Yahoo Sports The Columbus Blue Jackets Have 17 Days Until Opening Night At Nationwide Arena: The History Of Jersey #17
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had many players don the Union Blue in its history. The #17 has only been worn a handful of times though.
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Let's look at the players that have worn the number.
Who Wore It First?
Steve Maltais - Maltais played 26 games for the Jackets during the franchise's first year in 2000, with three total points. He is famous for being the most prolific player in Chicago Wolves history. He captained the Wolves for 10 seasons in the IHL and AHL. He played 601 games for the Wolves when they were in the IHL and had 757 points. After the Wolves merged into the AHL, he played 527 games and had 508 points. His number was retired by Chicago in 2005.
Who Wore It Last?
Justin Danforth - Danforth has 43 points in 143 games for Columbus and also looks to make an impact this year. His road to the NHL wasn't easy but it was very interesting. From playing in the NCAA, the ECHL, Europe, and finally the NHL, he's making the most of his chances.
Who Wore It Best?
Brandon Dubinsky - Dubinsky played 430 games for Columbus and had 225 points after coming over from the New York Rangers in the Rick Nash trade. Dubinsky ended up being the best player to come over in that specific trade. He was forced to retire due to injury in 2019. Nowadays, he still lives in the Columbus area and helps run a real estate business called JBM Development. He can also be found at CBJ games throughout the season as well.
Others That Have Worn #17
Tomi Kallio - Kallio played 12 games as a Jacket in 02-03 and totaled three points. He played seven more NHL games leaving Columbus and retired in 2018 after returning to Europe.
Paul Manning - Manning played eight games for the Jackets in 02-03, garnering zero points. He would never play another NHL game and would play in Germany until 2012.
David Ling - Ling was a prolific tough guy who played 90 games for the Jackets in the early days of the franchise. He only had four points, but racked up close to 200 penalty minutes while averaging just seven minutes a game. Ling left for Europe after Columbus but would return in 2014, and would play until 2023.
Gilbert Brulé - Brulé is widely considered the biggest bust in CBJ draft history. Drafted #6 overall in 2005, he only played 146 games for Columbus and had 32 points. He retired in 2021 after playing in Europe for seven years.
Andrew Murray - Murray played 181 games and had 36 points for Columbus. He retired from KHL after the 2015 season.
Mark Letestu - This is the first number Letestu wore during his time in Columbus. He played 255 games for Columbus and had 102 points. Letestu is now an assistant coach for the Cleveland Monsters and is considered one of the best assistants in the AHL.
Who is your favorite #17? Please share your thoughts on our forum.
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