Atkinson takes final lap before Blue Jackets game

Cam Atkinson took his final bow in Columbus.

Before the Columbus Blue Jackets game against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, the veteran forward skated one final lap around Nationwide Arena.

Atkinson high-fived his Blue Jackets teammates before he hit the ice sporting his familiar No. 13 Columbus jersey and received a loud ovation from fans in the stands. He blew kisses to the crowd and pumped his fists in the air as he skated around.

Earlier in the day, Atkinson signed a one-day contract to retire with Columbus, who drafted him in the sixth round (157^th pick) of the 2008 NHL Draft.

The forward played 10 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2011-21. He ranks second in goals (213) and points (402) in Blue Jackets history.

Atkinson also played two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2021-24 and one with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024-25.

During his retirement press conference, the Blue Jackets star acknowledged what it meant to be the first person to put on the No. 13 jersey since the late Johnny Gaudreau.

“It is obviously not lost on me that I will be the first player since Johnny Hockey and maybe the last to wear No. 13 for the Blue Jackets on the ice,” Atkinson said in a video posted by the team. “Johnny and I were really good friends, as well as Meredith and their kids, and I’ll be thinking about him and his family as I take my final lap tonight.”

Before his lap, Atkinson shared his love for Blue Jackets fans with a special video message posted to social media by the team.

The forward’s wife, Natalie, and three kids, Declan, Caden and Fallon, fired the cannon before puck drop.

For Atkinson, he couldn’t wait to share the moment with his family.

“I’m very grateful and thankful that they’re (Blue Jackets) allowing me to have this night for myself and my family, that I think my family are the ones that deserve it the most,” Atkinson said during his press conference.

“They put up with me through a lot and they deserve this more than I do. It’s truly humbling and I cannot wait to get off the ice so I can have maybe a cocktail or two.”