28 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #28

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 28 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #28.

Let's take a look.

Tyler Wright - 2001-2006 - Drafted by Edmonton in 1991.

Tyler Wright was a Blue Jacket Original who played 309 games in the early days of the franchise. Wright totaled 109 points for the Jackets and had 149 for his career.

He was famously traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Hall-of-Famer Sergei Fedorov on November 15, 2005. That was his last NHL season, and he would leave for Switzerland the next year.

After retiring, he returned to Columbus and was the Dir. of Player Development, and Dir. of Amateur Scouting for 7 years. He held the same positions in Detroit and Edmonton from 2013 to 2023. After taking last season off, he was hired by the LA Kings to be their Dir. of Player Personnel for this upcoming season.

Zenon Konopka - 2007-2008 - Undrafted out of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

On January 26, 2007, he was traded by the Anaheim Ducks along with Curtis Glencross and a draft pick to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Mark Hartigan, Joe Motzko and a draft pick. He played a total of 9 games for Columbus and had no points. He spent the season as the Captain for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, where he had 55 points.

He retired in April of 2017.

Nikita Filatov - 2009-2011 - Drafted in the first round of the 2008 NHL Draft by Columbus.

Oh, what could've been! Filatov was an uber-talented winger from Russia and was the 6th overall pick in 2008. He played 44 games for Columbus and totaled 13 points. In 2011, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators and only played 9 games.

He would return to Russia, where he played until 2019 and is now retired. He has spent the last few years as the Vice President of the Polyot Rybinsk of the NMHL.

"Filly don't do rebounds."

Alexandre Giroux - 2012 - Drafted by Ottawa in 1999.

Played in 9 games for the Jackets during the 2011-12 season, scoring one goal. After his time in Columbus, he would never play another NHL game.

He would play in Europe until 2018 before returning to Canada, where he would play until 2022. He played in Poland, Switzerland, Russia, and France. He came back to North America and played three seasons in the LNAH as well.

Frédéric St. Denis - 2015 - Undrafted out of Greenfield Park, Quebec.

St. Denis would play 4 games for the Jackets during the 14-15 season and would tally one assist. He would never play another NHL game after playing in Columbus and retired during the 2018-19 season.

He played one year in Germany and then came back to play in the LNAH for three seasons.

Oliver Bjorkstrand - 2016-2022 - Drafted by Columbus in 2013.

Bjorkstrand played 382 games for the Blue Jackets. Drafted in 2013, Oliver helped the Lake Erie Monsters win the Calder Cup in 2016 by scoring 16 points in 17 games, including the series winner with under .02 seconds to play in overtime.

Bjorkstrand had 234 points in 382 games as a Jacket. He scored a career-high 28 goals in 2021-22 and had a career-high 57 points. On July 22, 2022, the unthinkable would happen - Oliver Bjorkstrand was traded to the Seattle Kraken. Former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen justified the trade by saying it was because they just signed Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. It was a sad day for a lot of CBJ fans, especially since the CBJ only got back a third and fourth-round pick.

Bjorkstrand is most famous for his game-winning goal in the 2019 NHL playoffs vs the Tampa Bay Lightning. A goal that will live in infamy for Lightning fans.

In his first season with Seattle, he played a key role in helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time, contributing 20 goals and 45 points. His two-way game and ability to step up in clutch moments made him a valuable addition.

This past season, Bjorkstrand suffered an injury called Compartment Syndrome. This happens when there is too much pressure around your muscles. In Bjorkstrand's case, it required him to be rushed to the hospital at 2 a.m. for emergency surgery to fix the issue.

The injury is very serious because the fluid and blood get trapped inside the muscle, causing it to swell. If not treated immediately, it can cause major complications, including the potential loss of the affected limb.

Thankfully, in Bjorkstrand’s case, it was caught early and treated. Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said he is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready for the start of the 2025-26 NHL season.

There are 28 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.

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