Front & Nationwide: A show about the Columbus Blue Jackets

150 episodes listed below

Listen to the show on

Columbus hockey, argued in real time.

The gist

Front & Nationwide tracks the Blue Jackets from inside the churn of an NHL season. It mixes sharp monologues, reporting, guest debate, and listener questions about collapses, trades, lines, leadership, and the playoff race.

PRESS PLAY

Find your next episode

All episodes

About Front & Nationwide: A show about the Columbus Blue Jackets

Front & Nationwide is a Columbus Blue Jackets show with both feet planted in the season’s daily grind. It is built for the listener who cares about the stat sheet, the dressing room, the deadline board, and the mood after a game that got away. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic drives the conversation with quick, lived-in analysis that often starts as a hard read and keeps working until the shape of the problem is clearer. The show is blunt without becoming detached. A rough stretch is treated as more than a standings note. It becomes a conversation about effort, culture, leadership, line balance, coaching communication, and whether the roster has enough difference-makers to survive when the top group goes quiet. Recent episodes have followed the Blue Jackets through a six-game slide, an almost unimaginable collapse against Boston, and a stronger run that included a 5-1 win over Carolina. The trade deadline gets real attention, too. Conor Garland’s arrival, the cost in draft picks, the fate of UFAs, and the possible movement of players such as Chinnikov are handled as practical roster questions rather than rumor-board noise. Guests such as Allison Lucan, Jean-Luc Grandpierre, Jeff Svoboda, and Metzold add angles from around the club and the league. Listener questions keep the show from sounding sealed off. The pacing is quick and sometimes messy in a useful way, with repeated phrases, side roads, and live-course corrections that make the analysis feel like an active hockey conversation. There is room for frustration. There is room for optimism. There is also room for small details, like a goalie talking baseball on game day or a player being beloved in two rooms at once. The result is a show for Blue Jackets fans who want the whole emotional and tactical picture, from Nationwide Arena to the Metro standings.

Made for: Built for Columbus Blue Jackets fans who follow the roster closely and want reporting, opinion, and fan-question energy in the same place. It also fits NHL listeners who like team-specific coverage with local texture.

What sets it apart: The show combines reporter specificity with the loose pace of a postgame hockey argument. It lingers on room dynamics, coaching communication, line construction, and the emotional cost of losses instead of stopping at scores.

In their own words

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic breaks down the latest news surrounding the Columbus Blue Jackets and touches on topics from around the NHL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · August 2026

Front & Nationwide turns Blue Jackets roster news and fan anxiety into a close, practical NHL team listen.

Front & Nationwide is a Blue Jackets listen with its elbows on the local bar. It takes the usual NHL churn, the late skid, playoff pressure, trade deadline noise, UFA questions, free agency, draft position, and turns it into talk a Columbus fan can use without needing the whole…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the Blue Jackets therapy session with receipts, not just box-score sighing.

Press play if you want

the trade-deadline math before you decide a new forward is already folklore
someone to connect coach communication, locker-room volume, and the latest skid without shouting

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Blue Jackets playoff racetrade deadline movesline combinations and scoring depthcaptaincy and leadershiplocker-room culturecoaching communicationthird-period collapsesMetro standings

Talks about

Sports Hockey NHL

Podcasts like Front & Nationwide: A show about the Columbus Blue Jackets

Locked On Flyers - Daily Podcast On The Philadelphia FlyersLocked On Podcast Network, Rachel Donner, Russ Cohen
Flyers wins, losses, and reality checks.
Between the PipesKroenke Sports and Entertainment
Avalanche postgame, still running hot.
Locked On Canucks - Daily Podcast On The Vancouver CanucksTrevor Beggs, Kyle Bhawan, Locked On Podcast Network
Daily Canucks panic with receipts.
Fantasy Frenzy with Halley & DouglasConnor Halley
Edmonton hockey talk with fantasy instincts.
Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo SabresJoe DiBiase, Locked On Podcast Network
Buffalo hockey, argued daily.
Straight Up SabresStraight Up Sabres
Sabres stakes, scars, and standings math.

Find your next episode

About Front & Nationwide: A show about the Columbus Blue Jackets

In their own words

As heard by us

Why you'd press play

Talks about

Podcasts like Front & Nationwide: A show about the Columbus Blue Jackets

Episodes

David Jiricek a healthy scratch, Macklin Celebrini, and Dubois' disaster in LA

Moving past a collapse

Can the Blue Jackets capture 2nd place in the Metro?

Blue Jackets peaking at the right time

Conor Garland arrives, UFAs stay put at NHL deadline

Blue Jackets approach the NHL trade deadline

Should the Blue Jackets have done more in free agency?

The Blue Jackets will be buyers ahead of the trade deadline

Blue Jackets Prospects ranked 6th by The Athletic

Blue Jackets aim for success on South West road trip

As Blue Jackets hang around Eastern Conference playoff spot, eyes shift to trade deadline

NHL reveals Blue Jackets’ Stadium Series sweaters

Are the Blue Jackets interested in Pettersson?

Elvis Merzļikins steals one vs the Devils

Will the Blue Jackets give Jet Greaves some runway in net?

Are the upstart Blue Jackets a legitimate playoff team?

The 500 Blue Jackets have a lot to be thankful for

Will Kent Johnson have an immediate impact after returning from injury?

Hope springs eternal for the Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets focused on cutting down goals against

What’s the deal with David Jiricek?

Blue Jackets season preview

Did the Blue Jackets get enough for Patrik Laine?

Dean Evason hired as CBJ head coach

What is the latest on the Blue Jackets head coaching search?

Don Waddell's to do list is lengthy for the Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets searching for 5th head coach since 2021

Blue Jackets aim for a culture reset in Columbus

A big offseason of change on the horizon for the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets must promote their young talent

Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, and is criticism of Pascal Vincent fair?

Blue Jackets have the 3rd best prospect pool in the NHL

Who will be the next Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager?

Jarmo Kekäläinen fired by Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner’s trade possibility, and other Jackets who might get moved

Blue Jackets record first shutout in 178 games before All-Star break

What happened to the Blue Jackets?

The latest on Elvis Merzlikins, Boone Jenner's return imminent, and a noisy season for the Blue Jackets

What is going on with Elvis Merzlikins?

Elvis Merzlikins vs. Tom Wilson headlines OT loss to Capitals

Adam Fantilli's homecoming as Blue Jackets prepare to face the Maple Leafs

Eric Robinson traded to Sabres, Blue Jackets injuries aplenty, blowing late leads

Cole Sillinger's injury, Kent Johnson back up with the Blue Jackets, other lineup changes and more

Who owns the Blue Jackets' failures so far?

Blue Jackets need to break out of early season funk

Blue Jackets lose four in a row, top players have yet to show up on scoresheet

Blue Jackets lose in OT to Montreal, weighing in on the team's start to the season

Preparing for the start of a new Blue Jackets season

Discussing an interesting camp, roster decisions remaining as deadline looms

Patrik Laine back at center, difficult roster decisions ahead, and camp observations

Mike Babcock's exit, Pascal Vincent becomes head coach, and roster questions as training camp is set to begin

Checking in with the Blue Jackets ahead of the NHL Draft

A new-look defense, Dmitri Vorokov signed, and Alexandre Texier to return in newsworthy week for Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets intend to hire Mike Babcock as the next head coach

Blue Jackets' search for a head coach continues

NHL Draft Lottery reactions and what's next for the Blue Jackets

The draft lottery and what do fans want in a new Blue Jackets coach?

Blue Jackets fire coach Brad Larsen after two seasons

Blue Jackets to face Penguins and Sabres as season comes to a close

Blue Jackets' season hits the home stretch

Bright spots for the Blue Jackets in a disappointing season

Blue Jackets defeat Sharks 6-5 in OT, and the state of Bedard Watch

Blue Jackets collapse in loss to Penguins, Corson Ceulemans signs ELC

Blue Jackets trade Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov to the Kings for Jonathan Quick

Blue Jackets getting hot at the wrong time as Gavrikov continues his wait to be dealt to a contender

Gavrikov in limbo as trade deadline looms

Blue Jackets hit the All-Star break, Gus Nyquist will not need surgery

A bit of a resurgence for the Blue Jackets

Corey Pronman shares his perspective on the Blue Jackets

Diving into the Blue Jackets' prospect pool with Scott Wheeler

What are the biggest storylines for the rest of the Blue Jackets' season?

Your wish for the Blue Jackets in the new year?