2002–03 Columbus Blue Jackets season

Offseason

Ray Whitney was named team captain on October 9.

Regular season

The Blue Jackets got off to a good start, having a 7–5–1–1 record in their opening 14 games. Columbus, however, won only two of their next 12 games to fall out of the playoff picture. The club would play mediocre hockey for the rest of the season, finishing with a 29–42–8–3 record, earning 69 points for last place in the Western Conference for the second-straight season. Midway through the season, Columbus fired head coach Dave King after a 14–20–4–2 start. King was replaced by general manager Doug MacLean on an interim basis, as the Blue Jackets posted a record of 15–22–4–1 record under his guidance. The 69 points was a 12-point improvement over the previous season, but the club finished 23 points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final playoff spot in the Conference. The previous season, the Blue Jackets scored a League-low 164 goals, however, the team would beat that total by 49 goals, finishing with a club record 213 goals. Columbus though led the NHL in goals against, allowing 263, also a club record.

Ray Whitney led the club in points for the second-straight season, earning a club record 76 points, as he scored 24 goals and 52 assists. Geoff Sanderson rebounded from an injury-plagued 2001–02 season to score a club record 34 goals, while Andrew Cassels earned 68 points in his first season in Columbus. David Vyborny had a breakout season, scoring 20 goals and 46 points. On the blueline, Jaroslav Spacek scored nine goals and earned 45 points in his first full season with the team. Jody Shelley led the team with 249 penalty minutes, setting a franchise record.

In goal, Marc Denis got the bulk of the action, winning a club-record 27 games, while posting a 3.09 goals against average (GAA) and earning five shutouts along the way.

Season standings

Schedule and results

|- | 1 || October 10 || Chicago Blackhawks || 1–2 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 1–0–0–0 || 2 || |- | 2 || October 12 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 2–3 || New Jersey Devils || 1–1–0–0 || 2 || |- | 3 || October 14 || Phoenix Coyotes || 4–2 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 1–2–0–0 || 2 || |- | 4 || October 17 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 1–7 || St. Louis Blues || 1–3–0–0 || 2 || |- | 5 || October 19 || Florida Panthers || 1–4 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 2–3–0–0 || 4 || |- | 6 || October 23 || Tampa Bay Lightning || 2–2 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 2–3–1–0 || 5 || |- | 7 || October 25 || San Jose Sharks || 5–4 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 2–4–1–0 || 5 || |- | 8 || October 27 || Los Angeles Kings || 1–5 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 3–4–1–0 || 7 || |- | 9 || October 29 || Columbus Blue Jackets || 2–3 || Chicago Blackhawks || 3–5–1–0 || 7 ||

| Legend:

Player statistics

Scoring

• Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
• • = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Blue Jackets only.*
• • = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Blue Jackets only.*

Goaltending

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Goaltender Marc Denis set the NHL record for most minutes played in a single season, surpassing Martin Brodeur’s mark set during the 1995–96 season. Brodeur would reclaim the record in 2003–04.

Milestones

Transactions

The Blue Jackets were involved in the following transactions from June 14, 2002, the day after the deciding game of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 9, 2003, the day of the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

Columbus' draft picks at the 2002 NHL entry draft at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Notes

References

References

1. (October 9, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ANNOUNCE THE CLUB WILL USE MULTIPLE TEAM CAPTAINS IN 2002-03".
2. (January 7, 2003). "NHL NOTEBOOK / Ex-Shark Whitney now thriving".
3. (January 7, 2003). "Blue Jackets fire Coach King".
4. "2002-03 Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule".
5. "Postseason All-Star Teams".
6. "2003 NHL All-Star Game Rosters".
7. (December 2, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS LEFT WING RICK NASH NAMED NHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH".
8. (January 18, 2003). "NHL - 2003 YoungStars Rosters".
9. Columbus Blue Jackets 2014–2015 Media Guide, p.301
10. (April 4, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS G MARC DENIS BREAKS NHL RECORD FOR MINUTES PLAYED FRIDAY NIGHT VS. DETROIT RED WINGS".
11. "Goaltender Records: Most Minutes Played, Season".
12. "2002-03 NHL Debuts".
13. "Hockey Transactions Search Results".
14. (June 18, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS TRADE RON TUGNUTT TO THE DALLAS STARS FOR FIRST ROUND PICK IN THIS WEEKEND'S ENTRY DRAFT".
15. (June 22, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ACQUIRE TOP PICK FROM FLORIDA, SELECT LW RICK NASH WITH FIRST PICK IN NHL ENTRY DRAFT".
16. (June 22, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ACQUIRE TOP PICK FROM FLORIDA, SELECT LW RICK NASH WITH FIRST PICK IN NHL ENTRY DRAFT ... Continued".
17. (June 23, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ADD NINE PROSPECTS ON SECOND DAY OF THE NHL ENTRY DRAFT AT AIR CANADA CENTRE IN TORONTO".
18. (June 23, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ADD NINE PROSPECTS ON SECOND DAY OF THE NHL ENTRY DRAFT AT AIR CANADA CENTRE IN TORONTO ... Continued".
19. (October 4, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS CLAIM D MATHIEU BIRON FROM TAMPA BAY IN WAIVER DRAFT, THEN TRADE BIRON TO FLORIDA FOR RIGHTS TO RW PETR TENKRAT".
20. (December 2, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS ACQUIRE RW TOMI KALLIO, D PAULI LEVOKARI FROM ATLANTA THRASHERS FOR RW CHRIS NIELSEN, D PETTERI NUMMELIN".
21. (March 10, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS SEND RW GRANT MARSHALL TO THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS IN EXCHANGE FOR A CONDITIONAL DRAFT PICK IN 2004 ENTRY DRAFT".
22. (July 4, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN FREE AGENT DEFENSEMEN SCOTT LACHANCE AND LUKE RICHARDSON".
23. (July 17, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN AHL'S LEADING SCORER IN 2001-02".
24. (August 15, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS BOLSTER OFFENSE WITH SIGNING OF C ANDREW CASSELS".
25. (October 5, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS CLAIM RIGHT WING HANNES HYVONEN OFF WAIVERS".
26. (January 20, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN D DARREN VAN IMPE".
27. (May 15, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN DEFENSEMAN DUVIE WESTCOTT AND ADD FORWARD JOE MOTZKO FROM ST. CLOUD STATE".
28. (June 2, 2003). "JACKETS SIGN GOALTENDER FRED BRATHWAITE".
29. (July 2, 2002). "NHL FREE-AGENT LIST".
30. {{hockey-reference. h/harkibr01. Brett Harkins, retrieved December 4, 2022
31. (December 30, 2002). "Robert Kron siirtyy Lukkoon".
32. "ROBERT KRON".
33. "ANDREI SRYUBKO".
34. (July 1, 2007). "NHL Releases Free Agent List".
35. {{hockey-reference. s/spanhma01. Martin Spanhel, retrieved December 4, 2022
36. (August 27, 2002). "Former Bear Serge Aubin Signs with Avalanche".
37. (October 5, 2002). "Three Added, One Released from Training Camp".
38. (October 16, 2002). "Quint back with Falcons".
39. (November 5, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS VETERAN RW KEVIN DINEEN ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 18-PLUS NHL SEASONS".
40. (January 1, 2003). "FLYERS ACQUIRE RIGHT WING TOMI KALLIO ON WAIVERS FROM COLUMBUS".
41. (July 1, 2006). "List of Available Free Agents".
42. (January 25, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS LOAN RW HANNES HYVONEN TO FARJESTADS BK OF THE SWEDISH ELITE LEAGUE".
43. (January 26, 2003). "Hannes Hyvönen NHL:stä Ruotsiin".
44. (June 26, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN RW GRANT MARSHALL AND INK 2002 FIFTH ROUND DRAFT PICK LASSE PIRJETA".
45. (June 27, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN G MARC DENIS TO A MULTI-YEAR DEAL".
46. (July 2, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN 2001 ENTRY DRAFT PICK TIM JACKMAN".
47. (July 8, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN D JAMIE ALLISON AND INK BOSTON UNIVERSITY LW MIKE PANDOLFO".
48. (July 29, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN LW GEOFF SANDERSON, C ESPEN KNUTSEN AND D JEAN-LUC GRAND-PIERRE".
49. (August 21, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN PAIR OF RIGHT WINGS".
50. (August 28, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN D DERRICK WALSER AND C BLAKE BELLEFEUILLE".
51. (September 8, 2002). "PLUS: HOCKEY; Blue Jackets' Dineen Signs Final Contract".
52. "MATHIEU DARCHE".
53. (October 7, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN LW RICK NASH, THE FIRST OVERALL PICK IN THE 2002 NHL ENTRY DRAFT, TO A THREE-YEAR DEAL".
54. (May 7, 2002). "BLUE JACKETS RE-SIGN LEFT WING GEOFF SANDERSON AND RIGHT WING DAVID VYBORNY".
55. (June 3, 2003). "BLUE JACKETS SIGN 2001 DRAFT PICK AARON JOHNSON".
56. "2002 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com".