander (lower body injury) after 10 games as a healthy scratch, got Toronto on the scoreboard at 2:43.

    However, the Blue Jackets scored three goals in an 8 1/2-minute stretch later in the period to pull away.

    Provorov put a backhander past Primeau at 8:33 to restore the two-goal lead. Sillinger got his second of the night with 6:36 remaining as he scored on a 2-on-1 with Coyle, and Fabbro made it 5-1 a little more than 3 1/2 minutes later as got a drop pass from Olivier and fired it past Primeau from inside the left circle.

    Olivier made it a four goal lead at 7:50 of the third, and Tavares and Robertson scored 2:25 apart late to pull the Maple Leafs to 6-3.

    Up next

    Maple Leafs: At Philadelphia on Saturday.

    Blue Jackets: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Capitals beat Blue Jackets 5-1 for 6th win in 7 games

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Alex Ovechkin scored his 899th career goal and added an assist, and the Washington Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Columbus Blue Jackets lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals Friday night

    • Denton Mateychuk scored, and Jet Greaves finished with 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game win streak

    • Blue Jackets will be at Pittsburgh on Saturday night to open a two-game trip

    John Carlson and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist, and Justin Sourdif and Tom Wilson also scored as Washington got its sixth win in seven games. Logan Thompson stopped 34 shots for his fifth straight win.

    Denton Mateychuk scored the only goal for his team, and Jet Greaves finished with 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game win streak.

    Ovechkin pushed Washington’s lead to 2-0 at 1:36 of the third, getting the puck off a faceoff in the right circle on the offensive end and quickly firing it past Greaves to move the NHL career goals leader one away from 900.

    Sourdif made it a three-goal lead 1:04 later as he got a lead pass from Ryan Leonard, skated in on Greaves and fired it past the goalie off the right goalpost and in. Thompson also got an assist on the play.

    Mateychuk ended Thompson’s shutout bid with 9:40 left as he got a pass from Sean Monahan from behind the net and quickly beat the goalie from the left side.

    Wilson made it 4-1 with a power-play goal with 4:21 remaining for his fifth of the season, and McMichael made it a four-goal lead 58 seconds later on the same advantage for Mathieu Oliver’s major for elbowing.

    Carlson had given the Capitals a 1-0 lead with 1:41 left in the second with a one-timer off a pass from Connor McMichael that went from straightaway near the blue line along the ice through traffic in front and into the bottom left corner past Greaves.

    It came on Washington’s second shot on goal of the period as they were outshot 10-2 in the second.

    Each team had 12 shots on goal in a scoreless first period.

    Up next

    Capitals: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.

    Blue Jackets: At Pittsburgh on Saturday night to open a two-game trip.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets secure first home win over the Lightning

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kirill Marchenko scored early in the third period to rally Columbus over the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night, snapping a three-game skid and giving the Blue Jackets their first home victory of the season.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Blue Jackets secured their first home win of the season

    • Kirill Marchenko continued his hot start to the season with scoring his fifth goal of the season

    • The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Blue Jackets

    Kent Johnson scored on his 23rd birthday, and Damon Severson also scored, for the Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves stopped 17 shots in the Jackets’ first win of the season.

    Marchenko has five goals in as many games — the most to start a Blue Jackets season — and is riding a five-game goal streak.

    Ryan McDonagh and Anthony Cirelli scored for Tampa Bay, which led 2-1 at the end of the first period but has now lost three in a row. Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.

    Johnson’s goal almost five minutes into the first put Columbus ahead in a chippy period that featured 30 combined penalty minutes.

    McDonagh tied it at 12:42 before Cirelli gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with 3:38 left in the first, just 16 seconds into a power play.

    Columbus has now allowed goals on eight of 18 power plays this season, including three of five at home.

    Severson pulled the Jackets even at 13:59 of the second, before Marchenko’s strike with 1:15 gone in the third sealed the win.

    The Blue Jackets will travel to Dallas for a matchup against the Stars on Tuesday night.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Avalanche beat Blue Jackets 4-1 for fourth win of the season

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals, Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Thursday night to open the season on a five-game points streak.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Blue Jackets lost to the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 on Thursday

    • Columbus’ Ivan Provorov had a goal in his 700th career game and Elvis Merzļikins had 32 saves

    • The Blue Jackets host Tampa Bay on Saturday night

    Nichushkin scored in the second period on a tip-in and added an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left to cap the Avalanche’s fourth win in five games (4-0-1) to open the season.

    Colorado’s Cale Makar scored in the second period to reach 434 points, third-most by a defenseman through 400 games in NHL history behind Bobby Orr (508) and Paul Coffey (475). The goal was Makar’s 118th, moving him ahead of George Boucher for fifth-most by a defenseman through 400 games.

    Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado.

    Columbus’ Ivan Provorov had a goal in his 700th career game and Elvis Merzļikins had 32 saves.

    Columbus signed Cam Atkinson to a one-day contract so he could retire with the team before the game and Provorov opened the scoring early in the second period, beating Wedgewood to the stick side on a wrist shot from the left circle.

    Makar tied it midway through the period, sending a wrist shot over Merzļikins’ shoulder from the left circle.

    Nelson scored his first of the season a little over a minute later, deflecting a shot by Brent Burns through Merzļikins’ pads. Burns became the second 40-year-old in Avalanche history with a point streak of at least three games, joining Ray Bourque (2000-01).

    Nichushkin made it 3-1 with four seconds left in the period, deflecting Sam Malinski’s shot from between the circles past Merzļikins. Nichushkin skated the puck into the goal for his second of the season after Columbus pulled Merzļikins.

    Up next

    Avalanche: Host Boston on Saturday night.

    Blue Jackets: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets remember Johnny Gaudreau one year after his death

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — One year ago, on Aug. 29, 2024, Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died after being struck while riding bicycles.

    What You Need To Know

    • Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother, Matthew, were struck while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey

    • It happened the night before their sister’s wedding

    • The Blue Jackets honored Johnny in a social media post a year after his death

    The two were hit the night before their sister’s wedding near their childhood home of Carneys Point in New Jersey. Their deaths sent shockwaves through the family and the sports world and all the fans who loved to see Johnny play. 

    Memorials were quickly set up, including outside of Nationwide Arena, home of the Blue Jackets. Hockey sticks sat on front porches, and residents donned their “Gaudreau” jerseys in honor of the young brothers. 

    Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29 when they died. 

    Since then, the Blue Jackets franchise and fans continue to mourn and pay tribute to their legacies. In April, the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League raised Gaudreau’s No. 8 to the rafters with his family present. No. 8 represented the same number he wore for the Blue Jackets as well as the Calgary Flames, which is where he played before he came to Columbus. 

    A year after their deaths, the Blue Jackets posted a video on Friday in memoriam on its social media, saying. “forever in our hearts.”

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    Lydia Taylor

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  • Capitals take down Blue Jackets 7-2

    Capitals take down Blue Jackets 7-2

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael struck twice, Alex Ovechkin scored his 859th career goal and two assists and the Washington Capitals continued their dominant start to the season with a 7-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Ovechkin is 36 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record
    • Daniil Tarasov stopped 15 of 22 shots for Columbus
    • Columbus outshot Washington, but the defense struggled in front of Tarasov as the team gave up six goals for the second consecutive game. The Blue Jackets were outscored 12-4 in this back-to-back series

    • The Blue Jackets head out west to face the Sharks on Tuesday

    McMichael and Ovechkin both have goals in three straight games for Washington, which advances to 8-2 on the season.

    Ovechkin is 36 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. He’s currently on pace to finish with 49 goals, which would set him up to hit 895 later this season.

    Both Ovechkin and McMichael helped ignite Washington’s offense as the team managed a five-goal first period, where all four lines got on the scoresheet. Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored for the Blue Jackets, who dropped both games of their back-to-back.

    Logan Thompson made 34 saves and remains undefeated so far in his Capitals’ tenure. Daniil Tarasov stopped 15 of 22 shots for Columbus.

    Takeaways

    Blue Jackets: Columbus outshot Washington, but the defense struggled in front of Tarasov as the team gave up six goals for the second consecutive game. The Blue Jackets were outscored 12-4 in this back-to-back series.

    Capitals: Offense continues to come easily for the surging Caps, which wasn’t the story last season. They’ve scored at least five goals in five of the last seven games.

    Key moment

    Aliaksei Protas got the scoring started just 56 seconds in on a 2-on-0 break with Dylan Strome, who also had a three-point night, for his third goal in as many games.

    Key stat

    Ovechkin is up to six goals in 10 games to open the 2024-25 season. Last year, it took him 30 games to hit that number, which also came against the Blue Jackets.

    Up Next

    The Capitals visit the Hurricanes on Sunday, and The Blue Jackets head out west to face the Sharks on Tuesday.

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    Associated Press

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  • Ehlers scores 3 goals to lead Jets to 6-2 win over Blue Jackets

    Ehlers scores 3 goals to lead Jets to 6-2 win over Blue Jackets

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored three goals for his fifth career hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Friday night to stay perfect on the road.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Winnipeg Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Friday night

    • Sean Kuraly scored and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets

    • Elvis Merzlikins made 37 saves

    • The Blue Jackets visit Washington on Saturday

    Mason Appleton and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, Josh Morrissey had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ehlers added an assist for Winnipeg, which has won 10 of its first 11 games. Eric Comrie had 20 saves as the Jets improved to 6-0-0 on the road for the best such start in franchise history.

    Sean Kuraly scored and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins made 37 saves.

    Takeaways

    Jets: Scott Arniel returned to Nationwide Arena for the first time as a head coach since being fired by the Blue Jackets in January 2012. His Jets showed Columbus how it’s done, dominating from the opening puck drop and demonstrating why they are atop the NHL standings.

    Blue Jackets: Columbus could not answer the faster, nimbler Jets and spent most of the game protecting their zone with limited success, getting outshot in every period and ending up with a 21-shot deficit.

    Key moment

    Columbus found momentum when Monahan scored with 3:30 left in the second period, seven seconds into a power-play, cutting the Jets’ lead to 3-2. Ehlers then scored his third goal of the night 2:20 later, and Winnipeg never looked back.

    Key stat

    Winnipeg kept its power-play streak alive, scoring with a man advantage in each of its past four games. The Jets have gone a league-best 14 for 31 this season.

    Up Next

    The Jets host Tampa Bay Sunday, and the Blue Jackets visit Washington on Saturday.

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    Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs 6-2

    Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs 6-2

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Mathieu Olivier scored twice and Daniil Tarasov stopped 25 shots as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 Tuesday night.

    Justin Danforth had a goal and two assists, Sean Monahan added a goal and an assist, and James van Riemsdyk and Kirill Marchenko also scored for Columbus Zach Werenski had two assists.

    Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson scored for Toronto, which has lost two of three. Dennis Hildeby finished with 32 saves.

    Takeaways

    Maple Leafs: Toronto, which traveled to Columbus early this morning after their home win over Tampa Bay on Monday, came out flat with just six shots in the first period and could never find its offensive flow.

    Blue Jackets: Columbus scored three goals in a period twice this season, the previous time Oct. 12 at Colorado.

    Key moment

    The Blue Jackets shook up their lines to spread the offensive output, and it worked as they scored three goals n the first period. The reshuffled fourth line brought home the first score from van Riemsdyk at 5:29. The third line padded the lead 52 seconds later with Danforth’s first of the season and added Olivier’s score with 7:18 left. The first line finally got in on the action with Monahan’s goal at 5:35 of the second.

    Key stat

    The Maple Leafs seem to bring out the best in Danforth, who has three goals and four assists in seven career games against Toronto.

    Up next

    The Maple Leafs host St. Louis on Thursday, while the Blue Jackets visit Nashville on Saturday.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Blue Jackets fans remember Johnny, Matthew Gaudreau

    Blue Jackets fans remember Johnny, Matthew Gaudreau

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    The brothers died Thursday night after being struck on bikes by a suspected drunk driver in New Jersey.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Columbus Blue Jackets player remembered for positive community impact

    Columbus Blue Jackets player remembered for positive community impact

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The deaths of Columbus Blue Jackets forward, Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother, Matthew, have shaken the Central Ohio community.

    What You Need To Know

    • The community is grieving the loss of CBJ hockey forward Johnny Gaudreau

    • He was a husband, father, son and philanthropist 

    • Young hockey players said they looked up to him and fans hope they retire his number 

    On Thursday, Aug. 29, the brothers were killed while biking in their New Jersey hometown.

    “Johnny was a true grace,” said Ben Khan, a member of the CBJ Artillery. “His presence on the ice was graceful. Anybody who was lucky to play with him, they all spoke so highly of him so he’s a national treasure.”

    The CBJ Artillery is a group of fans that created the “we are the fifth line” slogan. 

    They said the community will grieve this tragedy for quite some time.

    “They’re wishing their best and giving their prayers to Johnny’s family and Matthew’s family. It’s a huge impact and we’re gonna hurt for a while,” Khan said.

    In 2022, Gaudreau signed a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for $68.25 million. 

    Fans respected Johnny so much because he wanted to be here as a free agent, and wanted to make Columbus where he settled down.

    “Everybody wanted to get out of Columbus, they didn’t want to play here because we weren’t that big market,” Khan said.

    He settled down with his wife and two kids. Meredith Gaudreau posted a statement on her social media saying, “Thank you for the best years of my life. Despite losing you, I am still the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours. I love you so, so much. You were perfect. Some days it felt too good to be true.”

    A memorial grew outside Nationwide Arena with fans coming by to pay their respect and remember him for the husband, father, son and philanthropist he was to the community. 

    “I really loved watching him play. He and Matthew were great hockey players, very, very good, and it’s so bad what happened,” said youth hockey player Alex Harrison.

    Young hockey players from around Columbus were grieving as well, and shared how much they looked up to the brothers. 

    Fans said they are going to continue to remember Johnny for not only the great hockey player he was, but person too. 

    “I’m hoping they’ll have a tribute to him on opening night and I hope that they retire his number,” said hockey fan Neil Allison.

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    Cassidy Wilson

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  • Sudden death of ‘Johnny Hockey’ means more hard times for Columbus Blue Jackets

    Sudden death of ‘Johnny Hockey’ means more hard times for Columbus Blue Jackets

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets officials could hardly believe their luck when they persuaded superstar Johnny Gaudreau to pass up larger markets and sign here two years ago.

    What You Need To Know

    • Blue Jackets officials and fans were ecstatic two years ago when Johnny Gaudreau was persuaded to pass up larger markets to sign with Columbus

    • Like other players who have come and gone, “Johnny Hockey” said he wanted to be a part of the Blue Jackets and raise his family in Columbus

    • Gaudreau’s death was the second off-ice tragedy in three years for a franchise struggling to get back on its feet

    • Twenty-four-year-old goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a freak fireworks accident in July 2021

    Ecstatic fans looked to “Johnny Hockey” to score goals and jump-start the fortunes of a struggling team that had reached the playoffs just six times in the previous 21 seasons and advanced beyond the opening round only twice.

    A few other big stars had spent time with the Blue Jackets, but for one reason or another they didn’t work out or didn’t care to hang around. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Artemi Panarin were beloved by fans and led Columbus to a playoff sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. But they couldn’t get out of town fast enough when their contracts expired.

    Gaudreau, one of the sport’s top players who spent his first eight years in the NHL with Calgary, certainly seemed different. He was excited to play for Columbus and be closer to his family in New Jersey, which for Blue Jackets fans makes his sudden death along with that of his brother Thursday night a shattering tragedy even harder to take. He was just 31.

    “Johnny Gaudreau coming here, actually choosing Columbus was literally our validation. Like we are a hockey town, this is a hockey market. People want to play here. Johnny Gaudreau was literally the embodiment of that,” said Nick Shannon, who came to Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Friday to pay his respects.

    Gaudreau and his younger brother died after they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while they were riding bicycles in Oldmans Township, close to their southern New Jersey hometown. Their sister’s wedding, scheduled for Friday, was called off.

    “When he first signed, his famous words were, ‘It’s a great place to raise a family.’ And we were his family,” said Ninell Baker, a Blue Jackets season-ticket holder who also showed up at the downtown arena. “The players loved him. We all loved him. It breaks my heart. I don’t even know how to act.”

    Fans who made their way to the front of the arena left behind flowers, caps, shirts and lots of hockey sticks. A bagpiper in a kilt and a Blue Jackets’ No. 13 Gaudreau sweater played as he walked up and down a sidewalk.

    Gaudreau’s shocking death was the second off-ice tragedy in three years for a franchise struggling to get back on its feet. The organization was rocked when goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks accident in July 2021 while attending the wedding of then-Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace’s daughter in Michigan. Kivlenieks was just 24.

    Injuries, bad luck and mismanagement have knocked the Blue Jackets off track in the past few seasons, despite Gaudreau’s 74- and 60-point efforts in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.

    Coach John Tortorella led Columbus to the playoffs for four straight seasons but was fired after missing the postseason in 2021. A protege, Brad Larsen, lasted two seasons before he was let go.

    The Blue Jackets made Mike Babcock the highest-paid coach in team history when he was hired in the summer of 2023. Babcock didn’t even make it to the season, fired just before training camp amid complaints that his requests to see photos on players’ phones were too invasive.

    Pascal Vincent, who had been hired as an associate head coach, was elevated to the top job on the eve of training camp. Columbus finished last season as one of the worst teams in the NHL and out of the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

    General manager Jarmo Kekalainen was fired in the middle of last season. Longtime NHL executive Don Waddell was hired as GM in May, and he fired Vincent in June. Waddell hired former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason to replace Vincent.

    Now Evason will be without Gaudreau, who would have been his best player. He will also be without Patrik Laine, the talented forward acquired in a 2021 trade who the team hoped would complement Gaudreau on the top line.

    The 26-year-old Laine played 18 games last season before entering the NHL Player Assistance Program last January. Telling Blue Jackets management he needed “a change of scenery,” Laine was traded to Montreal last month.

    “We really don’t have a choice but to keep going,” Shannon said. “To be a Blue Jackets fan, or any sports fan in Ohio, you need to be resilient.”

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    Associated Press

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