Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishThe Columbus Blue Jackets have had seasons that were more successful. They’ve had other seasons that ended on inspiring, positive notes, even when they didn’t qualify for the playoffs.But the 2024-25 Blue Jackets — this collection of players and coaches, in this fall-to-spring, 82-game marathon — will forever hold a special place in the hearts of their most ardent fans, not to mention the fans from across the hockey and sporting world who adopted them along this journey.It started in October, when everyone wondered how the Blue Jackets would handle the grief that followed the tragic death of star winger Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed, along with his brother, Matthew, just three weeks before training camp.It will end on Thursday, before anybody wants to say goodbye.The Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention on Wednesday when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 in Bell Centre, clinching the final spot — the second wild-card spot — in the Eastern Conference.A furious sprint to the finish — the Blue Jackets have won five in a row in regulation for the first time since 2020 — could only close so much of the gap they created with a 4-11-1 slide from early March into April.Thus, the tone of Thursday’s home (and season) finale has now changed. If the Canadiens had lost in regulation, the Blue Jackets would have hosted the New York Islanders on Thursday in Nationwide Arena with a chance to earn their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season.Instead, they were the last NHL club to be eliminated, which is quite something. Most expected they’d be a lottery club.There will be no playoff angst on Thursday, only celebration. No matter the result, it will be quite the emotional scene with an over-capacity crowd when the final buzzer sounds, almost certainly to chants of “CBJ! CBJ! CBJ!” or perhaps “Johnny Hockey!”The love affair between these players and this fan base will end with a heartfelt sendoff, with the fans standing and applauding as the players come together at center ice, their sticks lifted in appreciation, as they spin and survey the crowd, some smiling, some crying, some both.
The Blue Jackets raise a banner for Johnny Gaudreau’s memory and the legacy of No. 13. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SW526kfhjr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 15, 2024Truth be told, the players and the fans lifted each other all season, beginning with a series of vigils and tributes to Gaudreau.Who will ever forget the hundreds of fans, holding candles on the steps of Nationwide Arena, or 21-year-old Cole Sillinger speaking through tears to the crowd, then falling into the arms of veteran Sean Kuraly beside the stage?Or the thousands of Calgary Flames fans who surrounded the Saddledome, where Gaudreau first starred in the NHL?Will there ever be a more poignant tribute than the faceoff of the home opener in Nationwide, when Sean Monahan — Gaudreau’s best friend — tapped the puck to his left, allowing it to come to a rest at a spot on the ice where Gaudreau would have been?Blue Jackets players, moved by the powerful words of Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s wife, found a purpose that nobody thought possible this season. Her directive, delivered in her eulogy at the brothers’ funeral, was for Blue Jackets players to find joy in being together at the rink, and that they bond like never before as teammates.Boy, did they.Veteran players and young players alike could only look at Sean Monahan and marvel. Monahan, who signed as a free agent to play with Gaudreau, his best friend, became the very picture of courage and grace, exuding a vulnerability rarely seen among pro athletes.Gaudreau was a close friend to many in the room, and they bonded together to push forward … not through the grief, but with it.General manager Don Waddell and coach Dean Evason, newcomers to the organization last summer, helped guide the players and coaches through the anguish with empathy and honesty. Evason implored his players to lean on each other and be open with their feelings, even if that meant tears or anger.And when the games started, Blue Jackets fans, and fans across the league, saw something they couldn’t believe.Behind the sudden smoothness of defenseman Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets were one of the NHL’s most offensively explosive clubs, setting a franchise record for goals scored in a season and scoring six or more goals a whopping 15 times (and counting).Meanwhile, most of the Blue Jackets’ young players — the fruits of their struggles in recent seasons — took major strides forward, not just as good NHL players, but as bona fide difference-makers. Kirill Marchenko, a 24-year-old winger, has 31 goals. Adam Fantilli, a 20-year-old center, has 30.
Adam Fantilli has his first career 30-goal season‼️
Fantilli was picked No. 3 overall in the 2023 NHL draft behind Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson.
He is the first of the three to reach the goal mark! pic.twitter.com/cPm7pqXnGG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 16, 2025The playmaking of Kent Johnson, the power of Dmitry Voronkov, the tenacity of Sillinger, and the quiet precision of defenseman Denton Mateychuk — it was all on display this season. It wasn’t until the final weeks of the season that goaltender Jet Greaves was recalled from AHL Cleveland, but he was a major driver of their strong finish that kept the heat on Montreal.Blue Jackets fans have long been asked to wait for brighter days, but there has never been such a reason for optimism as there is now.On Wednesday, after the Blue Jackets held an optional practice and before the Montreal game settled the standings, Werenski talked about the enormous growth that occurred this season and the dividends these meaningful games will pay.“Either way, this has been an incredible run here and an incredible season,” Werenski said. “We’re going to be a better team, no matter what the outcome is.”Waddell is expected to be busy this summer. There are tough decisions to make, but there will be some aggressive moves, especially on defense and in goal. But Waddell has said that this season has shown him there’s a much better foundation in place than many would have expected.As much as fans are anticipating a bright future, there’s a reluctance to let this season go. It will not end with a playoff berth, but the memories — the tribute these players, coaches and fans paid to No. 13 — will endure forever.(Photo: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
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