COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Item No. 1: To Odie

The Blue Jackets lost one of their originals on Friday.

Lyle Odelein, who was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 2000 expansion draft, later signed as a free agent and became the franchise’s inaugural captain, suffered a heart attack and died in Pittsburgh. He was 58.

In Montreal, Odelein was a Stanley Cup champion (1993). In Columbus, he was a beloved member of an expansion roster — castoffs, has-beens, never-weres and proud veterans — that captured the city’s heart.

When news of Odelein’s death reached Nationwide Arena on Saturday morning, we immediately thought about those 2000-01 Blue Jackets, how tight that club became and how integral Odelein was in that process.

Fans in central Ohio always marveled at how down-to-earth Odelein was, considering the millions he made playing hockey, his marriage to a model/actress and his combative style of play.

He was always true to his roots, returning home to Quill Lake, Saskatchewan, after each season to help plant soybeans on the family farm. Odelein never minded getting his hands dirty, be it in farming or hockey.

Here’s what 10 of his early-day Blue Jackets teammates, coaches, and co-workers passed along to The Athletic:

Dave King, coach

“Boy oh boy, Odie. He was a real big part of that first-year team, and a great teammate to those guys in the room. If he saw that maybe one of the younger players was struggling with their confidence, he wouldn’t hesitate to come talk to the coaches and make sure we knew about it, that maybe a different way could work.

“An underappreciated player, too, I’d say. He had really good puck skills for being such a physical guy, and his ability to make that first pass to break through a forecheck was really important to us.

“He was a proud Saskatchewan native. He worked so hard, and always with a smile. I met his family and knew his brothers a bit, too, and the whole family smiled. The hockey world lost a good one. The world did, too.”

The NHL Alumni Association is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Lyle Odelein.

Lyle was one of those people who left an impression wherever he went. A fierce competitor on the ice and a loyal teammate and friend away from it, he brought toughness, heart, humour and an… pic.twitter.com/3oqaB5JjSY

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) October 4, 2026

Doug MacLean, general manager

“Sad day. I had talked to him a few times over the last couple of years. Had great chats about our time with the CBJ. I was remembering today about signing him as a free agent after the expansion draft and how excited he was about coming to Columbus. Too young. He battled health issues for a number of years. Tough as nails. I’m so glad we reconnected.”

Jody Shelley, forward

“Lyle was my first captain in the NHL and he showed me what it meant to be a pro who worked hard and showed up with his old-school ways. I spent a lot of time not only around him as a player, but watching him from across the room. He was consistent with everyone. No nonsense, team-first always. He would have done anything for his teammates without hesitation.

“I haven’t seen him often, but whenever I did, it was special. He remained a Blue Jackets proud alum who never stopped caring about the organization and the people in it. It’s sad to write this, knowing he’s passed. Lyle had character you can’t teach. As a young man trying to figure out how life works on and off the ice in the NHL, I’m forever grateful. It’s an everlasting memory.”

Kevin Dineen, forward

“Odie was a really generous person. Always taking his teammates, the trainers, the equipment guys — everybody! — out to dinner. He was our highest-paid player, but always altruistic with those around him. He always had your back on the ice.”

Tyler Wright, forward

“I grew up in a small farming community not far from where Odie and his family grew up. … Odie was a bit older than me, so I was very familiar with him and his brother’s careers through junior hockey and pro. Having the opportunity to play with him in the NHL and serving as an alternate captain, with him being the first-ever captain in club history, was an honor!

“An absolute warrior on the ice. He played the game hard, with a willingness to stick up for his teammates. He won a Stanley Cup with Montreal, and he knew what it takes and how hard it is to win. I admired that. It’s a sad day for the hockey community and his family and friends. Way too soon.”

Ron Tugnutt, goaltender

“Odie was always the life of the room. He was the ultimate teammate, who stood up for and protected his teammates. I first met him (as teammates) in Montreal, and from day one he made it easy to fit in. His smile and his joking around were infectious. RIP, my friend.”

David Vyborny, forward

“This is very sad news to hear. He was my first captain in the NHL. He behaved exactly the same toward players from North America as he did toward those from Europe, which, for me as a new player, was important. Tough guy who always defended the team. He knew how to drink a beer, too, but every morning he would be the first one in the dressing room. He will be staying in my memories.”

Marc Denis, goaltender

“I was saddened by the news. Fifty-eight is far too young. Odie was an old-school, hard-nosed leader. You knew he would show up for you, for everybody. He loved his teammates. Just a larger-than-life personality.”

Jamie Pushor, defenseman

“Lyle was a very positive and happy person, and such a generous and standup teammate. A quiet leader, an underrated hockey player and as tough as anybody I played with or against. He could handle himself against all of the heavies (heavyweight fighters) and just tune up everyone else.”

George Matthews, radio play-by-play voice

“Oh, Odie… First guy off the bench, first guy into a scrum, always to the aid of a teammate. Great team guy, a glue guy. He made everybody feel like they were part of the team, whether you were a player, an equipment guy or radio broadcasters, like the late Bill Davidge and myself. His career in Columbus was short, but he was a terrific original Blue Jacket, and he left lasting memories. RIP, Lyle.”

Item No. 2: Flip the switch

It’s not that coach Rick Bowness can’t decide. It’s that he likes the flexibility of being able to swap wingers Conor Garland and Dmitri Voronkov between the second and fourth lines during a game.

That’s how it’s been in the first two games. Voronkov opened the opener on the fourth line with center Danton Heinen and right winger Ryan Lomberg, while Garland was up with left winger Valeri Nichushkin and center Sean Monahan.

The opposite was true in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Utah.

When Voronkov (6-foot-5) plays on the No. 2 line, he becomes an impressive book end with Nichushkin (6-4) on either side of Monahan. Bowness can use that line for offensive zone faceoffs.

“We want to get him 10-12 minutes (per game),” Bowness said. “He had a good camp. He’s probably in the best shape of his life right now.

“He’s been following Nichushkin into the weight room, and you follow Val, you’re working (laughs). I mean, you’re working. He looks good, and we want to keep him involved in the game.”

When Garland drops to the fourth line, it becomes an irritating speed line with Heinen and Lomberg. Bowness credited that trio with a big shift in the second period of the season-opening win over Buffalo.

Garland, entering his ninth NHL season, is in the first year of a six-year, $6 million contract.

“There’s a real good team guy,” Bowness said. “He’s playing really well. He’s willing to accept maybe dropping down a line or two, but he knows he’s going to get his ice time because he’s playing really well.

“As a coach, it’s nice to have that option, where we can move him around a bit. He can definitely play in the top six. He’s been outstanding for us. He’s been a really good teammate.”

Garland joined the Blue Jackets at the trade deadline last season. He pointed out something that seems incredible, but is true: “I never had one practice here after the trade.”

Last year’s schedule was so jam-packed because of the Olympics that the Blue Jackets had no time between games to practice in the final five weeks of the season.

“The games got tighter and tighter,” Garland said. “It was tough to rely on instincts. There was a lot of second-guessing. That’s just from not practicing, trying to learn systems but doing it on the fly.

“I didn’t handle it as well as I could, but talking to guys who have been traded midseason, it’s something that happens a lot. This year I feel a lot more comfortable, a lot more like myself.”

Item No. 3: Snacks

• Kirill Marchenko got his wish to be traded by the Blue Jackets a week ago today, a blockbuster deal with Toronto that brought Matthew Knies to Columbus as part of a six-player trade. That trade request likely won’t sit well with some Blue Jackets fans when the Maple Leafs play in Columbus on Oct. 20, but Marchenko did post a fond farewell message on Instagram on Friday: “It’s hard to put into words what these years in Columbus have meant to me. I grew here as a player and as a person, and I’ll always be grateful to the teammates, coaches, staff, and fans who were part of that journey. Thank you for your passion, your support, and for making me feel at home every time I stepped onto the ice. Columbus will always have a special place in my heart. Now it’s time for a new chapter. Thank you for everything, Columbus.”

• Funny how all of this works, isn’t it? Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Marchenko didn’t have Toronto on his initial list of preferred destinations. While Marchenko didn’t have any form of no-trade protection, he did have the power to tell teams whether he’d be willing to sign a long-term extension. Marchenko’s first choice was Montreal, but the Canadiens trade package presented to Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell was too “futures” oriented, with prospects and picks. Waddell wanted an immediate return, and Toronto provided that with Knies.

• Adam Fantilli has won 31 of 40 faceoffs in the first two games, a staggering 77.5 percent success rate. Fantilli has continued to improve on draws since he arrived in the NHL, but he credits Knies, his linemate, for the early jump. Very few draws are won clean and delivered directly to a teammate. The best teams hound the puck right after it’s dropped by the linesperson. Fantilli said Knies has already helped control possession after many of his draws that could have been 50-50s.

• Andrae and his family had a wild day on Sept. 28 when the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs consummated the trade. His parents and brother flew from Vastervik, Sweden, to Toronto, fully expecting to see him make his Leafs debut on Tuesday. “It’s an eight-hour flight, and the trade happened one hour after they took off,” Andrae said. “When they landed, I told them, but they didn’t believe me. They were checking social media, though, and they saw it.” The whole family, then, had to quickly make plans for travel from Toronto to Columbus. “They helped me pack my stuff up,” Andrae said. “Just having some company was nice. They got to Columbus the day before the (opener), and then my girlfriend came, too.”

• Blue Jackets trivia question: Knies became the first player to score two goals in his Columbus debut, and he matched Artemi Panarin’s record for totaling three points in his first game with the club. He also became the fourth player to score the game-winning goal in his CBJ debut. Who was the last player to do it?

• AHL Cleveland held off a three-goal rally by Grand Rapids on Sunday to win their first game of the year. Tate Singleton’s goal at 4:47 of overtime clinched the 5-4 win. Josh Eernisse, Charlie Elick and Boston Buckberger each scored their first professional goals for the Monsters, while goaltender Evan Gardner (29 saves) earned his first pro win.

a HUGE night of firsts for the boys ☝️

1st pro goal: Josh Eernisse, Charlie Elick & Boston Buckberger
1st pro win: Evan Gardnerhttps://t.co/aP6BUZCYAl | #FearTheDepths pic.twitter.com/r8jv2tL6FX

— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) October 5, 2026

• Waddell was in Marquette, Mich., on Friday to have his No. 4 sweater retired by Northern Michigan University, along with Tom Laidlaw and Steve Bozek. Waddell, a defenseman, played 120 games for the Wildcats between 1976-80, totaling 52-120-172. Waddell, who has already been enshrined in the school’s Hall of Fame, was the CCHA player of the year in 1978, the year he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings.

• Trivia answer: Nathan Horton had the game-winning goal in his Jackets debut, a 2-0 win at Phoenix on Jan. 2, 2014.