I was at the mall, running errands, when I ran into my friend, Bill. He noticed immediately - peaking out underneath my black and white flannel, a navy blue t-shirt making my allegiances clear.
Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I don't think there are a lot of Blue Jackets fans in New Brunswick."
I have heard some variation of this many times over the last six-ish months. Some people ask if I have other friends who are fans (I don't) while others ask if it hurt jumping on the bandwagon (so original). Columbus is neither a conventional or popular pick for a new hockey fan, as I learned. Knowing that has only made me like them even more.
But that's not the only thing I like about this team. It's not even the main thing.
1. CBJ 10, MTL 0
It honestly started as a joke.
My husband is a Montreal fan. Not a hardcore fan, but he knows some of their roster and enjoys watching them play. He also watched some hockey growing up so he knows the rules of the game and some things to watch for, as well as some random hockey trivia.
When I said I wanted to get into hockey this year, he was totally on board. He suggested we start with a Montreal game. Why not?
So on November 4, 2016, we turned on the game and settled in on the couch.
By the time Columbus scored their ninth unanswered goal, even Jeff wanted to see them score a 10th.
I later learned that this was significant, considering the history of the Blue Jackets. As my best friend put it, Columbus has historically been a team that couldn't buy a goal, let alone 10 against one of the top teams in the Atlantic.
I was mostly amused by it all. It was the first regulation loss for the Habs in the season, and the worst defeat since 1995. My husband (along with just about every Habs fan I know) was shocked.
I decided that night Columbus was my team.
I didn't really start watching right away - a combination of being busy and not knowing how to stream out of region games. But I started to keep an eye on their progress through the season from that point on, reading game recaps online and catching the highlights on SportsNet at the gym.
About 14 games into the 16-game streak, I started streaming games. The rest is history.
2. Sergei. Bobrovsky.
There has been a lot of commentary focused on the role Bobrovsky played during the regular season and it's with good reason: the man has been a beast between the pipes. But my favourite thing about him is his attitude - he's almost always smiling and comes across as laid back. I've lost track of how many times I have heard him say "it is what it is" in post-game interviews. If not achieving the desired outcome phases him, you'd never know it.
It's not just Bob, though - there are a lot of good things happening with the Columbus roster right now. The team sent three players to the All Star game - Bob, Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson - and while Atkinson was a late addition, it was well-deserved. Zach Werenski has been unreal - Tortorella called his performance in Game 1 inspiring, and that's not an exaggeration - and Nick Foligno has done an incredible job leading the team as captain. Savard, Jenner, Bjorkstrand...I could go on and on. The team is a good mix of veterans and youth and, as a new hockey fan, I've really enjoyed watching them play.
Also - this:
#MoreHugs
3. The Underdog Factor
This was not a team that anyone expected to be where they are today. This is not a team that's known for doing much of anything except, well, poorly. They have some super talented players, but not really any superstars and a polarizing coach.
And yet, after finishing last in the eastern conference last season, they're in the playoffs for the third time in franchise history. Whatever the outcome, I think it's fair to say they've exceeded expectations. And I'm into that.
Sharing this the morning of Game 4 - a do-or-die for the team after dropping 3-0 in the series - I'm not sure what to expect. I'm not optimistic about the team advancing beyond round one, but I'm hoping they can find a way to win this one.
What happens next year? I hope they're able to build on their success this year although realistically, I know there is a chance that won't happen.
Whatever the case, though, I'm in. #WeAreThe5thLine
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