Blue Jackets Open, Close At Home

To open their ninth seasons in the NHL, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets will square off with each other.

By: Associated Press | NBC4i.com
Published: July 16, 2009

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- To open their ninth seasons in the NHL, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets will square off with each other.

The battle between the 2000 expansion franchises is among the featured dates on the Blue Jackets' 2009-10 schedule released by the club on Wednesday. The Wild and Blue Jackets meet at Nationwide Arena in the Oct. 3 opener.

The Blue Jackets host the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 30 in addition to meeting Central Division rivals Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis six times each - three at home and three on the road.

The 82-game schedule includes a 15-day break from Feb. 15 to March 1 for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The Blue Jackets also close the year on home ice, on April 9 against Stanley Cup finalist Detroit.