5 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #5

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 5 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at everyone's favorite number - Jersey #5.

Let's take a look at who wore 5, and where they are now.

Jamie Pushor - 2001-2006 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 1989.

Heward played 97 games with Columbus and had 30 points. 69 of his games came during the inaugural season for Columbus.

After several years in Europe, he returned to the NHL and retired with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. Heward has been an Asst. Coach for the Henderson Silver Knights since 2020. Former Monsters captain Ryan Craig is the head coach for Henderson.

Darryl Sydor - 2004 - Drafted by LA in 1990.

Sydor played a total of 49 games for Columbus during the 2003-04 season. He was traded to the Jackets in the Summer of 2003 and then traded to the Lightning during that season. He had 15 points for Columbus.

He went on to play another five NHL seasons before retiring on July 13, 2010. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant for the Blues and Wild. He also owns the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.

Christian Bäckman - 2009 - Drafted by St. Louis in 1998.

Bäckman played 56 games for the Jackets in 2008-09 after being acquired by Columbus in the trade that sent Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to the Rangers.

He left for Europe in 2009, where he signed with Frölunda HC in Sweden. He retired in 2015.

Aaron Johnson - 2012 - Drafted by Columbus in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."

During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons.

In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a Player-Asst. Coach for a season. He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. Last season, he was the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets.

Jack Skille - 2014 - Drafted by Chicago in 2005.

Skille played 61 games for Columbus and had 12 points. On July 6, 2013, Skille was signed as a free agent by the CBJ, but the following summer, he left in free agency. On October 5, 2014, Skille was claimed off waivers by Columbus, where he would play in 45 games. He left Columbus again and would play a season in Colorado and a season in Vancouver.

In 2017, he left for Europe, where he played in Russia, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. He retired in 2021 and went into coaching. He's currently a skills coach and the Director of Skills Development for the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies franchise. The Grizzlies are moving to Trenton, New Jersey, at the end of the 25-26 season.

Gavin Bayreuther - 2022 - Undrafted out of Canaan, New Hampshire.

Bayreuther played 103 games for Columbus and totaled 23 points over three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Stars.

He was made famous in 2021 when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. One week later, he signed a two-year deal with Columbus, marking the end of his long tenure with Seattle.

After playing last season in Switzerland for Lausanne HC, he has come back to North America and will play for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Denton Mateychuk - 2025 - Drafted by Columbus in 2022.

Mateychuk was called up mid-way through last season and never looked back. He played in 45 games for the CBJ and scored 13 points. He was also a plus-4, which isn't bad for a young defenseman.

Before being called up from the Cleveland Monsters, he was having himself a season in the AHL. Playing in just 27 games, he scored 9 goals and totaled 25 points, so the Jackets had no choice but to call him up.

Mateychuk was named to the NHL's all-rookie team for his play last season. This season, he will be looking to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and continue to be a solid blueliner for the upstart Jackets.

Elite Prospects said of Mateychuk in their draft guide, Constant motion allows Mateychuk to break from his team's structure in the offensive zone and seek opportunities that just aren't there for other defenseman. He prods for soft ice, finds it, and times his entrance into that space at the best possible moment for a shooting opportunity or a chance to hit his teammate elsewhere with a perfectly weighted pass for a chance of their own."

There are six days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #6?

The start of the 2025-26 season starts this Thursday, as the CBJ travel to Nashville to play the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

The season kicks off this Thursday in Nashville against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. This is going to be an interesting season, and if the Jackets can stay healthy, they should have a decent year.

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