Union and Blue
Fansided

Columbus Blue Jackets: How We Became CBJ Fans

By Preston Byers

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 18: Columbus Blue Jackets mascot Stinger cheers with fans during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 18, 2017 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus defeated Pittsburgh 5-4. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 18: Columbus Blue Jackets mascot Stinger cheers with fans during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 18, 2017 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus defeated Pittsburgh 5-4. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 10: Artem Anisimov
COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 10: Artem Anisimov /

Aaron Winland

AW: Growing up in rural southeastern Ohio, there wasn’t much around in the way of hockey. Wheeling, West Virginia has an ECHL team, but I can only remember making the long trip when my old Cub Scout troop all drove up together. I didn’t understand what was going on and no one really explained the game to me. I actually remember being a little bored!

Fortunately, My Blue Jacket fandom got kick started thanks to my friend Torey. He convinced me to go to the final 2014-2015 home game against Buffalo. From the moment the game started, I was hooked. The sounds. The lights. The speed. Everything was different from what I had remembered about Wheeling.

Torey and I bought a ten-game package that summer for the 2015-2016 season. My wife was supposed to split five games with another one of our mutual friends, but after she attended her first game, the team’s first home win against the Coyotes, she was as hooked as I was.

My wife and I purchased tickets for additional games throughout the season, but decided we still hadn’t had enough when the season ended.

We heard the Lake Erie Monsters were in the Calder Cup playoffs through a ticket offer from the Jackets. Cleveland was only an hour and fifteen minute drive from our house, so we decided to drive up for a few more games.

When it was all said and done, we went to all but two of the Monsters home playoff games and also attended game two of the Calder Cup Final in Hershey, PA.

This makes our third year being Blue Jackets season ticket holders, even after adding a member to our family. We hope she will be as big a CBJ fan as the two of us!

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