Nationwi De Arena.
What?
Yup. For the last decade or so, that's what the center ice imaging has named what we all know as Nationwide Arena.
But this week, Reddit user u/doppleganger2621 posted a picture of the ice surface being installed at the home of the Blue Jackets, and my eyes rejoiced. Below you can see the previous design used in the last several seasons, and the new surface that Johnny Gaudreau and company will soon skate on.
It. Looks. So. Much. Better.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) September 17, 2022
Out: Nationwi De Arena?
In: Nationwide Arena.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/IlrhHnQr7g
It looked weird. I was asked (more than once, and non-jokingly) if it was French. Once you saw it, it could not be unseen. For your own sanity, I hope you never noticed it.
It hadn't always been like that. A similar design to the upcoming season was used from 2009 through 2011, featuring the old Nationwide Arena block logo. But for the last ten seasons, we've all apparently been in Ce'lumbus.
It would have been slightly (slightly!) more acceptable had the letters been evenly distributed on each side. But N-A-T-I-O-N-W-I is eight letters, and D-E A-R-E-N-A is seven, so even that math was off.
Why didn't they just put Nationwide on one side and arena on the other? At least it would have been one word on each side.
But now it's gone — hopefully forever.
R.I.P. Nationwi De Arena. We hardly knew ye, but somehow also knew ye way too well.
