Aeros Advance to Eastern League Championship Series; Face Connecticut Defenders Tonight
September 15, 2009Redskins Taken to Court, is Chief Wahoo Next?
September 15, 2009Guess who’s back / back again / 5-Hole’s back / tell a friend…
Every Tuesday, WFNY’s The 5-Hole brings you up to date with the goings-on of the CBJ…
The Summer That Was
Last Season: 41-31-10, 92 points (4th division; 7th conference)
It was officially “The Best Season in Franchise History”. Granted, 4th place in the division isn’t something to shout about, but the division was so stacked last season (and looks to be this season as well) that 4th in the division was good enough for 7th in the conference. They tied in points with 3rd/6th place St. Louis, but finished below them by virtue of head-to-head record. But, the Jackets finally made the playoffs, and have laid the foundation for what should be a return trip this year, hopefully with better results due to the experience gained last year. And, despite the loss, Game 4 against Detroit still is and will always be one of my favorite sports memories.
The Jackets really had one big goal this summer: re-sign Rick Nash. Consider that goal smashed, as Nash agreed to a huge eight-year extension early on in the free agency signing period. Even just that move alone would have made for a successful summer for the Jackets, but the front office went above and beyond and accomplished a couple of the other things on their list. Their needs included: a checking line center, a backup goaltender, a full-time goaltenders coach, and a puck-moving top-flight defenseman. Well, consider the following:
They signed checking line center Sami Pahlsson and backup goaltender Mathieu Garon on the first day of free agency.
They inked a new goaltenders coach, who also happens to be Steve Mason’s former junior league coach.
They weren’t able to sign a top-shelf defenseman, but the team drafted defenseman John Moore. Moore won’t be on the roster this year or possibly next year, but he wowed everyone at the rookie development camp. Word was he skated circles around almost everyone there. As a defenseman. Giggity-giggity.
The Jackets didn’t stop there, however. GM Scott Howson continues to pull rabbits out of his proverbial hat, as he managed to ink young centerman Derick Brassard to an extension for four years. And now, as camp opens, comes word that the team and centerman Antoine Vermette (aquired at the trading deadline last year) have agreed on a five-year extension.
Tom Reed wrote a very solid piece on Howson, who I believe has really put his best foot forward this summer. Reed even throws us Tribe fans a bone: “I’m not a baseball man, but Howson’s approach is reminiscent of the Indians of the early- to mid-1990s as general manager John Hart signed his best young players well before they reached free agency. Those teams produced two American League pennants.” To resign your franchise player until the end of the 2017-2018 season would be a coup in and of itself. But, add in all of the other things he’s done on top of that, and it’s not really a stretch from where I’m sitting to say that he’s set the foundation of this team for a long run of playoff appearances.
Training Camp Update
There isn’t a whole lot to report at this point in camp, which just started on Sunday, as the Jackets haven’t taken the ice against another team yet (see below). However, the Jackets will be sending a fairly complete offensive lineup to Pittsburgh tonight for the exhibition opener. Absent are Captain Rick Nash and Calder Trophy winning goaltender Steve Mason, as well as pretty much all of the starting defensemen, but #1 draft pick John Moore should get some playing time tonight.
The Jackets have been scrimmaging, if you will, for these first few days of camp, and will most likely make their first roster cut today or tomorrow, as well. The training camp roster currently sits at 66 players, but expect Howson and coach Ken Hitchcock to cut about 15-20 players in this first move.
Probably the best thing coming out of Jackets camp thus far has been on the economic front:
The Blue Jackets’ first winning season coupled with a playoff appearance is resonating with fans and corporate sponsors.
The Dispatch has learned the franchise already has sold more than 10,000 season tickets — marking the first increase in sales since the second season (2001-02). Last season, the Jackets sold under 9,800 season subscriptions, the lowest total in franchise history. The high mark was 13,700 in the second season.The franchise also has retained all four of its “championship” corporate sponsors. In a difficult economic climate, Blue Jacket corporate sponsor sales have remained steady, pleasantly surprising team executives who were bracing for a dip.
The pre-season schedule begins tonight on the road against the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. And, the Pens are bringing a fairly full complement of solid players with them. The game is not on TV locally here in Columbus, but Jackets fans can tune in on FM (101.1, WWCD) and AM (1460, WBNS). Puck drops at 7:30.
Also this week for the Jackets in the exhibition season are trips to Minnesota and Nashville on Friday and Saturday, and then the home pre-season opener on Monday against Minnesota.
Quote of the Week
Couple all that I wrote above with the spirit of the Jackets’ coach, and you have a pretty good blueprint for long-term, sustained success.
I don’t want to just stay in the (playoff) mix. I want to go and chase Detroit (atop the Central Division). I’m tired of watching Detroit in first place. I’d like to chase them. I mean, somewhere along the line, somebody’s got to make them bleed, and it might as well be us.
–Coach Ken Hitchcock
I am so ready for some hockey, folks. Especially since the only other “good” team I pay attention to hasn’t yet hit the gym.
8 Comments
I was going to read your hockey-related post until you led it off with a modified Backstreet Boyzz song.
That line was from eminem no? And without further ado….
WELCOME BACK HOCKEY!
I was going for the Eminem effect, but point taken.
NHL 10 comes out today… awwwwww yea
5 Hole, how I’ve missed you
that’s what she said?
[…] PostsThe 5-Hole – Blue Jackets News and Notes: 9/15/09The 5-Hole: Blue Jackets News and Notes – 4/28/09 – Season-in-Review EditionThe 5-Hole – Blue […]
[…] give a crap, but I DO. The Jackets are coming off their Best Season Ever, had arguably their Best Offseason Ever, and look to be fielding their Best Team Ever. I heart superlatives. Enough goofing; LET’S DROP […]