Columbus is no stranger to large-scale hockey events.
It served as host to the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, and now some of the best American-born players have assembled here for Team USA’s training camp and an exhibition game against Canada leading up to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
But the benefits of such an occasion stretch far beyond what happens on the ice.
David Backes, now of the Boston Bruins, played 10 seasons with the St Louis Blues, seven of which had him facing the Blue Jackets as Central Division rivals.