Recently we’ve begun commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ debut by revisiting memorable players and moments throughout the first two decades of franchise history. This trip down memory lane continues with the debut of a new series today, looking at the best Jackets to come from various countries.
Notwithstanding the overtly American branding of the team, there have been a number of milestones set by Europeans. The first draft pick was Czech defenseman Rostislav Klesla. The first all star was Norwegian forward Espen Knutsen. Jarmo Kekalainen is the first European-born general manager in the NHL.