Jody Shelley played his last NHL game in orange and black. The former enforcer, who was a free agent this summer and didn’t sign with a team, called his hockey career quits on Friday, retiring from the league and joining his old team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in a front office role. He’ll mostly be a broadcaster.
Shelley will feature prominently in all aspects of the club’s broadcasting efforts, providing analysis during select Blue Jackets home radio broadcasts; serving as a regular contributor during home game telecasts on FOX Sports Ohio, including as a second analyst between the benches on occasion; and co-hosting a weekly radio show on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship station Sports Radio 97.1 The Fan. In addition, he will be involved in Jackets TV coverage via the club’s website, BlueJackets.com; and actively engaged in various business and community initiatives for the organization.
Shelley was never quite the fan favorite in Philadelphia that he was in Columbus, a city in which he played parts of seven seasons. Late in his career with the Flyers, Shelley wound up riding the bench more than actually playing the game, and he only played one game last season as his role as enforcer was pretty much phased out thanks to more useful contributions by guys like Zac Rinaldo.
Shelley was always a nice guy and by all accounts a great teammate, though, so it’s good to see him going back to a place where he’ll be welcomed with open arms during his post-playing career.
