BY NIC MORK (’15)

The city of Columbus showed the hockey world how big of a hockey city Columbus can be last playoff season during the playoff season.  At the end of the month Columbus will be the central point of the NHL when the leagues stars set out for Central Ohio for the All Star Game.  The city of Columbus was scheduled to host the game in 2013 but that all-star game was cancelled because of the lockout.

The city of Columbus has set out to turn Columbus into some kind of winter wonderland during the weeks leading up to the game around the Arena District. The green space across from Nationwide Arena, has been transformed into an outdoor rink which can be skated on periodically throughout the month.  The schedule for the outdoor rink is now posted online, there will be stick n pucks in the morning with public skates in the evenings.

The weekend of the All Star festivities there will be a CBJ fan fest with many hockey related things happening in the convention center.  Activities will include being able to meet and greet with different players, and even a chance to take a picture with the Stanley Cup (but you better get there early because I’m sure that line will be long).

The roster has recently been selected and there have been three Jackets players to help represent the city of Columbus.  The players are Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Johansen, and Nick Foligno.  Foligno has also received the honor to be a captain to one of the teams, and a friend from his hometown of Buffalo Patrick Kane to be an assistant captain.

The real festivities for the players will start with the All Star draft who will be selected by Nick Foligno and Midwest rival Jonathon Toews who will captain the other squad.  The next day the skills competition will start with competitions including fastest skater and fastest shot.  On Sunday the weekend will conclude with the game which should be exciting.

All star weekend will be a time to show the hockey world that we do care about hockey, and this city is not only a football town.