David Výborný’s Columbus story started with an immediate spark and never really let go. On October 7, 2000, in his first NHL game after signing with the expansion Blue Jackets on June 8, 2000, he scored a goal and quickly won over fans who barely knew his name. That was the beginning of a run that would make him one of the most beloved players in franchise history.
Before he became a fixture in Columbus, Výborný had already taken an unusual path to North America. Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1993, he never played a game for them. When he finally came over, he spent one season with the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL, appearing in 76 games and putting up 23 goals and 61 points before heading back to Europe until 2000.
Once he arrived in Columbus, the production came in waves. In the inaugural Blue Jackets season, he scored 13 goals and finished with 32 points.
The next year looked almost the same, with another 13-goal season and 31 points. Then came the breakthrough.
In 2002-03, Výborný crossed the 20-goal threshold for the first time, finishing with 20 goals and 26 assists. He topped that the following year with 22 goals and 53 points.
The 2004-05 NHL lockout sent him back to the Czech Republic, where he played 51 games for Sparta Praha. After that, he came back and posted two of the strongest seasons of his career.
In 2005-06, he scored 22 goals and added 43 assists for 65 points. In 2006-07, he scored 16 goals but piled up 48 assists and 64 points.
His final NHL season with Columbus, 2007-08, was a tough one. At age 33, he played in only 66 games and finished with seven goals and 26 points. Every major stat dropped, and it stood out because of how much he had meant to the team and its fans.
After that, Výborný returned home and played eight more seasons in his homeland. He won back-to-back championships in the Czech second division in 2013 and 2014, helping earn promotion to the top Czech league. His career ended in 2016 after he suffered a torn ACL.
The numbers he left behind in Columbus still jump off the page. Výborný ranks eighth in franchise history in games played with 543, seventh in goals with 113, fourth in assists with 204, sixth in points with 317, fifth in power-play goals with 36, and third in shorthanded goals with 7. He also once held the Blue Jackets record for most consecutive games played at 161, and he scored the first penalty shot in team history on October 15, 2000.
His international résumé is just as deep. In 2025, Výborný was elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame, joining Henrik Lundqvist, Frans Nielsen, and Zdeno Chara in the 2025 class.
The Hall cited his role during the Czech run of three straight Men’s Worlds gold medals from 1999-2001, as well as five golds in a 10-year stretch from 1996-2005. In all, he played in 12 World Championships, the 2006 Olympics, the 2004 World Cup, and two World Junior Championships in 1993 and 1994.
Earlier this year, the Columbus Blue Jackets Quarter Century Team was announced by the media, and Výborný was not included. THN Columbus placed him on its second team as a forward.
For a lot of fans, though, the debate is already settled. Výborný remains a favorite from the franchise’s early days, and many have long viewed him as either their all-time favorite Blue Jacket or a close second behind Rick Nash.
He was the original No. 9 in Columbus, and to some, he’s still the best No. 9 to wear Union Blue. Other players who have worn the number include Ivan Provorov, Colton Gillies, Jeremy Morin, Gregory Campbell, Artemi Panarin, and Mikko Koivu. There are 9 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have A Dante Fabbro Concern To Watch
Preseason injuries are piling up around the league, and the Blue Jackets have their own situation to monitor after defenseman Dante Fabbro left a game with an upper-body injury. Columbus is already in the part of camp where every shift matters, and any interruption to a projected lineup piece gets attention fast, especially on the back end where depth and continuity can be tested in a hurry.
Fabbros exit now sits alongside a handful of other early-camp health concerns elsewhere, with Pittsburgh forward Benjamin Kindel and Rangers forward Adam Sykora both leaving preseason games after lower-body issues, while Penguins winger Ville Koivunen also missed action after taking a puck to the face in practice. For Columbus, the focus is less on the broader preseason churn and more on how quickly Fabbro can get back on the ice and whether this becomes a brief setback or something the Blue Jackets need to track more closely. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have An Opening Night Blue Line Concern
The Blue Jackets were already working through the usual late-preseason roster sorting when the back end took a hit in Mondays game against Detroit. Dante Fabbro, projected to open the regular season on Columbus third defensive pairing, went down with an upper-body injury and did not return, a development that adds a little more uncertainty to a group that was trying to settle into shape before opening night.
For a team that wants stability on the blue line, the timing is far from ideal, especially with the regular season looming. If Fabbro is forced to miss time, veteran Erik Gudbranson looms as the most likely next man up, giving the Jackets a familiar, sturdier option while they wait to see how serious the injury is and how the rest of the defensive picture sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Win Comes With An Early Dante Fabbro Concern
The Blue Jackets got through their first preseason game with a win on the board, but the more immediate takeaway had little to do with the shootout finish. Columbus and its coaching staff were left to monitor Dante Fabbro, who exited early with an upper-body injury after logging a little over 8 minutes and will be reevaluated Tuesday morning, a reminder that September results often matter less than simply getting everyone through healthy.
The game itself never produced a goal in regulation, so the outcome came down to the skills competition and a handful of small details that preseason often magnifies. Columbus will gladly take the victory, but the focus now shifts to Fabbros status and whether the Blue Jackets have to deal with an early defensive absence before the exhibition slate really gets moving. [Read more 🡒]