Overview
- The Blue Jackets will sign Atkinson to a one-day contract and honor him before the Oct. 16 home game against the Avalanche.
- Atkinson concludes a 13-season NHL career with 809 games, including 627 for Columbus where he ranks second all-time with 213 goals and 402 points.
- He was a two-time All-Star and posted a career-high 41 goals and 69 points in 2018–19, contributing to Columbus’s first playoff series win that spring.
- His later years included a 2021 trade to Philadelphia, a neck injury that erased his 2022–23 season, a 2024 buyout, and a 39-game stint with Tampa Bay in 2024–25.
- He has discussed a potential future front-office role with Columbus that is not yet announced, and the team has made no decision on retiring his No. 13.