It's Tyler Fight Night in Columbus

Blue Jackets fans are getting ready to take over Nationwide Arena tonight. Well, sort of. The Red Wings have a history of traveling quite well to games in Columbus. But there are a couple of points of distinction that promise to make tonight one of the more spirited and evenly matched competitions between CBJ fans and Red Wings fans in the 10 year history of the rivalry.

First, it just so happens to be Tyler Wright Night, or as my friend Joe is calling it, Tyler Fight Night. Throughout the year, the Blue Jackets have been honoring the players from the team's inaugural season to celebrate the organization's 10th anniversary. So tonight one of, if not THE, most popular Blue Jackets players of all-time will be honored. His standing ovation will be long and loud. And right after he drops the ceremonial first puck, I hope he makes a bee line toward Todd Bertuzzi and gives him the business. Don't laugh. It could happen.

There isn't a lot of Tyler Wright footage on Youtube from his days with the Blue Jackets. But long-time fans don't need to see video to remember the way Tyler Wright played in a CBJ sweater. He brought heart, determination and a mean streak to each and every shift. This is one of the only clips I could find of Wright. It serves as a fitting tribute though, not because of how he fared in the fight, but because it shows him going toe-to-toe with a much larger Sandy McCarthy of the New York Rangers in the interest of sticking up for his teammates. That's what Wright did on a nightly basis as a Blue Jacket. And that is why I wear my Hats for Heroes (which was founded by Wright) with pride.

And then there is #MoneyOnTheBoard. The idea to post a bounty for a game-winning goal,with all the proceeds going to charity actually started last year,according to Tyler Schweinfurth, a diehard Columbus fan and the originator of the concept within the #CBJ Twitter community. When Tyler decided it was time to go back to the well for tonight's game against Detroit, the intent was the same as last year -- have some fun and try to get the fan base energized enough to jump start a CBJ team that appears to have a dead battery. But this time, with the help of Lori Schmidt from 97.1 The Fan, #MoneyOnTheBoard blossomed into a yet another national feel-good story with its roots in Columbus. Hockey fans from all around the North America have joined in and are pledging thousands of dollars (as well as their blood to the Red Cross) to the cause. It has been quite the encore for the city that just last week took one of its homeless people and elevated him all the way to a second chance in life within the space of 48 hours.

With so many people, so many local charities, not to mention hockey fans all around the NHL watching this game and it's outcome so closely, Nationwide will be fully charged by the time Tyler Wright heads to center ice at approximately 7PM. There will be many Red Wings fans in attendance. There always is. But if karma means anything, they are in for a very long night.