Columbus Blue Jackets Greatest Players: #16 – Matt Calvert
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be entering their 17th season as a NHL franchise this year, so we thought it’s about time we celebrate the 17 greatest Blue Jackets. This list won’t be filled with the best players per say, but rather the most impactful, durable, and lovable Jackets in our minds.
So without further ado, here is the 16th greatest Columbus Blue Jackets player in history…
Related Story: #17 - Jared Boll
#16 – Matt Calvert (LW)
Let’s start out with some facts. Matt Calvert has played the 10th most games in franchise history. He’s scored the eighth-most even strength goals in CBJ history. He’s also one tough cookie.
You probably wouldn’t think much of Calvert if he walked into the bar due to being just 5’10” and less than 200 lbs. But I’ll be on his side when things get wild, because this guy is pretty nutty. This has been shown throughout his seven years in Union Blue.
Even before he suited up in a Blue Jackets uniform, he was that way. A prime example is Calvert’s lone game as a part of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winkler Flyers. He didn’t get a point in the game, but he ended up with 15 penalty minutes due to a fight and misconduct.
His nuttiness may come from a mixture of small-man complex and having a gigantic chip on his shoulder.
“When I was 15 years old, I was barely five feet tall and weighed 115 pounds. I scored one goal. I was a three-year Triple A midget player. When I was 18, I hadn’t played a game in the WHL. There was no chance for me,” Calvert said for a MyToba article. “When I told my buddies I was going to be an NHL player, they just laughed and gave me the gears. They said, ‘C’mon Matty, you’re 17 and you’ve never played in the Dub. Forget it.’ But I wasn’t going to quit. I had this dream and I was going to do what I needed to do to see my dream through.”
After being told he couldn’t be a NHL player, he set out to prove everyone wrong. The process all started with his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings. He signed with the WHL team in 2007 and immediately showed that he was something to look out for. At 18, he tallied 64 points in 72 games.
That was good enough to get NHL attention as the Blue Jackets drafted him in 2008 as a fifth round pick. But Calvert wasn’t done in Brandon. Over the next two seasons, he tacked up 166 points, including a 99-point showing in 2009-2010.
The next year he would find himself in Columbus, where he would play 42 games. Continuing to play hard for the next six seasons, he would play 305 more. Admittedly, Calvert isn’t a star like he was in the WHL, but he’s a solid player.
In 347 games, he has 125 points (63 goals and 62 assists) and a lot of fans in Ohio’s capital. This is for his gritty play, blistering speed, and a few particular games that he’s been the star of.
I have my problems with him (that despicable hit this April being the worst), but Matt Calvert is a guy that just fits in Columbus. Being somewhat dirty is acceptable here as long as the effort and passion comes along with it. His days may be numbered, but many fans will have very fond memories of Matty when he’s done in the 614.
Let’s go out on a happy note and watch some of Matt Calvert’s highlights with the Columbus Blue Jackets.