Columbus Blue Jackets
Zach Werenski Fires Back at Brutal Media Comment: “I’m Not Losing Sleep Over It”
The Columbus Blue Jackets have taken some criticism of late, and Zach Werenski didn’t care for it, firing back with his comments.
The Columbus Blue Jackets caught a stray out of nowhere this week. Well-renowned sports media figure and founder of the Ringer, Bill Simmons, took a shot at the franchise during his recent mailbag podcast, calling them the most irrelevant franchise in professional sports.
While going through a list of the most boring or irrelevant franchises in professional sports, Simmons rattled off a list of teams that haven’t been worth talking about. Suggesting the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t be if not for Michael Jordan, he excluded them. The Cincinnati Reds were considered, but they won a championship in 1990. He listed a handful of others. But, when it came to the NHL, the Blue Jackets took the prize.
In fact, he suggested they ranked higher than anyone in any sport. Simmons said:
“I haven’t heard a single conversation about the Blue Jackets. Now, granted, I don’t have a ton of hockey fans in my life, but I have never heard a single convo about them.”
That comment has, of course, made headlines around the NHL, and some of the Blue Jackets have recently been asked about it as it’s continued to gain steam online.
Star defenseman and current face of the franchise Zach Werenski shared his thoughts on Thursday. Werenski responded:
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter. It is what it is, I guess, right? I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I like Columbus, I like playing there, and I don’t care what Bill Simmons has to say.”
The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in Columbus thus far, and was satisfied enough to sign a six-year, $57.5 million extension that keeps him with the team through the 2027-28 season.
Columbus is No Pushover
While the Blue Jackets may not have been too competitive as they’ve rebuilt their roster in recent years, they’re starting to turn the corner, and that began last season.
Columbus missed the playoffs by just two points a year ago, and thus far in 2025-26, they are tied for the final wild card spot with 22 points thanks to a 10-8-2 start to the campaign.
The emerging young core, led by their workhorse on the blueline, Werenski, makes the Blue Jackets a tough out on any given night, and you can only expect they’ll use the criticism as motivation moving forward.
Perhaps a statement win on Thursday night in the mecca of hockey, Toronto, will grab Simmons’ attention.
Next: Major Questions Emerge About Artemi Panarin’s Future in the NHL
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