The Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Blue Jackets were founded as an expansion team in 2000. However, before becoming known as the Blue Jackets, the team briefly operated under a different name after being awarded as an expansion franchise but before making its NHL debut. This article will explore the original name chosen for the Columbus hockey team prior to its launch as the Blue Jackets in 2000.
Columbus Awarded an NHL Expansion Team in 1997
In 1997, the NHL announced that Columbus, Ohio would be awarded one of four new expansion teams to begin play in 2000. The city had been pursuing an NHL franchise for years and construction on a new downtown arena, eventually named Nationwide Arena, was already underway in anticipation of landing a team. Prior to being officially named the Blue Jackets, the new Columbus franchise was known simply as the Columbus Hockey Club or “CHC.”
The other three cities that were awarded expansion teams to start play in 2000 were Atlanta (the Thrashers), Minneapolis-St. Paul (the Wild), and Nashville (the Predators). Of these four new teams, Columbus was the smallest market but it had shown impressive growth as a city and had a strong ownership group committed to building a successful NHL team.
The Original Name Chosen: The Columbus Chill
After being awarded the franchise, the ownership group in Columbus selected the name “Columbus Chill” for the new team. The name was likely chosen as a reference to the chilly weather and winter climate in Ohio. It also evoked imagery of coolness and ice hockey.
The original Columbus Chill name and proposed logos were unveiled in 1998. The primary logo featured a cartoonish penguin character wearing a vintage leather aviator helmet and scarf. The secondary logo was a stylized capital C with a hockey stick forming part of the letter. The team colors were announced as black, silver, purple, and electric green.
Merchandise such as hats, shirts, and jerseys bearing the Columbus Chill name and logos went on sale in 1998 to start building fan interest and excitement for the new team’s arrival. However, the Chill branding would prove to be short-lived.
Columbus Chill Name Quickly Abandoned
Not long after the Columbus Chill name and logos were revealed, ownership decided to abandon them and go in a different direction entirely. The cartoonish penguin logo received a lukewarm reception from fans and media. There were also concerns that the moniker “Chill” did not sound serious or tough enough for an NHL hockey team.
Additionally, there were some issues securing trademark rights to the Chill name that made the ownership reconsider their choice. As a result, after just a brief period in 1998 when merchandise bearing the Columbus Chill name was available, the franchise scrapped it. By late 1998, the search was on for a new team name, logo, and branding.
The Blue Jackets Name is Born
After going back to the drawing board on the team’s identity, Columbus ownership landed on the name Blue Jackets. This was a reference to the blue coats worn by Union soldiers during the Civil War. Ohio contributed more soldiers to the Union ranks than any other state during the war.
The Blue Jackets name was selected to honor this history and connection to Ohio, cast the team as “union strong,” and represent the blue-collar work ethic of the city. It also neatly tied into the team colors of patriotic red, white, and blue.
The muscle-bound blue bug mascot named Stinger was chosen as a complementary fun character for the Blue Jackets brand. With the Blue Jackets name and Stinger in place, the team’s branding found its permanent identity.
Brief Early History as the Columbus Chill
Although quickly abandoned, the Columbus Chill still represents the very earliest beginnings of NHL hockey in Ohio’s capital city. It was the first team name and look unveiled after the market was awarded an expansion franchise.
For a brief period in 1998, the Chill was how Columbus envisioned its new major league hockey team. Though short-lived, it represented the first step in the journey toward building the Blue Jackets organization. So the odd teal penguin logo has become a little-known historical curiosity marking the embryonic origins of NHL hockey in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets Take the Ice in 2000
The Blue Jackets played their first NHL game on October 7, 2000, losing 5-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Goaltender Ron Tugnutt recorded the first win in franchise history a few nights later with a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
While the on-ice product would struggle through some tough early seasons of expansion growing pains, the Blue Jackets identity resonated far better with fans than the ill-fated Chill concept. Over two decades later, the Blue Jackets have built a strong fan following and tradition of hockey in Columbus under the banner of professional sports’ only Union Civil War-inspired nickname.
Conclusion
For a very short period after being awarded an NHL expansion franchise but before taking the ice, the Columbus hockey team was known as the Chill. This was quickly abandoned for the more fitting Blue Jackets moniker. Though the Chill was the first name and look unveiled for Columbus, it proved to be an evolutionary dead end on the way to establishing the Blue Jackets tradition that still endures today. TheChill represents little more than an obscure footnote from the infancy of NHL hockey in Columbus. But the Blue Jackets have carried Ohio’s capital city to hockey relevance and given its fans plenty to cheer about under a name that proudly honors its state’s history.