As one chapter ends, a few others begin.
Tuesday night marked game No. 82 for the Columbus Blue Jackets as their regular season came to a close with a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jeff Rimer called the final game of a 47-year career as a broadcaster, including the last 20 years with the Blue Jackets.
Jason Stypinski, assistant equipment manager for the Blue Jackets, worked his last game.
And a pair of exciting new players made their NHL debuts on Tuesday night for the Blue Jackets.
Rookie laps in the book for Gavin Brindley and Luca Del Bel Belluz #CBJ pic.twitter.com/DkQeyn2kyp
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 16, 2024
Gavin Brindley, 19 years old, and Luca Del Bel Belluz, 20, suited up as members of the Blue Jackets for the first time. Del Bel Belluz, added to the roster as an emergency recall to take Dmitri Vronkov's place (illness), cracked the scoresheet at 3:37 to open the scoring and net his first career goal.
LUCA DEL BEL BELLUZ HOW ARE YA? #CBJ pic.twitter.com/XIgctffkNQ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 16, 2024
Mikael Pyyhtia had an assist on the play and Zach Werenski picked up the first of four points (two goals, two assists) with an assist. Werenski tied Seth Jones for points in a season by a defenseman in Blue Jackets history with 57.
Bally Sports Ohio
Del Bel Belluz spent his first season in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, where he registered 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 55 games.
"I went home, got a suit...and drove right here."
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) April 16, 2024
Luca Del Bel Belluz tells @DMaetzMedia about a whirlwind day from getting his first NHL call up, and then, scoring his first career goal with the @BlueJacketsNHL.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/p29rIZmTeT
For the game, Del Bel Belluz was plus one with one goal, two shots, and 14 shifts in 9:35. He won 4-of-10 faceoffs. Brindley played 14 shifts in 12:20 with 1:29 on the power play.
Brindley signed his three-year entry-level contract on Monday and was the 2023-24 Big 10 Player of the Year and First-Team All-American for the University of Michigan. He scored 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 40 games during his sophomore season.
The Wolverines lost 4-0 to Boston College in the Frozen Four on Apr. 11.
Brindley joins Werenski, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and Nick Blankenburg as former Wolverines on the Blue Jackets.
It was a magical moment for the two, one for Fantilli, who decided to go pro and skate in his debut the next night, and of course for Del Bel Belluz, who scored his first goal after only 17 seconds on the ice and before his parents even made it to their seats to see it live.
#CBJ NEWS: The Blue Jackets have assigned D Nick Blankenburg and David Jiricek, F Luca Del Bel Belluz, James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtia as well as G Jet Greaves to the @monstershockey.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 17, 2024
The reinforcements have arrived for the Cleveland playoff run.
Del Bel Belluz will be part of the Monsters' playoff run as he, along with Blankenburg, David Jiricek, James Malatesta, Pyyhtia, and Jet Greaves was assigned to Cleveland after Tuesday's game.
