Adirondack Studios (ADKS), a company that provides creative solutions for designers, artists, producers, and owners in the themed entertainment industry, has worked with The Columbus Blue Jackets, a US National Hockey League (NHL) team, to create commemorative puck sculptures in honour of its 25th Anniversary.
The twelve pucks represent significant moments in the franchise's history and encourage fans to celebrate 25 years of Blue Jackets hockey.
Each puck sculpture, including the mounts, is 4 feet 6 inches (1.4 meters) tall and weighs about 350 pounds (169 kg). Crafted entirely from steel tubing and sheeting, these pucks are striking tributes to the team’s legacy and its ties to the Columbus community.
Each sculpture highlights a pivotal moment in Blue Jackets history, transforming the city into a walkable timeline that traces from their inaugural season in 2000 through notable playoff wins and beloved players.
A special event to connect fans
As the 25th anniversary neared, the Blue Jackets aimed to develop a special event to bring together fans and the city in celebration.
ADKS presented the Blue Jackets with three concepts, and giant pucks were considered both the most impactful and the most logistically feasible. To confirm the design intent, the ADKS fabrication team produced a 3D printed maquette.
Once the design was approved, the ADKS fabrication teams began work, though the project presented some distinctive creative challenges.
Initially, the pucks were to be made from fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP); however, since the team wanted to showcase at least three logo styles from different franchise eras, creating three separate cast moulds would be too costly. As an alternative, ADKS decided to use all-metal materials for fabrication.
The metalworks team replicated the exterior ring's texture of a real hockey puck by applying a laser-etched grid pattern that precisely matches the authentic puck's design. Since these pucks were meant for outdoor display, they were also coated with a protective Amerlock finish.
The logo banner and graphic elements offered another chance for creative thinking.
The Blue Jackets chose three logos for the pucks: the inaugural logo from 2000, the current primary logo, and a special anniversary logo designed for this season.
To add dimension and depth that highlight the graphic elements, the ADKS team designed multiple layers of laser-cut metals. These layers stack to fill the negative voids in the burnouts, featuring thicker-gauge letters and logo accents. Each layer was painted with a different custom Pantone colour.
Individual letters were punched out of the burnouts, deburred, primed, and prepared for paint and clear coating. The detailed logo graphics were created using a primed laser-cut steel piece, which was then finished with a direct-to-surface clear-coated UV print.
After completing all the pieces, assembly began. ADKS designed templates to accurately position each puck’s logo style and placement. Once arranged flat, the graphic surface was bonded to the puck surface with a weighted epoxy adhesive to achieve a smooth, flush bond.
Celebrating key moments
As the pucks neared completion, the Blue Jackets had the idea to utilise the real estate on the back flat sides of the pucks as key moments from CBJ historical stories.
The front office created graphic artwork highlighting memorable moments in the franchise's history, combining images and a narrative. These were printed by ADKS on exterior UV-rated vinyl.
The finished pucks were then shipped to Columbus, with nine sent to Downtown and Nationwide Arena locations and three installed in nearby suburbs.
Ryan Chenault, the Blue Jackets’ vice president of marketing, says:
“Besides the obvious places like the Arena District and Downtown Columbus, we made a point of installing the pucks where the fans are, most importantly, our local OhioHealth Chiller ice rink locations, where the next generation of hockey players are training right now.
“We call our fan base ‘the 5th Line’, and these pucks are our way of thanking fans for their support by offering them a piece of Blue Jackets history right in their neighborhoods.”
More than simply static monuments, the pucks have become tools for fan activations, strengthening the connection between the 5th Line and the team.
The Blue Jackets launched a season-long contest inviting fans to check in at the pucks using a QR code for a chance to win prizes like tickets and merchandise.
They have also incorporated “surprise and delight” pop-ups, such as a collaboration with the library where participants can get a commemorative Blue Jackets library card, or at OhioHealth Chiller ice rink locations, where fans can receive a free coupon for skate rentals.
Throughout each month of the season, the activations will feature a different puck location and presenting partner.
Moments of surprise and delight
The puck statues are impressive, measuring 46 inches (1.2 meters) in diameter, making them 15 times larger than a standard hockey puck.
To create their realistic, dimensional appearance, over 480 letters were laser-cut from two different thicknesses of steel. The intricate grid pattern on the pucks was etched using a laser that travelled 800 feet, equivalent to the length of four NHL rinks.
For durability and a sleek finish, the statues are coated with Amerlock, an industrial coating that is also used on submarines.
The pucks will stay installed through the end of the season, having delighted over 700,000 Blue Jackets home game attendees by April 2026, plus tens of thousands more fans in nearby community areas.
“As a lifelong hockey fan, this project was a dream come true for me, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than the Columbus Blue Jackets,” says Jordan McLagan, ADKS portfolio manager.
“I recently had the opportunity to visit the installed pucks, and it was heartwarming to see the fan interaction – from tailgaters posing with them at the bars to families looking for an Instagrammable Blue Jackets moment.
"I’m so proud of our designers and fabricators, and I think this project is just the beginning of our relationship with the NHL and sports teams in general.”
Jordan McLagan and Ryan Chenault
“The reaction of the 5th Line to the 25th Anniversary pucks has been outstanding,” adds Chenault. “Their overwhelmingly positive response is a testament to the level of detail and creativity that the Adirondack Studios team invested in the pucks, all the way down to the grid pattern on the sides.
"We look forward to leveraging the pucks to create more ‘surprise and delight’ moments for fans throughout the season, and we thank ADKS for their partnership in getting this project across the goal line.”
Members of the Adirondack Studios team will be attending IAAPA Expo 2025 from 17 - 21 November. To schedule a meeting, visitors can get in touch via email.
