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JANUARY 30, 2012 Blue Jackets Awarded All-Star Game as Fans’ Frustration Grows

as the Arena District, the area includes By MELISSA HOPPERT The Blue Jackets were founded as an expansion team in 2000 and qualified bars, restaurants and a theater and is From the hometown fans cheering for the playoffs in 2009. nestled between two other Columbus wildly for the Senators’ representatives They hosted the 2007 N.H.L. entry , destinations, the Short North and German (and heartily booing the Maple Leafs’) drawing a capacity crowd on the first day. Village neighborhoods. to the awestruck players videotaping the performance of the -born rapper “We held the draft there not too many “The are one of Drake, Canada’s capital city of years ago, and the city and the Blue Jackets the nation’s best examples of sports acting provided a nearly perfect backdrop for organization was terrific in terms of as a major economic catalyst,” Columbus this past weekend’s All-Star festivities. hosting all the events and making us feel Mayor Michael B. Coleman said in a at home,” Bettman told the NHL Network statement. “When So it might have come as a surprise to on Saturday. “The facilities are there, the was built in 2000, it was the centerpiece some when N.H.L. Commissioner Gary fan support is there, they have a terrific of Columbus’ Arena District, which has Bettman announced Saturday that the organization, the arena’s great, all the revitalized our downtown and our city.” struggling Blue Jackets would host next factors that you need to build the event year’s All-Star Game on Jan. 27 in Ohio’s are in place in Columbus for us.” Despite the Blue Jackets’ recent woes, capital, Columbus. The announcement Umberger has not given up on the team coincided with about 250 fans protesting Umberger, who played from 2000 to 2003 or its fans. Blue Jackets management outside at nearby Ohio State, whose hockey team “When we made the playoffs that one Nationwide Arena in the wake of the recently reached No. 2 in the rankings, year, you could feel the buzz around the team’s dismal play. said that the city had embraced the sport with open arms. town, and the city was incredible,” said The Blue Jackets (13-30-6) entered the All- Umberger, who scored the first playoff Star break with the N.H.L’s worst record “I think hockey is growing in Columbus goal in team history. “The Arena District and had only one representative in Ottawa, a lot more,” Umberger said. “If the was hopping, and it was so much fun.” the rookie forward . Three Blue Jackets become a playoff team, it’s “It’s been a hard time to get back to the weeks ago, Coach was fired going to get to a whole new standard in playoffs for the Blue Jackets, so it seems like and replaced on an interim basis by the Columbus. I think that hockey is trickling a distant memory. But I hope to someday assistant Todd Richards. down through all the kids and everything. It should be a city that’s known for its score a lot more for the Blue Jackets in n “I think that we have a lot of passionate hockey now, not just football.” the playoffs.” season-ticket holders who have been there since Day 1, but I think there’s a lot of The 2013 All-Star weekend is expected people that are getting frustrated because to generate an estimated $12 million in we’re not showing a winning product,” visitor spending, the Greater Columbus Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger Sports Commission said. The construction said. “If it ever happens, where we win of Nationwide Arena, which holds 18,500 consistently, the place would be sold for hockey and features a glass atrium and out every night here, I have no doubt exposed brick, spurred the development about it.” of the surrounding area. Now known