Latest news with #AaronPortzline
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Submit your questions here for Aaron Portzline's Blue Jackets mailbag
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell recently passed his one-year anniversary with the club. It was a highly informative year for Waddell, who had a front-row seat to witness the talent level of the young core and how the dressing room interacts and operates. Now, it's go time. Waddell hopes to upgrade the roster significantly this summer by any means possible, he has said. That includes free agency, offer sheets, trades, etc. These next few weeks should be intense in Columbus, and there are a lot of possibilities percolating. Sounds like the perfect time for a mailbag, doesn't it? Submit your questions here. Aaron Portzline June 12, 2025 11:57 am EDT
New York Times
27-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings home-and-home, capped by NHL Stadium Series game
Outdoor games are fun. They're even more fun when they really mean something, and Saturday's outdoor tilt between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings is an important one. The East Division rivals/playoff hopefuls will face each other not once but twice in a home-and-home that culminates in the NHL's Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Advertisement This will be the NHL's 43rd outdoor game and the first in Blue Jackets franchise history. It will mark the first time hockey is played at the iconic Ohio Stadium — home to the Ohio State Buckeyes — in its 103-year history, and 90,000 fans are slated to be there to take it all in, which would be the second-largest crowd in NHL history. The Red Wings have taken part in five outdoor games, including the 2014 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which stands as the NHL's most-watched game with an attendance of 105,491. The teams will first match up Thursday night at Little Ceasars Arena, but as The Athletic's Aaron Portzline writes here, momentum has long built toward Saturday's tilt at the Ohio State home. Every game is a big game when in the throes of a playoff chase, which The Athletic's Max Bultman touches on here. The Red Wings currently hold down the first wild-card spot with 66 points, while the Blue Jackets are in the second wild-card spot with 64 points, just ahead of the New York Rangers (62), Ottawa Senators (62) and Boston Bruins (62). It's safe to say Columbus, which holds a 28-22-8 record with 24 games remaining, has surpassed expectations this season. Earlier this week, Portzline pointed to six reasons why the Blue Jackets making the playoffs isn't far-fetched, touching on the team's ability to score, Zach Werenski's Norris Trophy-esque season and the way the team has rallied together after the tragic preseason deaths of Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in points (62) and assists (44), while Kirill Marchenko has scored a team-high 23 goals. The team has been without top center Sean Monahan since early January. The Blue Jackets have been out of the postseason since the 2019-20 season, when they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the qualifying round before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1. Advertisement Portzline also spoke to NHL veteran James van Riemsdyk, who will play in his league-highest eighth outdoor game this Saturday, about his various roofless experiences and performances. The Red Wings haven't made the postseason since 2015-16 and recently lost second-line Andrew Copp for the rest of the season after undergoing successful surgery on his left pectoral tendon. Bultman explores how Copp's absence could affect Detroit's trade deadline plans. Lucas Raymond leads the Red Wings in points (63) and assists (41), while Alex DeBrincat leads the team in goals (26). (Photo of Zach Werenski: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
