Kris Russell News

Ward suffered a deep laceration to his left leg in the first period of the Blue Jackets' 3-2 win and was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, who is expected to start tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes in Nationwide Arena, appears to be returning to the form that earned him the Calder Trophy last spring as the NHL's top rookie.

"I let it go this summer," Jake Voracek says of his hair. "Now, I'm just too lazy to get it cut." If Jake Voracek's game wasn't all business so far this season, the Blue Jackets might have forced the second-year left winger to visit a barber by now.

One of the best aspects of playing for the Anaheim Ducks , center Sammy Pahlsson joked yesterday, was having center Ryan Getzlaf as a teammate, not an opponent.

The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Mike Commodore from injured reserve, the club announced on Thursday.

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson spent all last season, all offseason and most of last month's training camp looking for a right-shot defenseman who could run a power play.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Kris Russell to a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2012-13 season.

Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot will carry a heavier workload while Jan Hejda recovers from a knee injury.

The long-term knee injury suffered Tuesday by Blue Jackets defenseman Jan Hejda will not hasten the return of Mike Commodore.

Amid the chaos of Thursday's 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks, Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard tried to be a calming influence.

It has been almost seven years since Dave King, the Blue Jackets' first coach, was fired.

Former Blue Jackets players Jody Shelley and Manny Malhotra have side-by-side stalls in the San Jose Sharks' dressing room.

Blue Jackets defenseman Anton Stralman, acquired in a trade with Calgary on Monday, will not play Saturday in the season opener against the Minnesota Wild in Nationwide Arena.

A blog about the Blue Jackets and the NHL Dispatch Blue Jackets beat reporters Aaron Portzline and Tom Reed, along with former CBJ beat writer and current sports columnist Michael Arace, keep you up to date with news and notes from on the ice and off.

A friend who has paid zero attention to the Blue Jackets asked me the other day whether it was time to get on the bandwagon.

NHL media members give their thoughts on the Blue Jackets this season: \ \ John Buccigross ESPN Once again the Central will be the NHL 's deepest division, with four of the five teams making the postseason.

A bloodied forehead is not a flu-like symptom. But Blue Jackets defenseman Mike Commodore was so debilitated in his weeklong fight against the flu that he found himself walking face first into doors.

With Fredrik Modin out for the next four to six weeks due to an MCL strain, Nikita Filatov is surely to make the Columbus Blue Jackets, right? Anything is possible with Ken Hitchcock at the helm.

Defenseman Marc Methot ended up in an ultimate-fighting octagon near Ottawa. Winger Derek Dorsett spent three weeks at a stick-handling clinic in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Amid the stitches, ice packs and angst, there has been one positive development in Blue Jackets training camp.