1st Ohio Battery's countdown of the top 10 moments of the season for the Blue Jackets starts in Tinseltown.
RESULT: Metropolitian Division Wins the NHL All-Star Game
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 2017
LOCATION: Los Angeles
WHAT HAPPENED: They say the stars shine the brightest in Hollywood, and for the Columbus Blue Jackets, that was definitely the case on hockey's biggest stage.
Three Columbus players – goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, defenseman Seth Jones and forward Cam Atkinson – were invited to take part in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles, and the Blue Jackets had a big impact as the Metropolitan Division won the 3-on-3 tournament with a championship game victory over the Pacific Division.
Of course, the result isn’t always the biggest thing in the All-Star Game – though that has changed a bit since the players get to split a $1 million pot – and that was the case for the Blue Jackets, whose breakout season was celebrated by having a trio of impactful entrants in the game.
In fact, Columbus was just one of three teams – joining Chicago and San Jose – to have a player at each position in the game. The All-Star nods were the first for Atkinson and Jones, while Bobrovsky played in his first game but was named to the team for a second time.
The Blue Jackets had a big impact on the proceedings as well. Atkinson put the biscuit in the basket three times in the two games won by the Metro Division, including the game-tying goal in the championship win over the Pacific.
Not bad for a guy who was not only planning for a summer wedding but also who didn’t get the nod until the days before the game when Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin backed out because of an injury.
''Obviously, having a wedding when you know so many hockey players, you have to wait to see who goes how far,'' Atkinson said. ''There's only two or three months out of the year you can book a wedding. We kind of planned it accordingly.''
Jones was a solid defensive presence in the game, showcasing his athleticism and ability to excel in both zones while also scoring a goal in the final, while Bobrovsky was solid in net. But perhaps Bob’s biggest moment of the game had nothing to do with a save but his slick puck-handling skills.
Sergei Bobrovsky comes out and uses a spin-o-rama to fend off Brad Marchand pic.twitter.com/I0gDHeFKtl
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) January 29, 2017
Columbus head coach John Tortorella also was chosen to participate as the Metro’s coach but missed the game after one of his family’s dogs fell ill.
In all, it was a successful weekend for the Blue Jackets, who made their mark on the NHL's signature game during what would become a signature season for Columbus.
