The Columbus Blue Jackets, founded in 2000, held a contest to name the team in partnership with locally founded restaurant Wendy’s to name the team. After narrowing down the list to two (Blue Jackets and Justice), the name Blue Jackets was selected:
because the name pays homage to Ohio’s contributions to American history and the great pride and patriotism exhibited by its citizens, especially during the Civil War as both the state of Ohio and the city of Columbus were significantly influential on the Union Army. Ohio contributed more of its population to the Union Army than any other state, while many of the Blue Coats worn by the Union soldiers were manufactured in Columbus.