Columbus Blue Jackets ICYMI – Panarin’s Linemates and Charity Game
Good morning, Columbus Blue Jackets fans! Welcome to the first ICYMI post on Union and Blue, a daily post containing anything CBJ-related that you or we may have missed the day before. Enjoy and have a great day!
Line Combinations with Artemi Panarin
Lansing kicked off yesterday’s posts with a breakdown of who he would like to see join the Columbus Blue Jackets’ new star Artemi Panarin on the first line. It will be a difficult decision for John Tortorella considering Panarin’s unique and impressive skill, and the incredibly different attributes of the other CBJ forwards.
CBJ Greatest Players: #16 – Matt Calvert
I was up next on posting and I continued on with the CBJ’s greatest players list. And I picked Matt Calvert, an odd choice for some. If you didn’t see my pick for the 17th greatest Blue Jacket, I picked Jared Boll. You can read about that HERE, and tell me whether you still think I’m incredibly stupid or I’m a genius. As you can tell by choosing Boll and Calvert, this is not a list for the most-skilled players or the guys with the best stats. There will definitely be guys that come up later in the list that are there because they’re very good at hockey, but many of them aren’t necessarily the most skilled to suit up in Union Blue.
Toughest Five-Game Stretch of CBJ’s Season
Our newest member of U&B, Will Espy, broke down what he believes is going to be the hardest five-game stretch of the 2017-2018 season. Around the trade deadline, the CBJ begins the stretch, one that starts off with seeing an old friend and ends with on the west coast in a building the Jackets suck at.
CBJ’s Top 5 Hardest Road Arenas
I pulled a double and finished off the day with a post about the five arenas that the Blue Jackets should want to avoid at all times. Surprisingly, none of the buildings are tied to Eastern Conference teams. They’re all out west.
Trading One Dream Job for Another
Aaron Portzline announced yesterday that he is a new employee of The Athletic. Portzline left the Columbus Dispatch after over 30 years on the job last week. In his welcome letter, he explains why he decided it was time to leave his hometown newspaper.
Docs and NHLers to square off for NEO Kids
Several CBJ and other NHL players will be travelling to Greater Sudbury, Ontario to battle Health Sciences North’s medical team in a friendly charity hockey game. Nick Foligno, Marcus Foligno, Zach Werenski, and more will be playing in the game that will benefit the NEO Kids Foundation.
CBJ alumni appearances, NHL trophy display added to Dublin Irish Festival
In celebration of a century of hockey, the NHL is organizing the NHL Centennial Fan Arena, a festival of sorts. The event is coming to Ohio in August and will feature several former Blue Jackets and even some current hometown prospects like Carson Meyer and Kole Sherwood.