The Blue Jackets legend was honored this weekend as part of the team's 25th Anniversary celebration
When former Blue Jackets players and coaches return to Columbus, many things catch their eyes about how much things have changed since their time in the capital city.
The development of the Arena District is often first and foremost, as the area around Nationwide Arena looks vastly different than it did in the early days of the franchise.
Some marvel at how the sport has grown in Columbus, with youth teams and adult participation skyrocketing in the 25 years of CBJ hockey.
But for David Vyborny, what stands out most is the vibe.
Marc Denis, David Vyborny, Matt Calvert and Brandon Dubinsky
dropped the puck to start tonight’s 25th Anniversary Celebration!
CBJ x Nationwide
For the first time in more than a decade, the original Blue Jacket was back in Nationwide Arena for Thursday night’s game vs. Edmonton. A sellout crowd of nearly 19,000 rocked throughout a wild game that came down to the final seconds before the Blue Jackets pulled it out by a 5-4 score.
Vyborny played in front of more than 100 sellout crowds in his seven-year CBJ career, but in his eyes, there was a palpable difference.
“It’s so much different,” Vyborny said. “The people, they changed. I feel like we’re in Canada. In the beginning, I don’t want to say they didn’t understand hockey, but they were quiet. (Thursday), it was amazing, the people. It’s like in Europe, you know?
“I think the people changed and now more understand the hockey. They know about it now. I think we opened their eyes to see.”
In fact, you could make a pretty good argument Vyborny is one of the players most responsible for helping Columbus fall in love with the sport. He was in the midst of a solid career in his native Czechia when he signed with the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2000, hoping to show he had what it took to thrive at the NHL level.
It was his one shot and Vyborny delivered, developing into a fan favorite for both his undersized nature and outsized impact in the early years of the franchise. Those fans were happy to welcome him back this weekend for the Jackets’ second 25th Anniversary Game of the year, with Vyborny taking part in a luncheon with season ticket holders Friday, joining a pregame autograph session Saturday and helping drop the puck before the game vs. the New York Rangers.
At one point after the luncheon, a fan who was having the CBJ alums present sign a jersey approached Vyborny to say hello but didn’t need a signature. That’s because Vyborny had signed it years ago with his familiar No. 9.
“It’s unbelievable,” Vyborny said. “It’s amazing. (Thursday), I was at the game, and some people recognize me. It’s unbelievable for me.”
It’s a deserved reaction, though, considering Vyborny’s impact on the franchise. He hasn’t played a game for the team since 2008 but remains eighth all-time in Blue Jackets history with 543 games played, seventh with 113 goals, third with 204 assists and sixth with 317 points. He’s also one of just seven players in CBJ history to post a five-point game, posting a goal and four assists in a 2004 win vs. Colorado.
“It’s always nice to be a part of history, and especially in the NHL,” he said. “It’s the best league in the world, and I’m so excited about it. I just wanted to play in the NHL and be part of the NHL, and I’m just happy about it.”
Yet many of those accomplishments almost never happened. A second-round pick of Edmonton in the 1993 draft, Vyborny began his career with Sparta Praha but came to North America to play one season in the AHL in 1994-95. He impressed with 23 goals and 61 points in 76 games with Cape Breton, but Vyborny returned home to Czechia after the season.
He spent the next five years playing between Czechia and Sweden before becoming one of the first players to sign with the Blue Jackets at age 25 in June 2000. His point production didn’t jump off the page at first – he scored 13 goals each of his first two seasons and combined for 63 points – and Vyborny was a scratch for the first three games of the 2002-03 season.
At that point, he was approached to sign overseas, but Vyborny stuck it out.
“I just wanted to stay here and try it again, and I did it,” he said.
From there, Vyborny’s game took off. He scored 20 goals for the first time that season with 46 points, then set career highs in 2003-04 with 22 goals and 53 points. After playing with Sparta Praha during the NHL lockout season, Vyborny returned to Columbus and posted 65 and 64 points in consecutive seasons.
After one more year with the Blue Jackets, Vyborny returned home to play six more seasons in Czechia, where his international exploits for his home country earned him induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame. He never suited up for another team at the NHL level, and he said he considers Columbus to be a second hometown.
“It’s the only team where I played in the NHL,” he said. “For me, it’s the best memories of the best team in the NHL. I’m just not happy because we never played in the playoffs when I was here. We tried, but there was so much disparity. It wasn’t the same.”
While Vyborny was never able to participate in playoff hockey with the Blue Jackets, he remains an indelible part of the fabric of the franchise. It’s a two-way street, as when Vybrony and his family arrived in Columbus, he couldn’t help but think about all the good times.
“My hotel is like 500 meters from here, and I saw (Nationwide Arena) from my window,” he said. “I was like, ‘Ohhhh. I played there.’ I get such memories from here.”
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