As the Columbus Blue Jackets celebrate their 25th anniversary, new fans continue to experience their first live hockey games at Nationwide Arena. The team’s presence in Central Ohio has contributed to a significant increase in interest and participation in hockey over the past twenty-five years.
Throughout the season, fans picking up personalized “first game” pucks at Ohio’s 529 CollegeAdvantage table shared their stories with BlueJackets.com. For some, attending a game was part of integrating into the local community or marking personal milestones.
Amy Poe and her son Ethan recently moved to Columbus and attended their first Blue Jackets game after connecting with the team at a local arts festival. Amy said, “He’s the reason we started coming in the first place. (The Blue Jackets) had a booth set up at the Delaware Arts Festival. We got on the mailing list so he could get a prize and because we’re on the mailing list, we got the invite to come look at season tickets.” Their visit proved memorable as Ethan predicted a five-goal win against Edmonton, which came true. Amy described how they were welcomed by fellow fans: “The person beside us, he knew his hockey. Every once in a while we were like, ‘Hey, why are they doing this?’ We learned some of the rules from him. All of the people were great.”
Amy also mentioned that her interest in hockey grew after watching “Heated Rivalry,” a streaming series featuring a fictional team: “I’d always been a sports fan in general, but I’d never been to a hockey game. I’d get bits from ESPN or TikTok, but my sister actually convinced me to watch the show because it had sports in it.” Her son Ethan is set to join the Blue Jackets’ Learn To Play program this fall. This program introduces children under ten to hockey through three steps and provides new equipment for first-time participants.
Maddy Katz celebrated her 21st birthday by attending her first Blue Jackets game after years of following them on television with her family. Katz utilized discounted tickets through CBJ Student Rush, which offers reduced ticket prices and rewards for high school and college students from Sunday through Thursday and slightly higher prices on weekends. Through participation and challenges, students can earn points redeemable for experiences and memorabilia.
“I wanted to come to try something new and get Student Rush tickets because I’m a college student,” Katz said. “I heard about the Student Rush program and thought, ‘I’ll check it out and see how the experience is.’” She added before attending: “I’m looking forward to seeing the team and having fun.”
Karen and Kevin traveled from Cincinnati for their first game together wearing matching Elmo sweatshirts—an homage to an inflatable Elmo balloon that has become an unofficial mascot among Blue Jackets fans after becoming stuck in Nationwide Arena’s rafters years ago. Karen explained, “When we heard that was sort of one of the mascots here, we definitely thought, ‘All right, we’re gonna wear Elmo (sweatshirts) today.’” They appreciated both the atmosphere of live hockey and unique traditions like searching for Elmo during games.
Karen described her anticipation: “The atmosphere is the part that I’ve been told is really cool about a hockey game since the sport is still sort of new to me. That’s sort of the part that I’m most excited about.” Kevin added: “It’s just fun to see Elmo on the screen, and you stare up in the rafters and look for the balloon.”
Fans interested in future seasons can fill out an online form for information about ticket plans—including complimentary arena tours with two free tickets.
