Announcing "Before the Battle"
The Jackets held the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft, and FOX Sports Ohio followed the Blue Jackets to Pittsburgh for the event. The undercurrent of change was the tenor of draft weekend, and in cooperation with the Blue Jackets, the network was there to document it all with unprecedented access.
As the Blue Jackets stood at the brink of a new era, cameras were in the scouting meetings and prospect interviews, and General Manager Scott Howson was mic'd up on the draft floor. Cameras followed Jackets top draft pick Ryan Murray the moment he stepped off the draft floor. From autographs to family pictures, with the occasional false mustache here and there, FOX Sports Ohio was there.
The incomparable access continued through free agency, as FOX Sports Ohio cameras were allowed in closed-door meetings where Howson and the hockey operations team discussed strategy. The show additionally features interviews with two of the Jackets’ newest players, Nick Foligno and Adrian Aucoin.
The program premieres Wednesday, August 1 at 10:30pm, or immediately following the conclusion of Reds Live postgame show. The show will also replay throughout the coming weeks, with the first replay on Thursday, August 2 at 6:30pm.
From the draft, to free agency, to the Rick Nash trade, FOX Sports Ohio takes you there. Before the Battle.