The Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) are a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. They compete in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was awarded in 1997 and began play in the 2000-01 NHL season. Their home games are played at Nationwide Arena.
Ownership Status of the Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are not owned by a single private individual in isolation, but rather by an ownership group headed by a majority owner. According to the team’s official site, their majority owner and governor is John P. McConnell.
Major Shareholder / Owner
| Shareholder / Entity | Ownership Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John P. McConnell | Majority Owner & Governor | He succeeded his father and leads the ownership group of the team. |
Note: The remaining ownership interests are held collectively by the ownership group (family holdings, private holding companies) rather than disclosed in detailed percentages publicly.
About the Majority Owner & Governor John P. McConnell
John P. McConnell is an American businessman, best known as the Executive Chairman of Worthington Industries and as the majority owner and governor of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He began his career at Worthington in 1975 working in a steel plant, then moved into sales and personnel roles, rising over the years through the company’s leadership ranks.
In March 1993 he became CEO of Worthington, and in September 1996 he was named Chairman of the Board. He inherited majority ownership of the Blue Jackets upon the death of his father, John H. McConnell, in 2008. McConnell plays a key role in corporate governance and the strategic direction of both Worthington Industries and the sports franchise.
John P. McConnell Wife
I couldn’t find publicly verified details about John P. McConnell’s wife (name, background) from reliable sources. There appears to be no well-documented public profile of his spouse in the major business/wealth databases accessible to me. If you like, I can attempt a deeper search (for example, via local news archives) to find more.
John P. McConnell Net Worth
Estimates of McConnell’s net worth vary depending on the source:
- One source estimates his net worth at at least US $912 million as of May 2023, based on his holdings in Worthington Industries: about 16.64 million shares valued around that amount.
- Another older source (2018) listed him as having about US $3 billion backing his ownership of the Blue Jackets and related business interests.
- A Forbes profile in 2021 listed Worthington’s family net worth (John McConnell & family) at around US $1.1 billion.
Given the variation, the most credible recent estimate is around US $900 million+, but the true value may differ due to private holdings, asset valuations and market changes.
Key Owner Highlights
- John P. McConnell is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Worthington Industries, a global diversified metals manufacturing company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
- He inherited the majority ownership of the Blue Jackets following the death of his father, John H. McConnell, who had been the team’s founder and original majority owner.
- The ownership group under McConnell also emphasizes community and philanthropic efforts via the team and the family’s holdings.
Recent Developments in Ownership
While there has been no major announced change in majority ownership recently, the team did publish a statement in September 2023 from the ownership group, led by John P. McConnell, expressing their expectations and accountability for the team’s performance.
This underscores that McConnell remains the active figurehead of the ownership structure and retains governance responsibility for the franchise.
FAQs
1. Who is the current owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets?
The team is majority-owned by John P. McConnell, who serves as governor of the franchise. It operates under a family/holding-company ownership group rather than a single private owner.
2. Are the Columbus Blue Jackets publicly traded or privately held?
They are a privately held sports franchise (through a private ownership group) and not publicly traded.
3. Who founded the Columbus Blue Jackets?
The franchise was founded by a group led by John H. McConnell in 1997 when the NHL awarded Columbus the expansion team.
4. Has the ownership changed recently?
There has been no publicly announced change in majority ownership since John P. McConnell took over following his father’s passing in 2008.
Columbus Blue Jackets Official Site
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