COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Michael Arace: Jody Shelley gets another call up to the big leagues, this time from NBCSN

Michael Arace
The Columbus Dispatch
Jody Shelley, shown during a broadcast of a Blue Jackets game in 2019, will be part of NBC's national telecast of the playoffs on Monday.

Jody Shelley remembers the first time he was called up to the big leagues. 

“February 17, 2001,” he said Saturday morning. It’s tattooed on his brain. 

Inaugural season. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the visitors at Nationwide Arena. Former Blue Jackets forward Krzysztof Oliwa, a troglodyte who had slithered quickly out of Columbus on less-than-favorable terms, was back in town as a Penguin. 

On his first shift, Shelley dropped the gloves with mountainous Steve McKenna. On his second shift, Shelley had a go with Oliwa and landed two right-handed bombs on Oliwa’s two faces. Shelley finished the game with 1 minute, 22 seconds of ice time and 10 penalty minutes. The Jackets lost in overtime. 

Shelley had a 12-year playing career that included seven years and 1,025 PIMS with the Blue Jackets. He met his wife, Mandy, in Columbus, they married in 2004 and central Ohio has been their home ever since. 

Shelley took on the role as the Jackets’ television analyst in 2014. He was seen as a comer in the broadcast business for his knowledge of the game, quick grasp of what was happening on-ice and easy sense of humor.  

For the past four years, Shelley has been working with Bally Sports producer Joe Whelan to hone his craft and expand his horizons. He has widened his audience working the NHL Network studio, where he has spent the past week parsing the playoff action. 

May 24, 2021. 

Shelley is getting another call-up to the TV big leagues. 

Monday morning, he’ll take a drive up I-95, from the NHL studio in Secaucus, New Jersey, to the NBC Sports Network studio in Stamford, Connecticut. Monday night, he’ll make his national-network debut as a color analyst for Game 5 of the Penguins-Islanders series on NBCSN. 

Jody Shelley, here fighting Anaheim's George Parros in 2007, had a 12-year playing career that included seven years and 1,025 PIMS with the Blue Jackets.

Shelley will work alongside play-by-play man John Walton, the radio voice of the Washington Capitals. Walton was born in Columbus, graduated from Miami University and began his career as a public-address announcer for the Cincinnati Reds. 

“I’m friends with (former Flyers teammate and NBSN regular) Brian Boucher,” Shelley said. “They were a little short and heard I was in the area. That’s how it came about — and it’s great to be working with John Walton. 

“My No. 1 priority is always the Blue Jackets, but it’s nice to get out and stretch the landscape. You never know what’s going to happen with ESPN and Turner (with television rights) coming next season.” 

Since the Jackets are sitting out the playoffs for the first time in five years, and since there has been so much going on off the ice, it was almost easy to forget that it was the best time of the year. I almost forgot. Then I wandered into the living room early last week and the switch flipped. 

The NHL playoffs begin with a first-round crescendo of intense action. The players aren’t as beat up as they will be in the coming weeks. The regular-season slog is behind. Now, the games are a completely different animal. A fierce animal, trying to survive and advance. 

“It has been unbelievable,” Shelley said. “The matchups in the first round have been great, especially the 2-3 matchups. Given the regular-season format this year, these teams have seen each other at least eight times; in Canada, nine or 10 times. 

“We’re seeing more of the true hatred and fierce competition that comes in the playoffs. There’s all that familiarity. Everyone knows how they have to play.” 

Michael Arace

Heading into the weekend, there had already been seven overtime games and two double-overtime games. Matt Duchene (remember him?) ended an epic one Friday night when he scored at 14:54 of the second OT to lift Nashville to a 6-5 victory over Carolina.

Shelley sees Tampa Bay, Carolina and Colorado as the tournament’s elite teams. He thinks Boston and maybe Pittsburgh are on the next tier. He calls Winnipeg “sneaky great.” 

“I think Colorado is the team to beat,” he said. “(Coach) Jared Bednar has done such a good job there. When Nathan MacKinnon was out (during the regular season) they went 6-1. They play such a selfless game. It’s so much fun to watch.” 

From New Jersey, Shelley followed closely the developments in Columbus over the past week. He said the return of John Davidson — the announcement came Thursday that J.D. was back as president of hockey operations — resonated across the league. 

“There’s something about someone leaving and coming back,” Shelley said. “I know J.D. had an admiration for the Blue Jackets when he left, and he comes back with a fresh outlook. It just seems like the right move to have him back here. He’s so well-respected.” 

The Jackets have much to do to get back to the playoffs. Of this, we are reminded every night when we click on the NBC family of networks, and see what it is all about. What thumping fun it is. 

marace@dispatch.com