As the end of the regular season gets close and the numerous Low Cost Franchises begin to visualise about Stanley Cup success and the prospect of lifting the cup. We will look at these Low Cost Franchise and find out how they have started from Franchises For Sale, marketed across the world to the massive Low Cost Franchises of the NHL today. The NHL franchise market in the past has been biased for many years from many franchises in financial struggles, to a lot of franchises being able to land million dollar contracts. At this present moment the NHL franchise market is much more balanced as massive amounts of dollars are being held within as the crisis has hit the hockey market. All of the Low Cost Franchises are cutting costs and working with what they have, which is having a business gain to the idea of Franchises For Sale in the market. A lot of investors for many years have looked upon their franchise as a Home Based Franchise, they work with their franchise on a hourly basis and they take it with them wherever they go. This is much like any Home Based Franchise in the current climate and therefore beneficial to a potential investor looking for a Franchises For Sale in the NHL field. The investor will have the confidence that the franchise has been well organised and looked after as if it were a Home Based Franchise.

Here is a concise history of an NHL Low Cost Franchises that has had much support over the years containing changes in ownership and success.

Columbus has had a history of professional hockey going to 1966. But the NHL did not make an entry until the Columbus Blue Jackets were established as Columbus, Ohio landed a National Hockey League expansion franchise in the summer of 1997. Team owner John McConnell declared the choice of the club name in the winter of 1997. The Blue Jackets name pays duty to Ohio’s role to American history. Through the Civil War, Ohio made major contributions to the Union Army and several of the uniforms worn by the Union soldiers were made in Columbus. The club logo was centred on an insect exemplifying qualities like hard work and resourcefullness that the community wanted to highlight.

The Nationwide Arena was completed and opened in the Autumn of 2000, hosting concerts by country music superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The franchise was ready to step on the ice for the 2000-01 season.

Columbus Blue Jackets made their NHL appearance on October 7, 2000, opposed to division rivals the Chicago Blackhawks. Bruce Gardiner scored the first ever regular season goal in club history but the Blue Jackets lost that game 5-3. Their first win was a 3-2 fight against the Calgary Flames less than a week later.

In 2002 the Blue Jackets had gotten off to a feeble opening and half way during the season found themselves in second-last place within the Western Conference. This led to the dismissal of Dave King, the only coach the team had since entering the league in 2000. President and general manager Doug MacLean took over the additional responsibility to be the team’s interim coach. The team finished the regular season, once again out of the playoffs and bottom in their division with a 28-43-8-3 record for 67 points.