Columbus Blue Jackets’ “31 Days Until Opening Night” series spotlights jersey No. 31, a goalie number by tradition

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the final stretch toward opening night at Nationwide Arena, with a 31-day countdown series running alongside the start of the season. In a Tuesday edition of “31 Days Until Opening Night,” the team’s focus turns to jersey No. 31 and, specifically, what that number has represented through the franchise’s goalie history.

While the installment is framed as a look at the past, its purpose is also present-day: it ties a long-running NHL reality to the upcoming schedule. In hockey, jersey numbers are more than identifiers. For goaltenders, they can become shorthand for how a team wants to be remembered, because the position’s performances can define seasons and, over time, create cultural touchpoints for fans.

The series also reflects how modern NHL teams build continuity heading into a new year. The Blue Jackets are using the calendar itself as a storytelling device, counting down to opening night and giving supporters a reason to check in each day. That approach tends to matter most around the first month of the season, when expectations start to harden and early results shape the emotional tone of the campaign.

The “jersey No. 31” theme is positioned as a goalie edition, indicating the number’s connection to the position within the Blue Jackets’ organization. In practice, that means the No. 31 discussion is intended to be tied to the netminders who have worn it, and to the way goalie play changes a team’s narrative from game to game.

In an organization’s internal history, specific goalie numbers often come loaded with memories: standout stretches, postseason moments, and instances when a starter stabilized the group during a difficult stretch. Even when the specifics vary season to season, the number becomes a repeating motif, especially for a team’s most important weekly metric, goaltending performance.

A key caveat is that this particular countdown entry is designed as a historical feature, and the most important details it references, including which goalies wore No. 31 and what seasons or milestones are being highlighted, require direct confirmation from the full text of the Yahoo Sports piece.

For readers tracking what the Blue Jackets will emphasize this season, the “31 Days” format suggests the franchise is prioritizing continuity and identity-building as opening night approaches. Expect the later days of the countdown to move from individual numbers and roles toward broader team meaning, and for fans to pay attention to whether the franchise’s goalie history becomes a recurring reference point as the games begin.

As the Jackets take the ice at Nationwide Arena, this No. 31 spotlight also offers a simple reminder of how quickly goaltending can tilt a storyline. One solid month behind the starter or tandem can shift a season’s trajectory, and the memory of a jersey number can be the framing device that fans carry into the first starts and the earliest turning points.