Roslovic’s signing another win for the Columbus hockey community

Columbus is a hockey town, and there’s plenty of ways to measure just how much it’s grown in that regard since the Blue Jackets started brought the game’s highest level to town in 2000. 

There might be no bigger evidence than the fact that three players from central Ohio — all alums of the AAA Blue Jackets junior program — skated for the team this past year in Jack Roslovic, Sean Kuraly and Carson Meyer. 

While the Blue Jackets also have one of the most diverse rosters in the league when it comes to international players, few teams across the NHL if any can boast such a local connection on their rosters. 

Yet to Roslovic, there’s so much more that can happen to keep building the game in his hometown.  

LIVESTREAM: Watch Roslovic and CBJ general manager Jarmo Kekalainen talk to the media about the signing at 1 p.m. ET at https://www.youtube.com/bluejacketsnhl 

“The city is growing,” Roslovic said. “The hockey is growing. It’s still not where it can be — where in my opinion it should be. It’s one of those things that you get recognized and people know that you’re from here and people enjoy having that. Parents see that and their kids see it, and that’s what growing the game is all about.” 

And now that he’s signed a two-year contract extension today that will run through the 2023-24 season, Roslovic can continue to be a big part of that growth. It’s something he’s focused on since he arrived in a trade with Winnipeg early in the 2021 season, not to mention a goal he takes very seriously. 

“I loved Winnipeg, I loved what they did for my career, but I always wanted to come back home and make an impact here, whether I was playing here or not,” he said. “Now that I have the chance to do it for what’s going to be four years now, it will be a really good experience and even more of an outreach that you’ll have to try to help out as many people as I can.” 

While Roslovic already has made a notable impact on the ice, he’s done the same in the community as things have…