Nationwide Arena Columbus

Jackets introduce Carter, Wisniewski

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Zac joined FOX Sports Ohio in 2010 after nearly a decade covering the Cleveland Browns and NFL on a daily basis for ClevelandBrowns.com, the team's official website, while also serving as host and analyst on the team's web and TV shows. He's an Akron native and lifelong sports junkie who attended Ohio University and the University of Akron COLUMBUS, Ohio — On the hottest day of the summer, the coolest place in town was the still-chilled home of the Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena.

Even a complete hockey novice like me can see that keeping it that way, albeit in another sense, is the Blue Jackets' plan.

The Jackets are aiming for relevance — in the NHL, firstly, but also among Ohio sports fans — and they know the best way to achieve it is to win. To do that, they need better players, guys that can help them win enough games to play in bigger ones, guys who can create enough headlines and buzz that get ticket-buyers talking and opposing coaches nervous.

Even I knew that.

And general manager Scott Howson knew it, too. Howson talked about how, early in the offseason, the team had clear priorities but knew that landing both a center like Jeff Carter and a defenseman with the skill set of James Wisniewski was, at best, a long shot.

But it was something his team needed to give a shot, work the phone lines and explore. And Howson did. And so when Howson introduced both of them Wednesday morning, he smiled. He said he and his staff had done enough research to know that only two top-flight centers like Carter had ever been traded. That's ever, in NHL history. And he's both proud and excited to make it three here, for a team that can now pair Carter with Rick Nash for years to come.

If there were two things I knew about the Blue Jackets at the start of the day, Nash was one of them. That the franchise has never won a playoff game was the other.

Howson hopes the process of changing lots of things about the Blue Jackets start now.

"All the true contenders are strong down the middle," Howson said. "We feel now with Jeff (in the fold)…we have a chance to be very strong down the middle."And I wrote that down.

Howson also talked about needing a defenseman who could not just defend — even to me, the position gives that part of the job away — but contribute to the offense.

Mariachi El Bronx (II) Out Now! – ATO RECORDS

Tour with Foo Fighters and Rise Against

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Please I know you aint workin RT @: I'm at Nationwide Arena (200 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus)

50% off One Ticket to See Britney Spears; 665 people purchased; 2 days left:

City will sell Arena District parcel to Nationwide -

I'm at Arena District Athletic Club (325 John H. McConnell Blvd., at Nationwide Boulevard, Columbus)

Planning to attend this

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