⚽ Columbus Blue Jackets — Key Facts
| Owner | John P. McConnell (son of founder); McConnell family |
| Founder | John H. McConnell (1923–2008); built Worthington Industries |
| League | NHL (National Hockey League) |
| Founded | 2000 (expansion team) |
| Home Arena | Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio |
| Stanley Cup Wins | 0 (expansion team, best run: 2019 swept Tampa Bay) |
| McConnell Family Business | Worthington Industries (NYSE: WOR) — steel processing |
The Columbus Blue Jackets are owned by the McConnell family, with John P. McConnell serving as majority owner. The franchise was founded by his father, the late John H. McConnell, an Ohio steel industry titan who built Worthington Industries into one of America’s largest steel processing companies. John H. McConnell was instrumental in bringing NHL hockey to Columbus, securing the expansion franchise in 1997.
Who Is the Owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets?
The Columbus Blue Jackets are owned by the McConnell family, with John P. McConnell (son of the founder) as the primary owner and Governor. John H. McConnell (1923–2008), the franchise’s original owner, was a prominent Ohio businessman who founded Worthington Industries in 1955 with $600 and a pickup truck, growing it into one of North America’s largest steel processing companies (NYSE: WOR). He was the driving force behind Columbus receiving an NHL expansion franchise, which was awarded in 1997 for play beginning in the 2000–01 season. After John H. McConnell’s death in 2008, ownership transitioned to John P. McConnell and the broader family trust structure.
Columbus as an NHL Market
Columbus is one of the NHL’s Sun Belt–adjacent expansion markets — an Ohio city with no prior major professional hockey presence. The Blue Jackets play at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, which is operated by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and leased to the team. Columbus has proven a more viable hockey market than many predicted, particularly during the team’s successful seasons, though building sustained fan loyalty in a non-traditional hockey market remains an ongoing challenge.
The 2019 Upset of Tampa Bay Lightning
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ most celebrated moment came in the 2019 NHL Playoffs when they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning — the Presidents’ Trophy winners and consensus best team in the NHL that season — in four straight first-round games. The 4–0 sweep of a 128-point Lightning team was one of the biggest upsets in recent NHL playoff history. The Jackets featured Sergei Bobrovsky in goal and a balanced lineup built by GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. The victory remains the franchise’s defining moment despite not winning the Stanley Cup.
