COLUMBUS -- The Detroit Red Wings honored Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau when they arrived at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, stepping off the bus wearing jerseys the Gaudreau brothers wore during their hockey careers.

Shortly after taking the job last summer as the Blue Jackets’ head coach, Dean Evason paid a visit to his new team’s top scorer. That’s when he met Johnny Gaudreau in South Jersey for the first and only time.

The Blue Jackets soaked in the scene with coaches, teammates, friends and family ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Red Wings.

COLUMBUS -- Dean Evason choked up. The Columbus Blue Jackets had defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, and they’d done it in front of 94,751, the second-largest crowd in NHL history. But that wasn’t the most important thing.

The Detroit Red Wings took control of the puck early, but a late goal from Columbus lifted the Blue Jackets to a 5-3 win on Saturday in the Stadium Series, leapfrogging the Red Wings to take sole possession of the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Pomp, circumstance, tradition and moments to remember from the Blue Jackets' victory over the Red Wings at Ohio Stadium

With a game-time temperature of 29.4 degrees and gusts up to 18 mph, Columbus took time to warm up before scoring three second-period goals.

Justin Danforth scored the go-ahead goal with 2:17 left and Elvis Merzlikins made 43 saves to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in the Stadium Series on Saturday night at chilly Ohio Stadium in Columbus.