The Columbus Blue Jackets have 3 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Jersey #3 is one of the more popular numbers to be worn.
Let’s take a look at who wore 3, and where they are now
František Kučera – 2001 – Drafted by Chicago in 1986.
He played 48 games as a Jacket and had seven points in the first year of the Blue Jackets’ existence.
He retired in 2004 after returning to his home country of Czechia.
Jaroslav Špaček – 2002-2004 – Drafted by Florida in 1998.
Špaček played 153 games for Columbus and had 72 points in the early years of Columbus.
His son David Špaček, born in Columbus, was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2022. He will start this season with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. David was born in Columbus.
Nowadays, the elder Špaček is the Director of Youth Hockey for HC Plzeň in Czechia.
Marc Methot – 2009-2012 – Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Methot played six years and 275 games for the CBJ, totaling 51 points on the Columbus blue line. He was the definition of a defensive defenseman.
On July 1, 2012, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future CBJ Captain Nick Foligno. After the trade to Ottawa, he would play another 349 NHL games.
He retired during the 2018-19 season after playing 9 games.
Jordan Leopold – 2015 – Drafted by Anaheim in 1999.
Leopold played 18 games for Columbus after being traded from the St. Louis Blues on November 15, 2014. On March 2, 2015, he was dealt again, this time to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Justin Falk. He retired after the 2015 season.
He has been an assistant coach for Andover High in Minnesota for the past couple of years.
Seth Jones – 2016-2021 – Drafted by Nashville in 2013.
Jones played 381 games for the Jackets after coming over from the Nashville Predators. He scored 50 goals and totaled 223 points during his time in Columbus. Jones is currently second all-time in CBJ history in goals by a defenseman, second in assists, and second in points. He’s also 7th in all-time assists and 10th in all-time points.
He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021 in exchange for Adam Boqvist. Chicago traded him to the Florida Panthers in 2025, where he went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The son of former NBA player Popeye Jones was described by Elite Prospects as, “A defenseman with an excellent frame. Jones’ athleticism allows him to be a very good skater for a player of his size. He has excellent mobility and is solid both offensively and defensively. Jones gives a smart first pass and is also capable of utilizing his skating ability to bring the puck up himself. He has good hockey sense and is an asset on the power play thanks to his mobility, puck-handling, and a very dangerous slap shot.”
Jack Johnson – 2025 – Drafted by Carolina in 2005.
Johnson played 486 games for Columbus after being traded from the LA Kings for Jeff Carter. He scored 36 goals and had 156 points in seven years.
He’s bounced around since leaving Columbus, but finally won a Stanley Cup in 2022. He found his way back to Cannon City in the summer of 2024. Unfortunately for Johnson, he only played in 41 games for Columbus last year and had 6 points.
He and Head Coach Dean Evason didn’t see eye to eye, leading to Johnson being scratched most of the season. Johnson’s family even boycotted the family day held ahead of the 2025 Stadium Series Game at Ohio Stadium.
There are three days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #3?
Game one against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena didn’t end well for the CBJ. They played well; they just couldn’t beat Juuse Saros. They thought they took the lead, but a very iffy goalie interference call took the goal back.
The Jackets also came out of Nashville relatively healthy. Dean Evason said that defenseman Dante Fabbro, who missed a couple of shifts in the last two periods, is going to be ok. The Jackets are in Minnesota and will practice today.
Mathieu Olivier – “I thought our game was really good. We put a lot of pressure on them, did the right things to win. Ultimately, their goalie was really good. So was Jet. It was a very tight game, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes, but as far as the way we played, I don’t think there’s much to look at and not be satisfied with. We played well. Just not satisfied with not getting the two points, but other than that, not a bad performance by our group.”
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