50 free Columbus Blue Jackets trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The Columbus Blue Jackets took the ice in 2000 with a name lifted from Ohio's Civil War history, a mascot that is a yellow jacket, and an owner who privately promised the commissioner an arena even after the city voted one down. This Blue Jackets trivia quiz covers the whole story: the expansion draft shared with the Minnesota Wild, Rick Nash's Rocket Richard season at 19, the netting rule that followed a tragedy at Nationwide Arena, Ken Hitchcock, John Tortorella, two Vezina Trophies for Sergei Bobrovsky, the 16-game win streak, and the 2019 sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning. Questions range from easy ones any fan will get (what fires when Columbus scores?) to expert ones about the expansion-draft deal with San Jose, the 1857 Napoleon replica, the CBJ logo's thirteen stars and the franchise's first European-born general manager. There are questions on the arena, the uniforms, the retired number, the captains and the Johnny Gaudreau era too. Every answer was checked against encyclopaedic and reference sources before publishing, and each question carries a citation you can follow. Looking for more hockey? Try our NHL trivia and hockey trivia pages as well.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In what year did the Blue Jackets begin play as an NHL expansion team?
2000
They entered alongside the Minnesota Wild, taking the league to 30 teams.
Q 02The Blue Jackets' name and logos are inspired by which chapter of Ohio history?
The Civil War
Ohio raised 23 volunteer infantry regiments when Lincoln asked for ten, and produced Grant, Sherman and Sheridan.
Q 03Which other franchise joined the NHL in the same 2000 expansion as Columbus?
Minnesota Wild
The two clubs shared the 2000 expansion draft, held in Calgary.
Q 04What was the only other finalist name alongside Blue Jackets in the 1997 'Name the Team' contest?
Justice
Wendy's helped run the contest, which drew 14,000 entries before the list was cut to ten and then two.
Q 05Which fast-food chain helped run the 1997 'Name the Team' contest across central Ohio?
Wendy's
Wendy's is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, just outside Columbus.
Q 06The corporation that financed Columbus's $150 million arena after a failed 1997 referendum is in what business?
Insurance
The insurer's world headquarters sits across the street from the arena, which opened in 2000 bearing its name.
Q 07Which owner privately guaranteed Gary Bettman that an arena would be built, referendum or not?
John H. McConnell
McConnell, the founder of Worthington Industries, is honored by the club alongside Johnny Gaudreau.
Q 08Which ECHL club did the Blue Jackets replace in the city, a team that once sold out 83 straight games?
The Chill
The Chill of the ECHL played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum from 1991 to 1999.
Q 09Who scored the first goal in Blue Jackets franchise history, on October 7, 2000?
Bruce Gardiner
It came in a 5-3 home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in the arena's first game.
Q 10Which goaltender's 22 wins in 2000-01 tied a 74-year-old NHL record for an expansion-team netminder?
Ron Tugnutt
The mark he equalled belonged to Lorne Chabot of the 1926-27 New York Rangers.
Q 11To which team did Columbus trade the third pick in 2002 to move up and take Rick Nash first?
Florida Panthers
The Panthers also received the option to flip draft spots in 2003; Nash became the franchise leader in goals, points and games.
Q 12A 2002 tragedy at a Blue Jackets game led the NHL to mandate what safety change in every arena?
Netting behind the goals
Thirteen-year-old Brittanie Cecil was struck by a deflected puck; the team wore 'BNC' hearts on their helmets afterward.
Q 13Which NHL award did Rick Nash share in 2003-04 with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk?
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy
Q 21Jarmo Kekalainen, hired in 2013, made history as the NHL's first general manager born where?
Europe
He came from Jokerit in Finland and ran the club for 11 years.
Q 22Columbus moved from the Central Division to which division for the 2013-14 season?
Metropolitan
They joined six former Patrick Division clubs after 13 seasons in the Western Conference.
Q 23Nathan Horton was credited with a goal in an April 2014 contest he never suited up for. Why?
It was the resumption of a postponed game
The March 10 game against Dallas was halted after Rich Peverley's cardiac event with Columbus up 1-0, and the goal stood when play resumed.
At 19 he was the youngest player ever to lead the league in goals, with 41.
Q 14Which Swiss club did Rick Nash play for during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, alongside Joe Thornton?
HC Davos
Davos won the Swiss championship and the 2004 Spengler Cup that season.
Q 15Which star was acquired from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during the 2005-06 season?
Sergei Fedorov
Anaheim received Tyler Wright and Francois Beauchemin; Fedorov is one of the club's two Hall of Famers.
Q 16Which coach, formerly of the Stars and Flyers, took over Columbus in November 2006?
Ken Hitchcock
He is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and coached the club's first playoff team in 2009.
Q 17In what year did the Blue Jackets clinch their first Stanley Cup playoff berth?
2009
A 4-3 shootout win over Chicago sealed it; Detroit then swept them in four games.
Q 18Which All-Star center did Columbus get from Philadelphia in 2011 for Jakub Voracek and picks?
Jeff Carter
The picks became Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins; Carter went on to Los Angeles for Jack Johnson.
Q 19Which team acquired Rick Nash from Columbus in July 2012?
New York Rangers
Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round pick came back.
Q 20Sergei Bobrovsky was acquired from which team at the 2012 draft for a pair of picks?
Philadelphia Flyers
He won the Vezina Trophy in his first Columbus season and again in 2016-17.
Q 24Whose overtime goal in Game 2 against Pittsburgh in 2014 gave Columbus its first-ever playoff win?
Matt Calvert
Columbus rallied from 3-1 down; Nick Foligno won Game 4 in overtime after reportedly calling his shot in the room.
Q 25Which defenseman did the Blue Jackets receive from Nashville for Ryan Johansen in January 2016?
Seth Jones
Jones later went to Chicago in 2021 for Adam Boqvist and the pick that became Cole Sillinger.
Q 26Under whom did Columbus rattle off a franchise-record 16-game win streak in 2016-17?
John Tortorella
During the streak he became the first American-born coach to reach 500 NHL wins.
Q 27Columbus's 16-game win streak was the second longest in NHL history behind which team's 17?
1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Jackets went 14-0-0 in December 2016 before Washington ended the run 5-0.
Q 28Which opponent did Columbus beat 10-0 on November 4, 2016, for a franchise-record goal total?
Montreal Canadiens
It was the league's first ten-goal shutout since 2011.
Q 29Whom did the Blue Jackets receive from Chicago in June 2017 when they sent Brandon Saad back?
Artemi Panarin
Panarin became the team's points leader before leaving in free agency in 2019.
Q 30Which Presidents' Trophy winner did Columbus sweep in 2019 for its first playoff series victory?
Tampa Bay Lightning
They were the first team ever to sweep a Presidents' Trophy winner in the opening round.