Upcoming Columbus Blue Jackets dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Where to sit for Blue Jackets hockey, in short
The best all-around seat for a Columbus Blue Jackets game is on the lower-level sideline between the blue lines, roughly ten rows up or higher. Nationwide Arena seats 18,500 for hockey, and from that spot you can follow both nets, the benches and the plays as they develop, while the glass stays below your eye line.
- If you want home goals up close: the end Columbus attacks in the first and third periods.
- If you want a full view for less: front rows of the upper 200s on the sideline.
- If you want food and drink handled: the club level or the all-inclusive Lexus Lounge.
- If you want the cannon at close range: look near section 101.
Home games run from October into April, with playoff dates possible through June.
Lower 100s, the club ring and the 200s upstairs
The bowl has three public layers. The lower level carries the 100-numbered sections and wraps the glass. A club level with premium amenities sits above it. The upper level uses 200-numbered sections.
Lower level
The sideline sections deliver the strongest view in the building. The ends cost less and put you behind a net, which is good for one half of the game and weak for the other.
Club level and premium spaces
Beyond standard club seats, two options stand out. The Lexus Lounge is an all-inclusive space used on Blue Jackets nights. The terrace tables offer bar-top seating just below the suites, a social option that suits groups more than purists.
Upper 200s
A front-row seat upstairs on the sideline often shows more of the ice than a back-row seat in a lower-level end. The highest corner rows are the ones to pass on.
Seats near the cannon, and seats too close to the glass
- Row 1: the speed and the sound are real, but the boards block play along the near wall. A seat ten or more rows up reads the game far better.
- The shoot-twice end: Columbus attacks one net in periods one and three. The bench side and that end were not confirmed in this page's sources, so check the event map attached to each listing before you choose.
- Around section 101: one seating guide places the cannon outside this section. Nearby seats get the full blast after every Columbus goal.
- High corners upstairs: distant and angled. A lower upstairs row on the sideline costs about the same and sees more.
Penguins, Red Wings and the CBJ calendar
Preseason starts in late September. The regular season of 82 games, half of them at home, runs from October to mid-April, and the playoffs follow from late April into June.
- Pittsburgh: a short drive east and the natural division rival. Penguins fans travel in numbers.
- Detroit: the regional rivalry dates to the Central Division years and still fills sections with red.
- Original Six and star visitors: Toronto, Montreal, Boston and Chicago attract neutral fans.
- Weekends and late December: Fridays, Saturdays and holiday games go first.
- Late-season races: a March game with a playoff spot at stake carries more demand than the same opponent in November.
For the most choice, look at midweek games against Western Conference teams in November, January and February.
Garages, COTA lines and a cashless building
The arena sits at 200 West Nationwide Boulevard, and the Arena District around it was planned for cars. The McConnell and Front Street garages serve the building, and the arena says more than 15,000 spaces lie within a ten-minute walk. Prepaying for parking saves time on busy nights.
To skip the garage, take COTA. Lines 1, 2 and 5 stop on North High Street; lines 3 and 8 stop near Neil Avenue and Vine Street; lines 6 and 9 stop at West Nationwide Boulevard and North Front Street.
Rules as of the 2025–26 season, per the arena's A–Z guide:
- Bags: generally not allowed. Medical bags, diaper bags and clutches up to about 8 by 5 by 1 inches are permitted after screening. Some league-wide guidance lists a smaller clutch, so carry the smallest one you have.
- Cash: not accepted at concessions. Reverse ATMs turn cash into a card at the box office and on both concourses.
- Leaving to smoke: you will not be let back in.
Confirm details in the Nationwide Arena A–Z guide. Reserved Seat backs every order with a 100% guarantee.
Civil War colors, a 94,751 crowd and a 2019 sweep
The NHL awarded Columbus a franchise in 1997, and the team debuted in 2000–01. Founding owner John H. McConnell personally guaranteed the arena financing that helped land the club. The name honors Ohio's patriotism and Civil War history, and the logo takes its swallowtail shape (a burgee) from the state flag. The cannon follows the same theme: it is modeled on an 1857 Napoleon field gun and fires at the start of games, after Columbus goals and after wins.
Nationwide Arena opened on September 9, 2000. It was the first NHL building with an attached practice rink, now the OhioHealth Ice Haus.
- 2009: a first playoff berth, ended by a Detroit sweep.
- 2013–14: a move from the Western Conference's Central Division, home for 13 seasons, to the Metropolitan.
- 2014: a first playoff game win, against Pittsburgh.
- 2019: a first series win, sweeping a Tampa Bay team that had taken the Presidents' Trophy (the award for the best regular-season record).
- March 5, 2022: Rick Nash's number 61 is retired.
- August 29, 2024: forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew die in a cycling accident, a loss mourned across hockey.
- March 1, 2025: a 5–3 win over Detroit at Ohio Stadium in the Stadium Series, before 94,751, the largest crowd in club history.
Fans who follow the team on the road most often turn up in Pittsburgh, Detroit and the other Metropolitan cities within driving range. Schedules and rosters are on the Blue Jackets team site.
Frequently asked questions
Is the upper level worth it at Nationwide Arena?
Yes, in the front rows along the sideline. Those seats often show more of the ice than the back rows of a lower-level end.
Where is the cannon at Nationwide Arena?
One seating guide places it outside section 101. It fires at the start of games, after Columbus goals and after wins, so seats nearby are loud.
Which COTA buses go to Nationwide Arena?
Lines 1, 2 and 5 stop on North High Street, lines 3 and 8 near Neil Avenue and Vine Street, and lines 6 and 9 at West Nationwide Boulevard and North Front Street.
Can you pay cash at a Blue Jackets game?
Concessions are cashless. Reverse ATMs at the box office and on the main and upper concourses convert cash to a card.
What size clutch is allowed at Nationwide Arena?
As of the 2025-26 season, the arena lists clutches up to about 8 by 5 by 1 inches, plus medical and diaper bags. League guidance can be smaller, so check before you go.