June 23, 2000, teams of the NHL two newer, the jackets and Minnesota savages, took part in the 2000 outlines of expansion of NHL of Calgary, Alberta. According to rules' of the outline, twenty-six active teams of the NHL of the twenty-eight let protect a guardien from goal, five defensemen, and nine dispatches, or, two minder Nets, three coverings blue and seven dispatches.

Atlanta Thrashers and predatory both of Nashville had their full protected roles because they had only been in existence during one and two years, respectively. The jackets and the savages were to employ their the first 24 choices out of three guardiens of goal, eight defensemen, and thirteen dispatches. Their two final selections could be of any position. With the first total choice, the blue jackets chose the guardien of goal Rick Tabaracci starting from the avalanche of Colorado.

Above the course of the outline, Columbus selected to the top of the defensemen, goalkeeper Dwayne Roloson Lyle Odelein and Mathieu Schneider, and dispatches Geoff Sanderson, Turner Stevenson, and Dallas Drake, between others. Instead of joining Columbus, Roloson signed with Worcester IceCats of the American league of hockey, Schneider on the left for the kings of Los Angeles, and St Louis Drake signed by blue.

Columbus also traded Stevenson with the devils of New Jersey to achieve a transaction earlier. Since there was a limit on how many players the teams could protect, one granted the jackets and the savages of the concessions by other concessions. The sharks of San Jose traded janv. Caloun, a selection ninth-round in the 2000 outlines of entry of NHL, and a selection of the conditional 2001 in Columbus after the jackets accepted not to choose the guardien of goal not protected Evgeni Nabokov from the sharks.

The next day, June 24, with the 2000 outlines of entry of NHL, Columbus chose Rostislav Klesla fourth overall. October 7, 2000 were the Columbus day the jackets that blue played their first regular game of season, a loss 5-3 towards Chicago Blackhawks. Bruce Gardiner marked the first goal of the concession. While the jackets did not qualify for the finales, the season was not considered a failure. Columbus finished with a disc 28-39-9-6 per 71 points. Geoff Sanderson went well to the first player in the history of team to reach the plate 30-goal and Ron Tugnutt, which was signed in summer of 2000, ensured goaltending full.