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Three Connections Between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets are surprisingly similar. What ways are these two alike?

By Jacob Walters |
Vegas Golden Knights v Columbus Blue Jackets
Vegas Golden Knights v Columbus Blue Jackets / Jason Mowry/GettyImages
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If you were asked if the Vegas Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets were similar, you'd probably laugh at the idea.

Golden Knights?

Blue Jackets?

Similar?!

However, one would be surprised at how both teams have more connections than initially thought. Yeah, it's shocking, isn't it? After all, one's the reigning Stanley Cup champ while the other isn't even close to the postseason. But here's how the Vegas Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets are closer to each other than one would realize.

1. Some Vegas Golden Knights Stars Are Former Columbus Blue Jackets

Vegas Golden Knights v Seattle Kraken
Vegas Golden Knights v Seattle Kraken / Steph Chambers/GettyImages

Perhaps the two most notorious Vegas Golden Knights to formerly play for the Columbus Blue Jackets are William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Karlsson spent three seasons with the Blue Jackets, scoring 16 goals and 31 assists. Marchessault spent his first NHL season in Columbus, only playing two games in 2012-2013.

But that's not the only interaction between these two clubs. Last season, the Golden Knights acquired goaltender Jonathan Quick from the Blue Jackets, sending Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to Ohio. In short, the two teams have a history, with two former Blue Jackets growing into hockey stars in Vegas.

2. They're Both the Newer Expansion Clubs

Vegas Golden Knights v Columbus Blue Jackets
Vegas Golden Knights v Columbus Blue Jackets / Jason Mowry/GettyImages

Both the Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets are fairly new to the NHL. The Golden Knights began play in 2017-2018, while the Blue Jackets started in 2000-2001. Both clubs are post-millennium starters that are a part of the NHL's growing league.

While the Blue Jackets haven't had the same success the Golden Knights had (Columbus has never made the Stanley Cup Final), Ohio's hockey team does have some history. For example, they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2018-2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, continuing a miracle story against the NHL's best regular-season team. While they eventually fell to the Boston Bruins in the next round, Columbus has a footnote in hockey history with their memorable run.

3. Both Are Faithful to Their Region's Identity

Pittsburgh Penguins v Columbus Blue Jackets - Game Four
Pittsburgh Penguins v Columbus Blue Jackets - Game Four / Kirk Irwin/GettyImages

Las Vegas is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World," with numerous shows and spectacles gracing the city. The Vegas Golden Knights are no stranger to this concept, boasting a pre-game fight between Lee Orchard and the incoming opponent. There's also a live DJ, a drumline, and the Las Vegas Vivas.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are named after Ohio's Civil War history, with the colors matching the concept. They also have a cannon that fires after every Blue Jackets goal as a nod to their history. Both the Blue Jackets and Golden Knights are faithful to their region's origins, making their fans feel more at home.

23-35-12. 113. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Columbus Blue Jackets. 37-25-7. 942. VGK -350. 7:30 PM PST. NHLPP/ESPN+. March 23, 2024

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