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NHL finalizes plans for outdoor game at Ohio Stadium: 6 things to know
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- NHL finalizes plans for outdoor game at Ohio Stadium: 6 things to know
The NHL was back in Columbus on Wednesday for final meetings at Ohio Stadium before the league sends an ice truck to town Feb. 16 to start constructing a rink at "The Shoe" for the Blue Jackets' first outdoor game .
There's less than a month until the Blue Jackets face the Detroit Red Wings on March 1 at the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series matchup , and the NHL has fully turned its focus toward hosting its 43 rd outdoor game .
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"There's still plenty of work to do," NHL President of Events/Entertainment Steve Mayer said Wednesday. "We believe that up until the time we drop the puck on March 1, we're here to change ideas. We're very flexible, but we think we have an amazing plan, and we do think this is going to be one of – if not the greatest – outdoor games we've ever done."
Twenty-three days out, here are some things to know about the Blue Jackets ' first outdoor game:
NHL's ticket sales 'going well' for outdoor game between Columbus Blue Jackets , Detroit Red Wings
Mayer didn't cite specifics on ticket sales , but said the amount sold thus far is about what league officials expected.
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"Ticket sales are going well," he said. "This is very typical of any of the outdoor games we've ever done. We still have tickets remaining, but for us ... we're finding more and more that there's a level of fanbase that waits to look at, 'What's the weather going to look like?' and 'OK, what am I doing on March 1?' So, we are exactly where we want to be. We know this building is going to be filled the day of the game."
The Cannon Crew waves flags after a Blue Jackets' goal during a 2024 game at Nationwide Arena.
Expect to hear Columbus Blue Jackets' cannon boom inside Ohio Stadium
The game being hosted on Ohio State's campus means we'll see a lot of OSU theming. We can also expect to hear the Blue Jackets' cannon — or some cannon — booming for the same reasons it does at Nationwide Arena. More specifically, that's when the Blue Jackets are first welcomed to the ice, after they score goals and to cap victory celebrations.
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"There's going to be things we're going to do within the game that take advantage of the Columbus Blue Jackets' traditions," Mayer said. "There are things that go on in that arena that we're just going to bring over to this stadium. I think you know one that's really loud and makes a lot of noise."
With the Blue Jackets outdoor game being staged at Ohio Stadium, the NHL has said it will lean into Ohio State themes.
NHL to hold Stadium Series pep rally featuring free O.A.R. concert, Columbus Blue Jackets
They're not calling it a skull session, like the packed pep rallies at St. John Arena that precede Ohio State football games, but that's a matter of phrasing. The NHL will host its version of a skull session at St. John Arena prior to the Jackets' outdoor game, and it will feature a free concert by the band O.A.R., which has OSU ties.
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The Blue Jackets will also make an appearance at the "NHL Stadium Series Pep Rally" along with OSU's athletic band, which plays during the football team's skull sessions.
"The way they activate everything around the stadium, we're going to take advantage of that," Mayer said. "I think we did play into St. John Arena. We were very impressed by how that gets activated before a football game."
Ohio State's Brutus Buckeye plays dodgeball after the second period of a Blue Jackets game last month.
Ohio State Buckeyes, Columbus Blue Jackets themes to stand out at NHL outdoor game
Mayer said the NHL's decorative plans for Ohio Stadium will be released soon and will carry strong OSU and Blue Jackets themes. Will there be a giant buckeye nut on the field? A Brutus mural? Huge inflatable Stinger?
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"We're going to release within the next week or so what the field is going to look like," Mayer said. "It's very unique. It's very 'Ohio State' and 'Columbus Blue Jackets.' You'll get it the second you see it."
The Buckeyes' football national championship will also be recognized along with the national title won last year by the OSU women's hockey team.
Oct 15, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Johnny Gaudreau's father and mother, Guy and Jane Gaudreau, and other family members watch as a banner is raised in his honor during the first home game of the Columbus Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena October 15, 2024. Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed in a bicycling accident August 29, 2024.
NHL to memorialize Gaudreau brothers, honor their family during 'Stadium Series' game
Mayer said the tragic offseason deaths of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, will be recognized by the league.
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"It's an NHL story, whether we're doing an outdoor game here or not," Mayer said. "It's tragic. It's been some time, but there will be moments within the context of our game where we will honor Johnny, Matthew and the family, so we're not ignoring it at all, but we also want to be very respectful."
The construction of the rink at Ohio Stadium for the Blue Jackets' outdoor game starts Feb. 17. Here a crew prepares for an NHL outdoor game at Wrigley Field.
Rink construction for NHL outdoor game to start Feb. 17 at Ohio Stadium
An ice truck and construction crew are scheduled to arrive Feb. 16 in Columbus for the start of construction on the rink and other design elements the following day. The NHL used to keep its outdoor game designs under tight wraps, but everything is publicly available now.
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Media wishing to watch the process can do that daily, while the league's website will provide a link to a live camera in the stadium that tracks progress. It takes a crew of 300 to complete.
"They work hard," Mayer said. "We're open 24 hours trying to get this done in time. ... It's a two-week process, and we use every minute of the two weeks. It's fascinating."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL finalizes plans for game at Ohio Stadium: 6 things to know
