Alright, boys and girls, let’s shake off that boredom and dive into the latest hockey hullabaloo with some zest and a little bit of cheek, shall we? First order of business, the Columbus Blue Jackets did a thing — they’ve unbenched Boone Jenner, their head honcho on the ice. The dude literally embodies the team, having stuck around for a commendable 11 seasons and cladding himself with the captain’s “C” for three of them. Not just any warm body in a jersey, he’s played more games (a whopping 686!) for Columbus than anyone else, smashin’ past Rick “the Rocket” Nash’s record.
Captain Jenner, Boone for short (or long, depends on how you like your hockey players), sports a proud collection of 347 points, chillin’ at the third spot in club points. Flashback to the 2015-16 season, he was on fire, scoring 30 goals and nabbing 49 points in 82 games, even though his shooting percentage was nothing to write home about. The guy’s had his ups and downs since then, but get this, in the last couple of years he found the back of the net with 23 and 26 goals, making us go “hmm, not too shabby, eh?” This season? 13 goals, 18 points in 29 games. Stick tap to you, Jenner!
Now, let’s play some musical chairs with other players in the league:
Mark Scheifele, the Winnipeg Jets’ goal guy, is sitting out their roll-up with the Ottawa Senators this Saturday, thanks to a sore something in the lower body region (they like to keep it vague). He got dinged on January 11th, which left him side-lined since the Jets faced the Bruins on Monday. But, don’t cry into your jerseys yet — the man’s still got game, and he’s got a raincheck for the ice set up. Meanwhile, Kyle Connor’s back causing trouble for goalies, so Winnipeg isn’t totally out of firepower.
On to the Avalanche! Young goalie prospect Justus Annunen got yoinked back to the minors. Sure, the kid had his moment in the spotlight, saving the day with 36 saves in that barn burner against the Sens, but it’s back to the school of hard knocks in the AHL. Don’t worry about him too much though, he’s racked up a solid 9-5-4 record down there, with a .908 save percentage that’s nothing to sneeze at. That’s the circle of life, NHL style.
So there you have it, the hockey hot takes and cold facts served up with a side of wisecracks. Remember, in the world of hockey, you gotta keep your head up — both for the flying pucks and the revolving door of player rosters. Stay frosty, folks!