Ten years later, 25 remain.
They could be called the Blue Jackets' originals -- those executives, hockey lifers, support staffers and one player who have called Nationwide Arena home since that magical moment on Oct. 7, 2000, when the Jackets played their first regular-season game in the NHL.
As the Blue Jackets celebrate their 10th season on the ice, 24 of the club's current 117 non-playing employees are celebrating their 10th year with the organization. The one player still around through thick and thin is defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
The Dispatch spoke with a handful of the originals, each representing different parts of the organization. They agreed on a few points: The decade has gone by quickly; there haven't been enough wins or playoff trips; and it's been a wild ride.
But they all had a variety of thoughts and memories on the years that have passed, the players who have come and gone and the legacy that has been created:
THE PLAYER
Rostislav Klesla, defenseman
Klesla was 18 years old on Oct. 7, 2000, when he and the Blue Jackets made their NHL debuts and the city of Columbus stepped into the world of the NHL.
"It was a long time ago," Klesla said. "When you're 18, you don't realize many things. I was just having fun, not nervous. I remember all the excitement."
Now 28, Klesla is the only dressing-room link to the inaugural season. Four months earlier he was the Blue Jackets' first entry-draft pick -- No. 4 overall -- and he played eight games with the Jackets before returning to his junior club.
"In a lot of ways, I would never think it's been 10 years," Klesla said.
As he sat at his locker stall this week, Klesla reminisced about some of his former teammates: David Vyborny, Andrew Cassels, Frantisek Kucera, Deron Quint. He stays in touch with Vyborny and sees Martin Spanhel on occasion back home in the Czech Republic.
"The first two or three years were exciting, even though we were not doing great," Klesla said. "The people were still coming. We have to bring people back. It's been 10 years. ... We need to get to winning."
THE FRONT OFFICE
Chris MacFarland,
assistant general manager
McFarland was hired as manager of hockey operations in 1999, joining the group that would put together the inaugural club and plan for the future.
"To be a part of that was really special," MacFarland said. "But the day it all took shape was the expansion draft (June 23, 2000) in Calgary. That's when the months of mock drafts and scouting came together, and when the team got its players."
MacFarland, who now oversees the team's minor-league rosters and plays a major role in negotiating contracts, said one name has defined the past decade for the hockey operations staff:
"Rick Nash," he said. "To be able to trade up for him (in the 2002 draft) and then to be able to sign him long term (in 2009) ... it's two very special days for our franchise. He's this team's captain, he's huge for the city. And to be a part of it ... it's special to me."
THE SCOUT
Bob Strumm, director
of pro scouting
Strumm sees the Blue Jackets today as he did 12 years ago when he was one of the first employees: "As the Green Bay Packers of the National Hockey League."
That is, a small-market franchise with a chance to be embraced in a big-time way.
"There's Ohio State here with the tradition and fan base, yes," Strumm said. "But as the city's only (major-league) franchise, we're in a unique situation.
"I'm so anxious for us to get where we want to be. It's a special city that's waiting for us to rock the room, put on that 31/2-hour Bruce Springsteen show every night. We have to get there."
There is disappointment in Strumm's voice. The 30-year hockey lifer knows the Jackets' rap sheet -- one playoff appearance, no playoff wins -- cannot be ignored.
"I'd be lying if I said it's gone like we wanted it to," Strumm said. "The fans have been great to us, but the honeymoon is over. You have to produce. But I'm still excited about this club, this organization, this city. When we win -- when we get there -- somebody's going to have to turn the lights out."
THE VOICE
George Matthews, radio play-by-play announcer
Fans develop a unique bond with radio voices, and Matthews' rapid-fire cadence and crazy uncle demeanor have attracted a legion of fans.
"People always say I sound bigger on the radio," Matthews said. "I tell them I'm 5-foot-5, but still growing."
Matthews has spent most of his career in Columbus working with Bill Davidge, who moved to the television booth last season.
"In all honesty, it can be overwhelming to think about," Matthews said. "People tell you that you've meant a lot to them through the years, or when and where they've listened to Blue Jackets games on the radio, with loved ones or during difficult or happy times.
"All I can say is that I'm honored and humbled. It's my dream job, working in the NHL. And it's the fans that really bring it on home for you."
Matthews' favorite memory?
"I remember the first exhibition game in Pittsburgh when the Blue Jackets sprung to life on the ice," he said. "I was sitting there in Mellon Arena with Bill Davidge, and (the Penguins had) Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev ... oh my! I remember that as clear as last week. It's been a wild ride."
THE FACILITATOR
Julie Gamble, manager
of team services
Gamble had an internship with a minor-league hockey club in Cincinnati in 1999, but she was working as a birthday party planner before joining the Blue Jackets in 2000.
The jobs have similarities, she noted.
For the past 10 years, Gamble has been the den mother of the players and coaches, handling everything from team travel, hotels and buses to passports, ticket requests and ... who knows what the day might hold?
"They aren't that difficult, really," Gamble said with a smile. "Some are better than others. But I'm there to help, so whatever they need. I'm like everybody's point person. It keeps things interesting."
Gamble has come across some characters through the years, but one stands out.
"Tyler Wright always brings something to the table," Gamble said of the former player and current player development coach. "He always has something to say. He's full of energy, today just as he was a player."
THE WORKER BEE
Tim Leroy, equipment manager
Leroy has sharpened skates and curled stick blades for just about every player who has come through Columbus, so his memories are mainly tied to players' wishes.
Geoff Sanderson, for instance, "could never get comfortable in his skates," Leroy said. "He always wanted his blades moved this way or that way, even during games."
Sergei Fedorov, meanwhile, "was a stick freak. He was always going through them. One week he'd want this stiffness, next week another stiffness."
And former captain Adam Foote "could never settle on a stick, either. He'd see somebody else's stick and he would want it. Even after so many years in the league, he was always looking."
Leroy was hired before the dressing room in Nationwide Arena was even painted. He and his staff sometimes work 80-hour weeks, so it's truly a home away from home.
"We still think we're the luckiest staff in the league, to have the practice rink attached," Leroy said. "Do you know how many trips that has saved us the last decade?"
THE LIAISON
Wendy Bradshaw, executive director of CBJ Foundation
The Blue Jackets' Foundation -- a brainchild of late owner John H. McConnell -- had a humble beginning. "We took (mascot) Stinger to hospital visits because we didn't have any players," Bradshaw said.
That was 1999. Since then, the foundation has given more than $3 million to its four "pillars": pediatric cancer, youth health and safety, education, and youth hockey.
The "legacy gift" is a 5,000-square-foot Family Resource Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, where players make frequent visits.
"You hear stories from other leagues about guys no-showing or not being willing," Bradshaw said. "Mr. McConnell always said the NHL is the right fit for Columbus, and I still believe that.
"We've had players who have asked beyond our visits if they can have dinner with families, or stop by and see the kids. They don't wait for cameras to be there."
There's an imaginary bridge that runs from Nationwide Arena to Nationwide Children's. When Bradshaw reflects on the decade, pictures of sick children flash in her mind -- some who have passed, some who now thrive.
"That place, to us, is family," she said. "Beyond medicine, there's so much more to healing. I see it every day when the guys walk into (hospital) rooms. It started with the early teams: Tyler Wright, Kevin Dineen, Jody Shelley, Luke Richardson. ... They showed the young guys the way."
aportzline@dispatch.com
