With opening night 27 days away, the Blue Jackets’ jersey No. 27 has become a tour through a few different kinds of careers: brief cameos, long runs in Columbus, and a couple of players who found their biggest success after they left.
The list starts with Dahl, who appeared in four games for the Jackets during the 2000-01 season and finished without a point. His NHL story ended there. After Columbus, the former Bowling Green State University Falcon spent three seasons in Germany and retired in 2004 after skating for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL.
Blake Sloan followed as the 2001-2002 entry. Undrafted out of Park Ridge, Illinois, he played 74 games for Columbus across parts of two seasons, including the inaugural year, and posted 10 points. The final eight seasons of his career took him overseas, with one year in Sweden and the last seven in the DEL.
Darren Van Impe’s run came in 2002-03. Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1993, he played 14 games for the Jackets and recorded two points, then never appeared in another NHL game. He moved to Europe in 2003 and stayed in Germany through 2008.
Manny Malhotra gave the number its longest and most productive stretch in Columbus. Drafted by the New York Rangers in 1998, he played 344 games for the Blue Jackets from 2003 to 2009 and produced 145 points.
After leaving Columbus, he added seven more seasons to his career, including 23 games with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2015-16. Retirement sent him into coaching, where he spent years with the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs before being named head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in 2024.
In his first season behind the bench, he guided them to a Calder Cup Championship, and he was promoted to head coach of the Vancouver Canucks this summer.
Ryan Murray wore No. 27 from 2014 to 2020 after the Blue Jackets drafted him second overall in 2012. The former top pick played 347 games for Columbus and had 110 points, though injuries kept his season totals down; he reached 82 games just once and topped 60 only twice. He later won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 and played for the Edmonton Oilers in 2022-23, but he has not had a contract since.
Zac Dalpe’s turn with the number came in 2018. Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008, the former Ohio State Buckeye forward appeared in 25 games for the Jackets and had four career points with the club.
His real impact came in the AHL, where he played for six different franchises, including five seasons with the Cleveland Monsters. He played 133 games for Cleveland and scored 100 points.
Across his career, he logged 574 games and 393 points. On July 7, 2025, Dalpe retired and was hired by the Seattle Kraken as a Development Coach, and for this upcoming season he was named Team Consultant.
In that role, he will help young players adjust to pro life by assisting with apartments, bills, and the other details that come with turning pro.
Adam Boqvist wore No. 27 from 2022 to 2024 after arriving from the Chicago Blackhawks in a 2021 trade. He played 133 games for Columbus.
New GM Don Waddell did not offer him a contract last summer, allowing him to sign elsewhere. Boqvist joined the Florida Panthers last season, was placed on waivers, and then finished the year with the New York Islanders.
On May 30, 2025, the Islanders signed him to a one-year, $850,000 contract extension, and as of today he remains unsigned.
The most recent name on the list is Zach Aston-Reese, who was undrafted out of Staten Island, New York. He signed a one-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2024, but Vegas waived him on October 7, 2024, and Columbus claimed him.
He played 79 games for the Jackets last season and had 17 points, bringing leadership and experience to a room dealing with the loss of Johnny Gaudreau. Aston-Reese signed a one-year, $775,000 extension with Columbus on January 13, 2025, then spent most of last season with the Cleveland Monsters before leaving in free agency this summer for a one-year deal with the Flyers.
He also worked with the Gaudreau Family 5K to design the medals handed out to participants.
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Blue Jackets Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On This Forgotten Number 26 History
Jersey number 26 has been a bit of a revolving door in Columbus history, worn by a string of players whose stays with the Blue Jackets ranged from brief to memorable. Andrej Nedorost, Derek MacKenzie, Samuel Phlsson, Corey Tropp and Kyle Quincey all took turns with the number, giving it a scattered little lineage that says as much about the clubs roster churn as it does about any one players legacy.
One of the more notable stops came later, when Thomas Vanek arrived in a trade and gave the number a sharper profile during his time with the team. Zac Dalpe was the most recent Blue Jacket to wear No. 26, and his path after Columbus adds another layer to the numbers odd history, with a post-playing move that keeps him in the game even if the jersey itself has now been passed along. [Read more 🡒]