Why Cannonfest?

Maybe you're feeling a bit down on hockey right now.

Perhaps you're staring at a closet of Rick Nash jerseys that suddenly became a sign of the past.

Maybe you're watching the current CBA negotiations (or lack thereof), and getting a little bummed.

You might just be thinking "Man, I'm not sure if I can even think about ice right now when the thermometer keeps climbing."

You're not alone...and there are friends out there who can help you.

Think of this weekend's Cannonfest as three hours of group therapy....with beer.

If you haven't heard of Cannonfest, let me give you a brief history.

Back in the far off days of 2010, I wanted to have a little bit of a Blue Jackets get together with some of my friends. Planning for a nice cookout in my backyard, I started to get a little in over my head when the list of people who wanted to come hit 30 people.

So, talking to both Mr. Dark Blue Jacket and Greg May of Full Mental Jackets, I asked if they had ideas...and as it turned out, Greg has a whole freaking restaurant he could offer to the cause.

It turned out it was a very good idea we moved it out of my backyard, because 100 people showed up, and I can only flip so many burgers.

Last summer, we knew we had to do it again...and it was even more awesome.

So, now, we go for round three. But as much fun as it has been to help organize, it's you, the awesome community of Union Blue fans, who make it into a truly magical event, and I hope you'll help us make this year's edition even bigger and better when you come out to have fun, talk hockey, watch some brand new Skraut videos, and maybe raise a little more money for the Blue Jackets Foundation while we're at it.