How far would you travel to see your favorite hockey team play live?
Dave Thomas of London, England knows his answer. Every year, he flies almost 4,000 miles to come to Columbus to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets, play in Nationwide Arena.
"I was out visiting in 2008 and I had always wanted to see an NHL hockey game," Thomas said. "A friend and myself got some last minute tickets to the Blue Jackets versus the Phoenix Coyotes. It was a fantastic experience."
Thomas, who had come to know Columbus after spending a year studying at The Ohio State University, now considers the Blue Jackets his favorite team.
"They are my team, they will always be my team," Thomas said. "You support a team because you feel a connection to them. Maybe you grew up watching them, or they are a local team, or they are part of the first hockey game you saw. And you stay with them through the good and bad."
Ever since that first game in 2008, Thomas has tried to make it back two or three times a year. This year he hopes to see the Jackets play at least twice at Nationwide Arena and he will be attendance for the NHL All-Star Game in January. He estimates he's seen 20-25 games live, most recently watching the Jackets defeat the Florida Panthers last Monday.
"(Being a Jackets fan) is about overcoming the adversity, the struggles, being the underdog, and having the gritty attitude to fight through it," Thomas said. "The fellowship of Jackets fans is special - their are a number of fan based groups that show so much passion and support for the team and I always feel amongst friends when I am out in Columbus."
When he isn't in Columbus, Thomas still follows the team. He depends on social media, and internet-based channels to keep up with the Jackets. Whenever his work schedule allows, he watches the team play online.
Thomas has yet to come across other Jackets fans in Europe or the United Kingdom but he's developed a Facebook group called "Reclaim Our Barn" to stay in touch with fellow supporters, no matter where they may be, and drive in-arena support for the team.
"I started the group with the simple idea of quite literally reclaiming our barn and providing a forum where we could generate more passion for the Blue Jackets," Thomas said. "The idea is that our players play better with a loud and supportive crowd behind them."
Thomas said he always knew success would come to the Blue Jackets and last season was a step in proving him right. Thomas' favorite moment as a fan was April 9, 2014 when, after beating the Dallas Stars, the team clinched a playoff berth -- the second in franchise history.
"It was a great feeling," Thomas said. "Lying awake that night as I was waiting to fall asleep, I was just pleased that the team had arrived where they should be."
For Thomas, the tough start to the Jackets season this year has done nothing to quell his support for the team. He sees it just as one more hurdle to overcome as the team works towards the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
"The start of this season has been tough as have other seasons," Thomas said. "But we shall get there and that success will be all the more sweeter for it. In the same way that winning our first playoff game at home was more of an achievement because of the past history of the team."
The Jackets return to Nationwide Arena to take on the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday, Dec 9. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Sports Ohio. The puck drops at 7 p.m. For ticket information visit www.bluejackets.nhl.com.
Follow Alison on Twitter at @AlisonL
