Blue Jackets Fans Still Remember One No. 64 More Than The Other

As the countdown to opening night begins, the journey of the #64 jersey with the Columbus Blue Jackets reveals a narrative of potential and perseverance, epitomized by the tenacious career of Trey Fix-Wolansky.

The Blue Jackets have only had two players wear No. 64, and neither one left much of a mark in Columbus. The bigger story tied to that number belongs to Cleveland, where Trey Fix-Wolansky built a résumé that made him a franchise fixture for the Monsters.

Fix-Wolansky, listed at 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds, was the kind of late draft pick plenty of people believed could outplay his slot. That hasn’t really happened at the NHL level, but his track record in the minors has been hard to ignore. He spent three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL, piling up 206 games, 93 goals and 245 points, with his production climbing every year.

His first full pro season came in 2019-20 with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he logged 43 games, 12 goals and 26 points. The next year was interrupted by a leg injury that needed surgery, which limited him to nine games. Even then, he still managed nine points.

The 2021-22 season brought a bigger step forward. Fix-Wolansky played 53 games and posted 33 points, and on February 8th, 2022, he also got his first NHL call.

He made it count right away, scoring in his debut against the Washington Capitals by taking a pass and sneaking the puck by Phoenix Copley. He appeared in six games for Columbus that season, finishing with two points, five shots and about six minutes of ice time per night.

His real AHL explosion came in 2022-23. Fix-Wolansky scored 29 goals and finished with 71 points in 61 games, setting career highs in goals, assists, points, games played and power-play goals. He also got into nine games for Columbus and scored once, while averaging nearly 13 minutes a game.

He kept rolling in 2023-24 and 2024-25, finishing each season with 26 goals and 60 points. Still, despite everything he had done for Cleveland over seven years, he never got a long runway to show he could be a full-time NHL player.

Columbus did not tender him a contract in 2025, and he signed with the New York Rangers. He never played for the Rangers, but he did suit up for 72 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 31 goals and totaling 55 points.

He is signed with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks for next season.

In Monsters history, Fix-Wolansky stands as the franchise’s all-time leader with 112 goals, 147 assists and 259 points. Those marks look safe for now, though Owen Sillinger and Luca Del Bel Belluz are within 120 points.

The first Blue Jacket to wear No. 64 was Tyler Motte in 2017, and his stay in Columbus was brief. He arrived in a trade with Chicago on June 23, 2017, along with Artemi Panarin and the New York Islanders’ sixth-round pick that had previously been acquired; Columbus sent Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg and its 2018 fifth-round pick the other way.

Motte played 31 games for the Blue Jackets, scoring three goals and five points while averaging 9:56 of ice time. He was later dealt to Vancouver with Jussi Jokinen for Thomas Vanek on February 26, 2018.

The St. Clair, Michigan native went on to spend four more seasons with the Canucks.

After playing with the Detroit Red Wings in 24-25, he played in the AHL for Charlotte in 25-26. Motte currently sits without a contract after playing nine NHL seasons.

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