Columbus Blue Jackets fans are nothing if not loyal.
They've rolled with many punches over the years, but it's been a summer of discontent for local hockey lovers. Firings, team shakeups and trade rumors have rattled, well, pretty much everyone who cares about the team.
With training camp just around the corner, can the team end a six-season playoff drought?
We are talking all things Blue Jackets on this hour of All Sides.
Guests:
- Aaron Portzline, senior reporter, The Athletic
- Todd Sharrock, vice president of communications, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Jody Shelley, TV color analyst/former Blue Jackets forward
Transcript
This transcript is generated with AI. To ensure its accuracy, review the audio file.
Amy Juravich: Welcome to All Sides with Amy Juravich. It's been a summer of discontent for fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets. To recap, a trade was in place for star Zach Werenski who rejected it. But with two years left on his contract, he all but said it's win or else. The team let go of longtime radio play-by-play announcer Bob McElligott, and they decided not to renew the contract of team journalist Jeff Swaboda. And fans have endured. Six seasons with no playoff berth. Joining us now to wade through it all is senior reporter, Aaron Portzline, who covers the team for the athletic. Thanks for being with us today, Aaron.
Aaron Portzline: Of course, Amy, good to be with you.
Juravich: All right, so you have reported on the team since its inception back in the year 2000. The Blue Jackets are set to embark. This will be season 26, if I got my math correct there. So they've enjoyed a robust fan base. They've supported them through all the ups and downs over the years, but you have written the words anger and vitriol to describe fans right now, saying they have never seemed more agitated and more disappointed in the organization. Just how widespread are these feelings, would you say? I mean, is it just some old social media rants, or is this really to the core of the fan base?
Portzline: Yeah, well, I you said widespread, widespread. And I think that's that's what makes it interesting and compelling right now. The vitriol has reached parts of the fan base that have always sort of been. Protected from it, the fans that love this team really, not because they have their wins or their losses, but because a, they loved having a team here. They love the interaction. They felt like they're, they still feel like they are, but they've always had the sense that it's a good neighbor, that it is a good civic partner, that they're great in the community all the way back to the beginning under the, the, uh, the first owner, the founder, John H. McConnell. They've always done things the right way.
Juravich: I've always enjoyed that fifth line thing where the fans are a part of it, they're the fifth line.
Portzline: And so, you know, you're gonna have fans that come and go based upon wins and losses, but this team has always had a very large portion of the fan base that loves this team no matter what. They've been through a lot together, these fans and these teams. They've literally wept together. They've through some awful things together. I mean, I don't mean wins and loses, I mean tragedy.
Juravich: Uh... Loss of Johnny Hockey, Charlie
Portzline: Johnny Hockey most recently, before that, Matisse Kivleniak, a fan in the early days, struck by a puck and later died. So there is a real emotional attachment. What I think is different this summer, and part of it is, honestly, this part is more of the McGillicut and the Jeff Svoboda stuff, is it's reached to the places where the fans that have always supported them, win or lose, have felt that things feel a and they're worried that this team's approach is changing. And I don't know that we can say that it is for sure yet, certainly, but they're on guard against that.
Juravich: So yeah, let's talk about that surprise off ice move because it took fans by surprise in late July, the team cut ties with radio voice of the Blue Jackets, Bob McGeilligot. And he had been there for 17 years. And it seemed like no one saw that coming. Would you agree? Did you see that coming?
Portzline: I did not see that coming. Listen, they're going to simulcast their TV broadcast over the radio. That's a cost cutting approach, for sure. I'm not sure any fans saw this coming, but people have a real attachment to their radio voices. They do maybe even more than the TV announcers. For some reason, they are they are bonded to them. And do people sit on the front porch and listen to radio? Hockey like they do baseball? No, not really. But when you're in your car, you're listening to it on the radio if you're a fan. The people who work in plants overnight listen to the game in their headphones as they're working, I've heard from them. And this is something I didn't, I'm embarrassed to say, I didn't consider. There's a number of blind fans. Who prefer the radio because on TV, you illuminate what fans are seeing.
Juravich: On the radio, you have to illustrate. You have to describe it better, you know? I know a thing or two about this, yes.
Portzline: So radio matters, the numbers aren't what they used to be, and I think that irked a lot of people. And further, people in the business were irked by the timing of it. Because to let somebody go in late July does not give that broadcaster, that web writer, an opportunity to look for some of the openings that may have been available months earlier. Now the club has its reasons for this. Let's not kid ourselves. Businesses are doing this all over the place. The media landscape is changing, yes. But there is discontent among the fan base because they don'like these decisions for sure.
Juravich: And you talked to Bob about it. I mean, what did he have to say?
Portzline: Well, you know, he's been blown away by the response. You know, it's like, I'm sure, Amy, you get this, I get this is you do your job, you don't know who all is reaching out there. Most of the people that it does reach, you may never meet or you probably will never meet or hear from.
Speaker 3: Hear from.
Portzline: Uh, but in the days after that decision, he couldn't go anywhere without people. It's like, wow, people do recognize me, I guess, and said they appreciated him and what are they going to do now? And, and they're not happy with it. And what does this mean? And those sorts of things. So, you know, and he was looking, there are, there were a couple of their jobs open, hoping he could catch in, but I'm not sure that that's going to be possible before next season.
Juravich: To do, to be a radio? That's right. Okay, for a different team, maybe. Hmm. There's also all these questions about the TV broadcast. The league is going to provide centralized TV productions for the Blue Jackets with the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, but no specific platform has been announced that I could find. Correct. What's your take on this, this change in TV coverage?
Portzline: Yeah, so we could get down to the weeds here, but quickly there for years was a regional where there were regional sports networks. So think ESPN, but but not national, regional. And those networks would pay the club a rights fee for their games. They would broadcast the games and they would pay their talent and their they would get the commercial expenditures for that to offset the prices. Okay. That's gone away because it's so fractured now that the large number of people are not all sitting around watching TV anymore, as we all know. So that's gone way. What that rights fee was for the Blue Jackets, I don't know, that's not public information, but teams are having to adjust because of that. Big time, they don't what the money's gonna be like now that they're doing it, they now have the overhead. The league is now part of the overhead, And some of the broadcasters that Blue Jackets fans have come to know are not assured of being back next year either. Now, Jody Shelley, the very popular color analyst, you're talking to him later. Yeah, we're talking him later, yeah. He's back. Steve Mears to TV play-by-play is back. I wanna be careful here too. None of this is a complaint about Mears or Shelley. They're both fantastic at their jobs. But a TV broadcast is not a radio broadcast. Yeah. Right? So. That's the sort of the worry among some of the fans is what is this gonna be like? TV simulcast on the radio. I talked to a couple of Hall of Fame broadcasters, Nick Nixon out in Los Angeles, Marty Brenneman who did the Since Daddy Reds for years. Neither of them are fans of TV broadcasts on the radio and they've done them. The Kings did it a few years ago and stopped middle of the season, hired a radio guy because they didn't like the product at all.
Juravich: But back to the TV for a minute though, like where are fans going to be able to watch the games on the TV?
Portzline: It has not been announced yet.
Juravich: Yeah, away games seem to be on ESPN and Disney Plus and stuff or stuff like that.
Portzline: Well, those will need to. Those are on regional sports networks, too. They were. So they're going to have they're gonna be broadcast by the Blue Jackets in the league as well. The Blue Jackets have two games on national TV this year. So that leaves 80 games, 82 games, sorry, that can be picked up by this new entity. I I assume that some of these games, the club has started to do this more and more will be aired over the air for free, which is a really good concept. So.
Juravich: On what channel? Oh, here in Columbus. Yeah, okay.
Portzline: So people who don't have
Juravich: Oh, I would love that.
Portzline: Don't even have cable, don't have streaming services, whatever, can still watch them. The others will be on a streaming service. My understanding is it's one that people are familiar with, it's not gonna be.
Juravich: We're not inventing a new Blue Jackets only streaming service, okay.
Portzline: But what that is yet has not been announced and I'm not sure it's been settled.
Juravich: You're listening to All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. We're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets, their upcoming training camp developments over the summer that left some fans pretty unhappy. And with us is the Athletic Senior Reporter, Erin Portsline. Moving on to some player news. Boone Jenner, the Jackets captain for five years, is now playing for the Washington Capitals. Was that expected? I mean, talk about the void in leadership there, or just the void and fans who all loved him.
Portzline: Yeah, that one was expected as difficult as it is. He'd been the captain for a number of years, seven years, I believe. Listen, they've got a ton of young talent on this team and they're hoping, this is nothing against Boone, they're helping to create an atmosphere where those players feel more comfortable taking on a larger role with this. There's Zach Werenski, could be the captain, although some of the things that have happened this summer maybe call that into question. Charlie Coyle could be the captain. Boone Jenner was looking for term. In other words, he wanted a multi-year contract and he got it from the Washington Capitals. The Blue Jackets with his injury history were a little reluctant to do that. Also, his role with his team would have been as a fourth-line winger or center and to pay a player that much money to play that role does not really align. So they turn it over to some of the younger players. Not a surprise, but not all so easy to see.
Juravich: Give me your analysis of this whole Zach Werenski thing because there was a potential trade. He rejected it He's gonna remain for two years here in Columbus Yeah, but I mean he he won a gold medal and and people love him and we had just gotten rid of Jenner and like Why would the blue jackets pursue that trade?
Portzline: Well, so...
Juravich: It's all about the money.
Portzline: No, it's not, but if a great player like Zach Werenski comes to you, and this is what was out there, that he was not going to sign an extension, you're not gonna let him just leave in two years without any compensation for the club whatsoever. And he just won the Norris Trophy, literally is the NHL's best defenseman, so what better time to, right? The other thing too is...
Juravich: Well, he had some leverage, is what you're saying. He has a lot of leverage. He has lot of leverages. But I want to play some audio from a recent press conference. This is where he reaffirmed his commitment to the Blue Jackets.
Zach Werenski: I think everyone knows how much I love this city, and how much it means to me, and I would have no issues being here for an even longer time. I want to see us in the playoffs and I want us to make progress, and we've done that. I think winning solves everything.
Juravich: That last part, winning solves everything, right? Yeah, I mean, duh. Yeah, you wanna win, everyone feels better when you're winning. But from his comments, what do you think he makes of the fact that Columbus just like, can't get into the playoffs?
Portzline: Yeah, well, I mean, you look at his resume, he's won an Olympic gold. He had the hand in the big gold that everyone has seen a million times just last winter. The one line that's missing on his resume is winning in the National Hockey League. He's been named the league's top defenseman, which is a huge honor.
Juravich: Winning what? Winning a playoff game or winning the Stanley Cup? Winning the Stanley Cup, yeah.
Portzline: Winning a seat in the cup, but even having long runs in the playoffs, which is something the Blue Jackets have never done. That's what he wants. And I think that story has been one of the more conflicted stories that I've ever covered. I think the player was surprised by the backlash and a lot of that, and I think it was misconstrued. I think he was miscommunicated by somebody how it got delivered, but the fact that he was traded. To the Dallas Stars, right? They had a trade in place. Tells you that that was not just a media creation or people pulling, like there was stuff going on there. But also, Amy, the fact that he said no to that trade to the Dallas Stars, one of the best teams in this league, is proof that this is where he wants to be.
Juravich: For now.
Portzline: But the time to win is upon them if they want to keep their start offense.
Juravich: I heard a sports commentator joke around that the Blue Jackets seem to have a new head coach every 45 days or so. I know it's not that frequent, but are we going to keep a coach for the full season this time around?
Portzline: Well, it sure looks like it, and Rick Bonus came in midway through the last season. If you want to play an audio clip to get people excited, play his rant at the end of last season We have a question.
Juravich: We have that later we're gonna play that later for Jody Shelley because I want it as a former player I want to hear what he thinks of yeah of a coach yelling like that. Yeah
Portzline: I went up to Halifax earlier this summer to spend some time with Rick and his wife for a story that's gonna run before the season started. Zero regrets. Zero regrets, and the feeling is if the players went into the summer upset, angry.
Juravich: When he did his job.
Portzline: That's okay okay I think he's gonna be here for a while I don't know if it's gonna be one year I don't know if its gonna be two years they're gonna decide at the end of this season they've said but it has been a very turbulent run
Juravich: but he was retired, and so, yeah, all right. All right, so just give me your top line here as we head into training camp, start September 16th, a home opener on October 1st on whatever TV station, who knows? So what are you looking for as the season gets underway?
Portzline: Well, you mentioned their start. They play the first three games of the season at home, seven of the first nine, and it feels to me, and everybody wants to get off to a good start, but with all of the stuff swirling around this team, it just feels to be very, very important that they get off a good starting. If they stumble out of the gate, then all of that Warrensky stuff starts up again. Where's he gonna go? What's happening with this team? It feels like it's kind of teetering right now. It's a distraction too. 100%. The other thing is I'm looking forward to training camp because when you have, when you make the comments that Rick Bonus made at the end of last season, he has communicated to players throughout this summer that they had better be in the best shape of their lives when training camp starts. And I would suspect there will be sparks flying in training camp because he has to drive that new culture point home. You can't just bring everybody back, they brought a lot of people back, and have things be completely new again. I think he's gonna try to bust things up a little bit in training camps.
Juravich: Well, thank you to Aaron Portsline, senior reporter for The Athletic, who covers the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thanks for your time today. Thank you, Amy. And coming up, we're going to hear from the Columbus blue jackets from first from the vice president of communications and then later from former player and current TV analyst Jody Shelley. That's when All Sides continues on 89.7 NPR News.
You're listening to All Sides. I'm your host, Amy Juravich. The Columbus Blue Jackets start training camp on September 16th. It's been a summer of news for the team and not all of it positive. It will be the team's 26th year in existence and there's more than a little pressure to make the playoffs this year. Joining us now is Todd Sharrock, Vice President of Communications for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Welcome to All Sides, Todd. Amy, thanks for having me. So it's been, it's called the off season, but it probably never feels like that for those in the front office. You know, you're getting ready for training camp. You're probably spending the whole summer planning for the next season. But there's been a lot happening news-wise this summer. It's been busy summer. So I wanna get to that. Can you explain the team's rationale for not continuing the contract of radio broadcaster fan favorite, Bob McGillicott?
Todd Sharrock: Yeah, and even, you know, with Jeff Svoboda. Yes, and journalist Jeff Svobot, yeah. Jack is an insider. As we were, you know, our business has changed a lot, particularly in those two fields and we have the data that shows us how our fans are consuming our product, whether that's on the broadcast side, whether it's on team news, content creation, everything else. And they're doing so differently than they have in the past. We know what they want, what they're looking at, how they're consuming it, where they want to get it. And so that landscape has changed. Our business has changed as so many have, particularly as someone who went to journalism school, the media side of the businesses as well. And so, that was a big part of it. How do we adapt to what our fans are telling us they're consuming, but then also, and I heard Aaron talk about it, he kinda laid out the change in the regional sports landscape. Which is completely different. So, you know the one thing also that When you have the regional sports network in addition to rights holder fees, we got they paid for the production costs That were involved with that and now those production costs Are absorbed by the team. Yeah, so it is a financial change But it's it's kind of those decisions were made. You know, it kind of a combination of the two. It's We see how fans are consuming. We see where that's going. And then we also see the financial side of it. And the one thing that I do want to bring up is it's been kind of put out there or implied that our ownership doesn't want to spend the money. After these decisions were announced, primarily the decision to simulcast our games. You know, I saw things like dire and cheap and everything else, and I can assure you that that's not the case. Our ownership is always invested heavily, both in the hockey operations and the business side. But what we're doing now, and that is continuing, it's just continuing in different areas to better serve, you know, our fans in the long run.
Juravich: I understand that, but there is the financial aspect there. I mean, cutting two salaries, they're non-players, they're not front office people. It's a radio broadcaster and a journalist. I know from experience, that can't save the team a ton of money, right? Like, I mean it's more, but what about the optics? That's the thing. Is like the optics more important than the couple of salaries?
Sharrock: I I wouldn't look at it in that way. And let me say this to begin with, like, Bob McGelegate is a dear friend of mine. I've known Bob for even prior to when the 17 years he was here, and Jeff Sabota's a friend of mind. And I can assure you that nobody in our building, whether the people that made those decisions, all of us have not been affected by this on a personal level. And I understand that the reaction of a certain portion of our fan base, because They get to know these guys. Either they, in some cases have met them, or in other cases, you feel like you know them. So I get it. But at the end of the day, our business is changing. And for us to be successful as a business moving forward, like a lot of other businesses, sometimes difficult decisions are made. It doesn't mean that we personally like them, but for the good of our business and our business moving forth, we have to adapt as well.
Juravich: I read the statement that Blue Jackets President and CEO Mike Priest made about this, and then there's all the comments from fans, and there's the frustration with the player contracts, the coaching, the team's lack of playoff runs, but were you surprised that it seemed like this summer a radio broadcaster was the straw that broke the camel's back for these fans? Um...
Sharrock: I think that, one, I think there's a certain portion of our fan base that is angry. And have we won enough? Absolutely not. Everybody in the building will admit to that. And I think the root of a lot of the unrest among some of our fans is it's rooted in that. And we understand that. But I wasn't really surprised because, again, of the personal aspect of it. When you're talking about journalists, whether they're former newspaper reporters, or they're still print journalists, or it's radio folks and all of that, they've been through this. They've been though the changes in their industry and they see where certain things are, so it feels personal to them. I'm of the age and the demographic that I, to this day, miss not having a physical newspaper in my hand every morning.
Juravich: Well, yes, and as a radio broadcaster, I sit here feeling a little attacked. So, you know, yeah.
Sharrock: So, you know, yeah. It's, it's, oh, it just, you know, and I would love and I, and Aaron and I have talked about this, you know, 10, 15 years ago, you know, when Aaron was at the dispatch, the dispatch would send one or two writers on the road every game. Visiting teams would come in that Montreal Canadians had come in with like eight beat writers and that's all changed. And I, I hate that.
Juravich: Yeah, even for Canadian hockey, I know. Right, right, so we're...
Sharrock: Right, right. So we're adapting how we're serving those folks in what I typically do because it's because the industry's changed but you know we get it when it's when it' s personal like that and you're talking about really good people you know. We get it. We understand it.
Juravich: Well, let's move on to where people are going to be able to watch these games on TV. I mean, when are you gonna be ready to announce that? Because that's what everyone's asking. Like, what's happening with the TV contract?
Sharrock: Yeah, so we're anticipating last word. I heard was hopefully by Labor Day. So Again, I heard Erin talk about this, so I don't need to rehash a lot of that. But the key point is folks will be able to watch the games the way they have in the past. So whether that's through streaming, whether that is through their cable provider or satellite provider, Erin mentioned the last couple of years we've been able to offer up select games over the air. In different markets here, it was on the CW. ABC 6, I think it was ABC 6 or Fox 28 carried a game. So we were able to do that. And our intention is to do it again. But those details are being finalized. The league is involved in a certain element of that. But I can, I can assure fans like this, our priority with all of this change is for people to be able to watch the games. That's full stop. That is the most important thing to us and they will be and we know it's taken a while, but the other teams that have gone through this as well are in a similar boat. We're still trying to finalize all of those details. But if you watched it on your cable provider, if you watch it on, you know, if he had TV or your satellite provider, you'll be able to watch it in the same. In the same way.
Juravich: It's hard though when there's 84 games and a dozen are on this service and another dozen are on that service and one or two are over the air and one's on ABC. It's harder to get your fans to know where to find it all.
Sharrock: Well, believe me, we'll have a robust plan on that. The games like even like how the simulcast work last two years with Fan Duel. The games were on Fan Duel. So they were still on. They were simulcast. So if you didn't have Fan Duel sports. Yeah. But you could watch.
Juravich: Which obviously not very many people did since it's gone away now, so yeah.
Sharrock: To that, as Erin said, it's just such a change in the way people are consuming things now. But yeah, we understand that that will be a priority for us to educate because people for 25 years, it was the same channel. Yeah. Yeah.
Juravich: You're listening to All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. We're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets upcoming season with the team's vice president of communication, Todd Sharrock. I wanted to talk about some of the players. So give us the team perspective on Zach Werenski, you know, the trade deal. He rejected it and he is staying with the Blue Jacket for his remaining two years. What kind of assurances are, do you give to a player of his stature? How, how are you keeping him happy?
Sharrock: Well, what I can tell you, I've known Zach since he was 18 years old, and I've talked to him a number of times all summer. And he said it himself two weeks ago, Zach loves Columbus. He's grown up here. He loves our fans. He loves being a Blue Jacket. He also wants to win. You know, he was an integral part of a team that won the gold medal last year.
Juravich: So you want to keep a gold medalist happy, you want to win, but so you have to win. But why were you trying to trade them away?
Sharrock: That's, that is completely overstating it, Amy, because I can tell you, we were not trying to trade away Zach Warrensky. That is not an accurate statement.
Juravich: Okay, so is it like what Aaron said that it's just the media there wasn't nothing in place with the Dallas Stars?
Sharrock: There may have been a deal in place with the Dallas Stars, but the conversations that were had between Donwood LRGM and Zach, I wasn't privy to. I know what Zach's told me. He's got two years left on his contract, and we understand we have to win. He wants to win, but he wants to win in Columbus.
Juravich: We want him to win in Columbus.
Sharrock: And we want him to win in Columbus too. And you know, he's excited to come back. He was in two weeks ago for an event with Jet's Pizza. And so he skated and you know he talked to the media then and we talked and he said it. He goes just driving into town like he's really amped up. He went back and told his wife Odette like I'm excited to be, I can't wait to get home. So but we understand there's pressure to win. We get that But nobody puts more pressure on us to win than we do. Whether it's the front office, hockey operations, the players, the coaches, they all want that. So we understand what's at stake. And the one thing I do wanna say, as far as our team goes, because I think it gets overlooked and I understand it because you look at the 25 year picture and we haven't won enough, we understand that. But since Don Waddell came in two years ago. The previous two years, we had 59 and 65 points. Two years ago, we at 89 points and missed the playoffs by one game. Last year, we have 91 points and we missed it by a few because we struggled down the stretch. We're in a much better position from a team standpoint than we were then. And I get it, when you're a fan, and I've been with the organization since day one, so I get. Um, you kind of look at the bigger picture, but when you just look at what this team is, what it's done the past two years, the players we have, the young guys that we have. We're really excited about what this season is gonna, gonna hold. And if we play the way we want to, you know, like Zach will be here for a very long time.
Juravich: So, Uh, Warren ski addressed some of the fan discontent in a recent press conference. He seemed a bit unnerved by all the social media chatter about him because some of it was less than flattering, but he reiterated his love of Columbus and his dedication to the team. And he was asked about the fan reaction for when he takes the ice. Let's listen.
Zach Werenski: If that little week changes a fan's perspective of me, then so be it, I'm gonna put my best foot forward and be the best player I can be for this team, this organization, and my teammates. And at the end of the day, as long as my teammates know how I feel about it, which I think they do, it's all I really care about.
Juravich: So, you know, what do you make of that the fan reaction to him to like, you don't you can't guarantee him a winning season, but that's the goal.
Sharrock: Absolutely, but he's gonna play a big part in that and he knows that and some of the other comments He said in his availability was you know, we all have to be better because we weren't good enough He goes and that starts with me and that's coming from the guy who won the Norris trophy is the best defenseman in a league so I Think our fans Love Zach. I think they're gonna show love for Zach.I don't think it's
Juravich: When he takes the ice, will you have a video up there, maybe a picture of him with his gold medal? That would help.
Sharrock: Oh, we've done that, you know, but it's not just about, it's really not about that. He's grown up here. People have seen him. They remember his, I think it was his rookie year or his second, I guess it was rookie year where he took the puck in the face and got all grotesquely injured in a playoff game and came back with a shield on. I mean, they made t-shirts about it. You know, they've seen him grow up as a player and they've interacted with him. Like, he is as great a hockey player as he is, he's a better person.
Juravich: Let's talk about coaching changes uh... New newer coach right now
Sharrock: I have no idea what you're talking about.
Juravich: No, there's been there's been a few. There's been a few. So he started in December. Before that, it was Dean Evanson, who was with the team for two years. The team has had 12 coaches. So you know, maybe basically like a two year turnover rate. What do you make of that for this franchise? I mean, that's you know, you got to have some consistency in the coaching.
Sharrock: Well, you have to win, obviously.
Juravich: That's the reaction though when you're not winning, change the coach.
Sharrock: Not all the time but you know a lot of times that is the direction you need to go and a lot of times you know and you hear that when there is a coaching change you'll hear players say you know we needed to be better, we didn't do well enough. Our most successful period was when we had John Tortorella who was the winningest coach we've had and yeah since then things haven't worked out and that's for a number of reasons but I can tell you the coach we have now Rick Bonus. There's no human being that has coached more games as either a head coach or an assistant coach in NHL history than Rick Bonas.
Juravich: He knows what he's doing.
Sharrock: He knows what he's doing pretty much at all times. Sometimes he's admitted to me that he gets a little riled up, which I heard you asking Porty about, too. But I've never been around a coach who cares so deeply for players as people. And he can be, this was the word I had heard on him before, and I've seen it, in action. He'll be really hard on guys. If guys aren't playing well... It's. It's not a pretty sight, but it's not personal, because he is constantly communicating to guys about things that aren't about hockey. It's their family, their girlfriends, their kids. So he knows that they care about him. And what I've found with players and coaches is players just want honesty. They want to know where they stand, and they want to that the coach cares about them. And Bones ticks those boxes. And... Having him here from the start of camp on is gonna be huge. And we've had some turnover in our coaching staff too and added two assistants that have really strong Columbus ties and really good young coaches. So we're really fired up too about our coaching staff and them having a full year. And we think that the guys will benefit from that greatly.
Juravich: Well, just to end on, because we are running out of time, what's in store for opening night? October 1st, the fans who watch on TV, wherever that may be, we'll know maybe in a week or so. And then for the fans actually in the arena, tell me about opening night.
Sharrock: Well, it's going to be exciting. We haven't released all the details yet, but some of the things we've typically done will have the plaza party in front. We'll do the blue carpet arrivals with all of the players that come in that are always really popular. We're working on some exciting kind of branding. I can't share too much, playing really into the history of our name. So some exciting video elements will. You know, we always, the first day of training camp, we do a bunch of shoots with players on ice, and it's where we shoot all the scoreboard things and dynamic content and.
Juravich: So that's still to come because they haven't even started taking that yet.
Sharrock: Yeah, but it'll be you know, the spectacle and celebration that fans have come to expect and you know like I said our fan support is great like last year we I think we finished the season with just over 10,400 season tickets and we're pacing to surpass that this year. So we think once we get going people will Once they see where they can watch the games and how it's gonna be presented and all of that, we think they'll be very excited about that.
Juravich: We've been talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets upcoming season with the team's Vice President of Communication, Todd Sharrock. Thanks for joining us today, Todd.
Sharrock: Thanks. Happy to be here, Amy.
Juravich: And coming up, we're gonna talk with TV analyst and former Blue Jackets player, Jody Shelley. We're gonna to talk about the broadcasting changes and what it means for fans. That's when All Sides continues on 89.7 NPR News.
You're listening to all sides. I'm your host Amy Jurevich. The Columbus Blue Jackets start training camp on September 16th followed by their home opener. It's been a summer of news for the team and not all of it positive. This will be the team's 26th season in existence and there's more than a little pressure to make the playoffs this year. Joining us now is Jody Shelley, TV color analyst and former Blue Jackets forward. Welcome all sides, Jody.
Jody Shelley: Thank you, Amy. Nice to see you and I love this Blue Jackets hour you have going on here.
Juravich: Thank you. Well, we're glad you can be a part of it. You know this season fans are gonna hear you on both television and radio I wanted to get your reaction to play-by-play announcer Bob McGilligot's contract not being renewed. Were you surprised when you heard that?
Shelley: Yeah, I was shocked. I've known Bob since I was in Johnstown, Pennsylvania playing for the Johnstow Chiefs, where Bob started as a mascot. And then he was the radio voice there. Then we went to Syracuse. I got to Syacuse. He was in Syracus. He was the Radio Voice there. And then we worked together on radio my first time as a broadcaster for the first year, and he was great. He's always been a really good friend. I was shock to see it. I think that the way things are trending in all sides of media, even with TV, not knowing, there's a lot of uncertainty of how people receive and watch sports. There's been a lot up in the air and so, definitely shocked and you know, Bob is really good at what he does and he'll land on his feet, but it was surprising to me.
Juravich: Are you ready to turn yourself into a radio announcer too? Have you thought about how you're gonna change the way you talk on the TV to talk on radio?
Shelley: I have thought about that and you know, I think there is a little bit of look at, look at this right here or watch this that, uh, you know you have to stay away from because you do now have radio listeners who aren't able to do that. So there are moments, I'm sure where me and Steve Mears, the play-by-play voice will have to, and I sometimes draw on a telestrator, uh during the game. So those are moments where you have to be cognizant of, of the listeners.
Juravich: Has the team talked to you about being on the radio and what they're expecting of you? Have they told you, you know, you're gonna have to remember all the time that you're doing both?
Shelley: I've had conversations, and I've talked to other teams that do this, that do simulcasts with TV and radio. And they say they just really focus on the TV broadcast, but having in the back of your mind in those key situations to not forget about the listeners. But the team has, I've, talked and that's exactly what they've said.
Juravich: I read a comment from a woman who was talking about these changes, who wrote that she loves listening to you and Bob on 97.1, the fans show, The Inside Edge. Do you know if that'll continue?
Shelley: Yeah, that will continue. Yeah, Bob and I have so much fun. And the thing about with Bob when we did it, we did zero prep. We just knew. We have great chemistry. So whoever takes over that next as the host, hopefully we'll have similar chemistry. But it'll be hard to beat the chemistry Bob and had.
Juravich: Okay, so, so Bob won't continue on the fan. No, no. So what you're meaning is you're planning to still do it, but you're going to you're expecting to be with somebody else?
Shelley: Yes, exactly.
Juravich: Okay, is that the fan the fans decision or do you are you do? I'm not
Shelley: I'm not aware of that. I don't ask too many questions, Amy. I just do what I'm told.
Juravich: All right well that is that what i do is ask questions there
Shelley: They were very good at it.
Juravich: You're listening to All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. We're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets in their upcoming season. The team made some moves this summer that upset some fans. We're taking with TV analyst and former player Jody Shelley. Now, social media is not always an accurate gage of what people are thinking and feeling, but what have you made of the fan reaction this off season to these team moves? There's the media personnel that we just talked about, but then there's the roster changes. There was all the debate over contracts, new players coming in, some players leaving. What's your take on how the fans have been reacting?
Shelley: I think the fans have been reacting appropriately. I think this is a passionate sports market that expects to win. You know, Ohio State University has an excellence with winning, and I learned early when I got here back in 2001 that one loss was a major devastation to the city.
Juravich: And yeah, just one. Can you imagine? Just one.
Shelley: The ratio of games played is a little different, right, but there's an excellence here and I think for the Blue Jackets and ownership, they expect to win and the fans are a big part of that and that is something as a player you expect to feel in the locker room and as a guy who's been a player and now part of the organization and also a fan of the NHL and the BlueJackets, I think that they have the right to react how they want and I I think there's only one team that wins the Stanley Cup every year. I know there's goals to make playoffs for a lot of teams and that's a big deal. But some teams just get an extra week of playing and it's still extreme disappointment. And so the one great thing about our fans is that the Blue Jackets is their team and they understand it and the players understand it. And I think that's true connection they have, good and bad. And there's always good and bat in every relationship. And I that, when the puck is on the ice and training camp has started and this team gets going and they get momentum, this is a team that everyone's just talking about the noise in the off season, not about the lineup, not about how hard they're gonna be to play against and not about expectations, which I love the expectations because the coach set them early, Rick Bonas, at the end of the season, that there's gonna be a long summer, can't wait to get back and get at it. And the fans have also, you know, with some of the moves and a lot of the dialog around the Warrensky possible trade. And contract status, they're involved, they are engaged, they want to know what their team is going to be and once they are playing and winning, I think the dust will settle.
Juravich: So coach Rick Bowness made news when he blasted his team following the season finale back in April. They just missed their shot at the playoffs. I wanted to play a bit of what he said back then to get your reaction as a former player.
Rick Bowness: These guys, they don't care. Losing is not important enough to them. But this is why we are where we are. This is why I run to the playoffs. That kind of effort, it's gonna get harder. So everything's good as long as it's going their way. And now it gets tough, we don't want to battle back.
Juravich: So there was a lot more to that, but he had some harsh words. I mean, and those are harsh words from a coach. It was very public, everyone heard it. So what's your reaction to that tirade as a former player?
Shelley: I loved it. I, you know, I wish he did it a week earlier and they had another win and Philadelphia didn't make the playoffs and go to the second round and the Blue Jackets did that. I think that he's an emotional guy. I've known him for 30 years. Rick bonus. He's from the same province. I'm from Nova Scotia. He's a very kind and gentle man, but he's got, he's got passion. And I think That he came in off his boat in Florida late in the season, turn the ship around. A lot of positives, and then the adversity hit and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. And I think that that's a moment, I mean, you look at any team that doesn't have the ultimate success, there's moments they can turn it around. And I know he's had a long summer, waiting to get back with these guys, communicating with them over the off season about expectations and gas pedal to the floor when they get here. Um, I like, I love that emotion. I think that's what hockey is lacking. A lot of times is raw emotion. It's really a game that has to be played with that. And I think you're going to see that come through these players as they hit the ice and that's, what we expect in Columbus anyways, and they bring it that hardworking, relentless effort. But I think, that sets the table for, Oh, what are we in for to start camp?
Juravich: As someone who has played the game and now calls the games, how do you explain to people when they ask you why this franchise has not made the playoffs for six years in a row?
Shelley: Yeah, I say a few things. It's a hard league to win in. Every night matters. Every point is a stress point. Injuries are real. Last year, Severson and Olivier on the right side of the ice. Two impactful players. Two leaders were gone. Moving the puck out of your end is critical. Seversen was very good at that last year. Olivier brings a presence and a leadership and can calm things down when the waters get... Rough, and I don't just mean the tough stuff, I mean just as a leader. There's been situations that, you know, they just haven't had that jump. Werenski's been disappointing after the World Cup last year, after the Olympics this year. He's the thoroughbred. And he needs to complete the season this year without those breaks in the season for those international tournaments. Those are all factors. And I think that these guys, Zach Werenski's fed up, they're all fed up with not making the playoffs and hearing this. But I think the injuries, I think lack of performance by some of the top players down the stretch. I think those are big factors and why they haven't. And you know, these guys now, for years we heard, oh, it's the youngest team in the league. They're young, they are young. That has to go away. That is over with these guys now six years old now. That's a grown up. I mean Cole Sillinger is still only 22, 23, but he's played.
Juravich: No, the seat, the team is 26, 26 years. Oh yeah, 26.
Shelley: But see it's a different team and there's other organizations that I mean Buffalo has been through it way worse than the Blue Jackets have They've never won the Stanley Cup They've been as close as you could possibly get but they're on the up So there's excitement that they're gonna make the impact for the Blue Jackets now. They're in the metropolitan division They've got to beat out the it was Pittsburgh that that well last year and push It was Philly that got in the Rangers will be better. The Leafs are gonna be better The Florida Panthers are gonna. Be better. So it's the urgency is gonna be even higher. So 32 teams, 84 games, eight spots to get in the East, it's not easy and no one wants to hear that, but they have to stay healthy and they have to be internally and motivated internally and from the outside pressure.
Juravich: When people talk to you about not making the playoffs, you know, fans tend to blame the owners. I mean, where do you place the blame? Is it the coaching? Is it players? Is it owners? You know, who's to blame?
Shelley: I mean blame is on on the blame blame to me. I mean this ownership is the best in the league and I mean the best of the best with the best and so the...
Juravich: So the fans don't know how good they have it if they complain about the owners.
Shelley: Well, I mean, yeah, I think the fans know how good it is, but I think once you're upset, you vent at anyone that you possibly can. And leadership and ownership is probably who you turn to. I don't think that that has, I get why they do it, but I don't think it's, I know it's not justified. I think that you always have to look at the coach and the players. They're the ones, the coaches and the player. They are the ones that have to get out there and play. The product, the team that's been put together has been. Good enough to be in the playoffs the last two seasons where they've missed by two points or one win and one tie That's just not good enough. That's that's an urgency on the inside and you go back to Rick bonuses rant Yeah, there's some look in the mirror moment when you hear that to say yeah, we yeah, maybe there is so another level here.
Juravich: You mentioned earlier about the game needing more intensity. So speaking of your playing years, you were known as an enforcer, right? Wikipedia says you had the most regular season penalties for fighting since you joined the league. Oh. Yeah, that's what it said. So how has the game changed since you played? I mean, is there less fighting? Should it be more or less violent? Like, what do you make of the game? No.
Shelley: No I think there should be more passion more emotion I think and I sound like listen there was guys saying the same thing when I was 26 years old in the league and saying the game has changed they don't play you know they don't play as hard so now I'm that guy when I'm 50 years old so I think it's smarter I think that there's a real awareness of concussion and concussions and player safety everyone has to wear a visor these junior leagues that I played in coming up fighting was I mean it was the vehicle for me to make a team now there's no fighting in these leagues it's like the college game so it's it's hard to find that there's a character mold that a lot of teams are looking for we have it here in Columbus and Matthew Olivier toughest in the NHL but he doesn't fight like we used to fight 30 times he fights 8 or 11 which is a lot Um, so we'd fight 30 times a year. It's just a different game. You have more speed on that fourth line. You have. More skill. If you look at the blue jackets, fourth line, you know, it's centered by a first round pick right now in the depth chart, Cole Cillinger, you know, that would have been a miss years ago, but that's the importance of the fourth line that's a penalty killer. It's a guy that can skate. It's the guy can play on the power play. Whereas back in the day, we were guys that were just kind of waiting five and six minutes, keep the peace and entertain and have some fun.
Juravich: All right, we have less than a minute left, but you're the TV analyst. You don't know what TV channel you're gonna be on at the moment. It doesn't matter to you.
Shelley: Where you end up Well, no, of course I want to, it's going to work out great for the Blue Jackets fans. It's going be somewhere we can all find and it's easy, accessible. And I know like the NHL is now taking over, um, on the back channels of this and it'll be something easy and, and seamless for us. So of course, I want it to be as visible and as accessible as possible when you're representing your organization. And, uh, you know, we heard the frustration at times from the past few years when It was an app and you had to, you know, it was hard to find, it wasn't loading. I think those things will all be fixed.
Juravich: We have been talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets in their upcoming season, and we've been talking with TV analyst and former player Jody Shelley. Thank you for your time today.
Shelley: Thanks, Amy. Nice to meet you and thanks for having me in here.
Juravich: This has been All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. I'm Amy Juravich, thanks for joining us.