Who Are the Columbus Blue Jackets?

With the NHL playoffs just around the corner, FanHouse takes a look at some of the lesser-known teams that qualified. Thursday's installment: the Columbus Blue Jackets

On Saturday, October 7, 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets played their first ever regular season game. It was a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, and the team would know nothing but losing for the next eight seasons. No playoffs. No winning seasons. Nothing. They have been, simply, the most anonymous, unknown team in the NHL.

On Wednesday, all of that changed as the Blue Jackets, for the first time in franchise history, qualified for the postseason thanks to a 4-3 shootout win over, coincidentally, the Chicago Blackhawks, their very first regular season opponent. So, who are these guys, and what can we expect from them in the playoffs and beyond? Here are five key players, the head coach, and everything else there is to love about this once unknown franchise.

Goalie: Steve Mason

One of the most important players on this year's team is, perhaps, one of its youngest in 20-year-old rookie netminder Steve Mason. He's a runaway favorite for the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year, as he currently has the second best goals against average in the NHL (2.20), the seventh best save percentage (.918), and a league-best 10 shutouts (nobody else has more than eight). Fortunately, he turns 21 on May 29, so if the Blue Jackets shock the world and hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, Mason will be legally eligible to chug champagne from the big drink.

Interesting Steve Mason fact No. 1: Played a large chunk of January and February with mononucleosis.

Interesting Steve Mason fact No. 2: Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment of the season, Mason stopped all 33 shots he faced in a 5-0 win over the Calgary Flames on March 26, 2009 ... the same night a maniacal Calgary Flames fan allegedly threatened to "shoot" and "bomb" him. If you can stand up to that sort of pressure and pitch a shutout, there's probably nothing in the playoffs that can intimidate you.

Defense: Mike Commodore

A rugged defenseman, Mike Commodore is a seven-year veteran in the NHL, having previously played for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators. He's won a Stanley Cup, while he is perhaps best known for his wild hair, which is one of the few man-made creations that can be seen from space.

Interesting Mike Commodore fact: Once appeared on Facebook, in his underwear, on top of a pile of money, and discussed the photo with Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy. This guy's day with the Stanley Cup could be epic.

Defense: Fedor Tyutin

Acquired from the Rangers this offseason as part of the deal that sent Nikolai Zherdev to New York, Fedor Tyutin scored the game-winning goal in the shootout on Wednesday to clinch the win that ultimately sent the Blue Jackets to the playoffs. A former second-round pick, the 25-year-old Tyutin leads all Blue Jackets defensemen in points (35) while also logging more minutes than any other Columbus player this season.

Interesting Fedor Tyutin fact: On a personal level, he scored my favorite goal of the year when he blasted a slap shot from center ice past Detroit's Chris Osgood.

Forward: Rick Nash

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Rick Nash was the proveribal big fish in the small pond the first five years of his career, quietly scoring highlight reel goals and blossoming into one of the NHL's better power forwards. In 2003-04, just his second year in the league, Nash was tied for the league lead in goals with 41.

Interesting Rick Nash fact No. 1: On March 7, 2009, in an 8-2 dismantling of the Detroit Red Wings, Nash became the first player since Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1948 to score three unassisted goals in one game.

Interesting Rick Nash fact No. 2: Nash has recorded two hat tricks this season, both of which have come against the Detroit Red Wings.

Interesting Rick Nash fact No. 3: Scored the quickest goal in NHL All-Star game history, lighting the lamp just 12 seconds into game during the 2008 showcase.

Forward: R.J. Umberger

The Blue Jackets paid a heavy price this offseason to acquire R.J. Umberger from the Philadelphia Flyers, but it's been worth it as the 6-foot-2, 200-pound center has set a new career-high with 26 goals. He was a force in the postseason a year ago for the Flyers, recording 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 17 games.

Interesting R.J. Umberger fact: He was the first player born in the city of Pittsburgh to be a first-round pick in the NHL draft, going 16th overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2001. He never signed with the Canucks, eventually becoming a free agent and signing with Philadelphia where he spent the first three years of his career.

Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock

Ken Hitchcock has been a head coach in the NHL for 13 seasons, including stints with the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers. He led the Stars to a championship in 1998-99 (the infamous Brett Hull goal, no goal game), and helped guide them back to the Stanley Cup Final the following season where they fell to the New Jersey Devils.

Following his stay in Dallas, Hitchcock took over the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of four seasons before being fired in 2006. He was hired by the Blue Jackets a month later.

Interesting Ken Hitchcock (possible) fact: According to his Wikipedia page, Hitchcock enjoys taking part in American Civil War re-enactments. If true, this is interesting simply because the Blue Jackets are named for Ohio's role in the Civil War.

Reason To Root For The Blue Jackets: They Have A Cannon In Their Arena

In an era where every goal horn and celebration across the NHL sounds exactly the same (horn, Gary Glitter, lather, rinse, repeat) the Blue Jackets have upped the ante and tied their goal celebrations into the team name, and history surrounding it, by placing a replica of a Civil War cannon in the arena, and firing it after goals. It's also perfectly timed to fire during the cannon shot in AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock." Observe.