The Columbus Blue Jackets will hold their second of five 25th Anniversary Celebration games when the club hosts the New York Rangers at Nationwide Arena on Saturday, November 15. The game, presented by Nationwide, will include appearances by former players: goaltender Marc Denis, forwards David Vyborny, Matt Calvert and Brandon Dubinsky, and defenseman Aaron Johnson.
As part of the festivities, season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to attend a private luncheon with the alumni on Friday, November 14. On Saturday, the former players will participate in an autograph session beginning at 6 p.m. on the Nationwide Arena concourse. The alumni will then be recognized in an on-ice ceremony prior to puck drop, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Denis was a member of the Blue Jackets’ inaugural team and went 84-146-25 with a 3.01 goals-against average, .904 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 266 games with the club from 2000-06. He registered the first home win in franchise history on Oct 27, 2000, when he made 32 saves to beat Washington 3-1. The Montréal, Quebec native set a then-NHL record for minutes played (4,511) in 2002-03 when he went 27-41-8 with a 3.09 GAA, .903 SV% and five SO. His 77 games played in 2002-03 are tied for the third-most by a goaltender in a single season in league history. He appeared in 349 career NHL games over 11 seasons with Columbus, Colorado, Tampa Bay and Montreal before retiring after the 2008-09 season.
Vyborny, another member of the inaugural team who spent seven seasons as a Blue Jacket from 2000-08, continues to rank among the CBJ franchise leaders in goals (7th-113), assists (3rd-204), points (6th-317) and games played (8th-543). He was the first player in club history to record three-straight seasons with 20 or more goals (2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06), his four career penalty shot goals are tied for fifth in NHL history and he shares the club record for most points in a game (1-4-5 vs. Colorado on Feb. 28, 2004). The native of Jihlava, Czech Republic won five IIHF World Championship gold medals and a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympic Games with the country and was elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame this year.
Calvert registered 72-77-149 and 273 penalty minutes (PIM) in 416 games as a Blue Jacket in eight campaigns from 2010-18 after being selected by the club in the fifth round, 127th overall, at the 2008 NHL Draft. He added 6-4-10 and 12 PIM with a +10 plus/minus rating in 16 career playoff games with the team and scored the first postseason game-winning goal in franchise history in the second overtime of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Pittsburgh on Apr. 19, 2014. In 566 NHL games between 2010-21, the native of Brandon, Manitoba racked up 95-108-203 and 376 PIM with Columbus and Colorado.
Dubinsky spent seven seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2012-19, tallying 72-153-225 and 448 PIM in 430 games with the club. He ranks among the franchise leaders in hits (3rd-1,225), penalty minutes (7th), points (9th) and assists (10th). Acquired from the New York Rangers as part of the Rick Nash trade in July 2012, the Anchorage, Alaska native finished his 13-year NHL career with 153-285-438 and 905 penalty minutes in 823 games with the Blue Jackets and Rangers.
Johnson was selected by the Blue Jackets in the third round, 85th overall, at the 2001 NHL Draft and went on to collect 10-32-42 and 119 penalty minutes in 172 games over two stints with the club from 2003-07 and 2011-12. In 291 career NHL games, he registered 17-45-62 and 227 PIM with the Blue Jackets, Islanders, Blackhawks, Flames, Oilers and Bruins. He went on to play professionally in Germany and England before joining the Blue Jackets hockey operations department in 2021.
The November 15 celebration is the second of five 25th Anniversary Celebration games during the 2025–26 season. Additional games will be held on Saturday, December 13 vs. the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, January 24 (presented by OhioHealth) vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Saturday, March 21 vs. the Seattle Kraken. Additional alumni honorees and event details will be shared in the coming months.
For more information on the Blue Jackets’ 25th Anniversary, visit www.CBJHistory.com.
