Center R.J. Umberger (Official Thread)

[Buckskin86]

R.J. Umberger signs five-year extension
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to act like an organization that believes strongly in its core group as they signed R.J. Umberger to a five-year contract extension paying him an average of $4.6 million per season.

Umberger, 29, is the seventh key regular on the Blue Jackets' squad that is tied up contractually at least for the next four seasons.

Included in that list are the team's top four offensive forwards: Rick Nash, Jeff Carter, Antoine Vermette and Umberger. Defensemen James Wisniewski, Marc Methot and Fedor Tyutin are all tied up for four or more seasons.

MORE: Columbus Blue Jackets home page
MORE: Preseason scores

"Everyone is looking for good players and these are all veterans that we think they can help us get to where we want to get to," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said.

The Blue Jackets have made the playoffs only once in franchise history, but their bold trade for Carter and signing of hot free agent Wisniewski seems to have given the team renewed energy. Averaging roughly 25 goals a season for three seasons, Umberger is an essential Columbus player.

"He would have been one of the top free agents out there (next summer)," Howson said. "Twenty-five goal scorers are hard to find and he's a complete player. He's hard to play against. He never takes a night off and he's one of the more courageous players in the league."

cont...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2011-09-21/umberger-five-year-extension/50491718/1

 

[Buckskin86]

Jackets' R.J. Umberger talks food, routine
Sun, Oct 9
by Sports And Food

It's a good time to be R.J. Umberger right now. The Blue Jackets forward is entering his seventh year in the NHL and is coming off a 57-point season, a career high.

Oh, and he just signed a 5-year, $23 million contract extension.

John Grieshop/Getty Images
R.J. Umberger of the Columbus Blue Jackets, now in his seventh season, watches what he eats.

SportsandFood.com caught up with the Blue Jackets' alternate captain and asked him about the first meal he had after becoming a very rich man, his typical game-day routine and more.

SportsandFood.com: You just signed a pretty lucrative extension. What was the first meal you had after inking the deal?

R.J. Umberger: I actually didn't do anything special. I signed the contract the morning of an exhibition game so my first meal afterwards was my normal pregame meal of chicken and pasta.

S&F: Has your approach to diet and nutrition changed since you were drafted in 2001?

Umberger: Yeah, I am more aware of what I am putting into my body now. I try to have well-balanced dinners and make sure I am getting enough green vegetables. I make sure I am getting the right supplements in me, especially post workout protein shakes and my daily vitamins. The other biggest thing that has changed is my efforts to stay hydrated with water and electrolyte drinks.

http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=7080306

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyU-wV47i0Q"]On The Bench-Blue Jackets Preview: Forward R.J. Umberger (Columbus Wired TV) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TUQiO_bsSY"]R.J. Umberger - CBJ Media Day 9 12 11 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0uW2UZ0a28"]Ohio State Alum R.J. Umberger - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

R.J. Umberger put on injured reserve
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed left wing R.J. Umberger, suffering from concussion symptoms, on injured reserve.

Concussions in Sports
Concussion

What is a concussion? What are the various professional sports leagues doing to prevent and treat them? ESPN.com Topics has the breakdown on all concussion-related issues. Topics ?

Umberger took a hit to the head from Anaheim's Jean-Francois Jacques on Sunday and is listed as week-to-week. No timetable has yet been set for his return. He has missed the last two games after playing in a franchise-record 288 straight. His 291 consecutive games played was the fifth-longest active streak in the NHL.

The 29-year-old has seven goals and 11 assists and 12 penalty minutes 42 games with the Blue Jackets this season.

Umberger has 130 goals and 162 assists in 516 career games with Columbus and the Philadelphia Flyers, from whom he was acquired for a first-round pick (Luca Sbisa) and a third rounder (Marc-Andre Bourdon) prior to the 2008 NHL draft.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7...umbus-blue-jackets-injured-reserve-concussion

 

[Buckskin86]

Plum native R.J. Umberger familiar with NHL Draft process
By Michael Love
Associated Press
Published: Monday, June 18, 2012

Plum native R.J. Umberger will be watching the upcoming National Hockey League Entry Draft with keen interest ? as many NHL players do ? to see how his Columbus Blue Jackets organization builds for its future.

Plum native R.J. Umberger will be watching the upcoming National Hockey League Entry Draft with keen interest ? as many NHL players do ? to see how his Columbus Blue Jackets organization builds for its future.

He also will be looking on with pride as his hometown rolls out the red carpet for the NHL on Friday and Saturday.

The lives of numerous players will be changed forever on the floor of Consol Energy Center.

?Pittsburgh?s been a great hockey hotbed for a while now,? Umberger said. ?The support the Penguins get for every home game is pretty tremendous. You see it all over Facebook and Twitter. Friends back home in Pittsburgh are constantly excited for games. Come playoff time, you know the (Consol Energy Center) is always going to be packed. Having the draft there is just another reason the NHL knows that Pittsburgh is a great city for hockey.?

Umberger said he knows what a team like the Penguins can do to build energy, especially among the youngest of athletes starting to get involved with the sport based on the local team?s success and popularity.

?Local hockey continues to grow with so many travel teams,? he said. ?There are a couple workout facilities, and people really take it seriously. Knowing that kids in the area can eventually make major college teams and continue with their careers at the pro level is great to see.

?Back when Ryan (Malone) and myself were going through it (in the mid- to late-90s), no one else had done it. It was new, and there were people telling us it couldn?t be done. Now, the kids have something to strive for and goals to reach.?

Umberger rose through the ranks quickly after leaving home to pursue his hockey dreams after his sophomore year at Plum High School in 1998.

He was the 16th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, selected by the Vancouver Canucks. He made his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers early in the 2005-06 season. Six years later, he has become a fixture for the Blue Jackets, and he serves as one of the team?s alternate captains.

Umberger, 30, scored 20 goals and added 20 assists for the Blue Jackets in 2011-12. It was his fifth season with at least 20 goals and his fourth in a row. He scored a career-best 26 goals in the 2008-09 season.

In each of his first three seasons with Columbus, Umberger played all 82 games. He missed five games this season, and they all came in a five-game stretch in January because of a concussion.

?Pretty much my whole career, I hadn?t had too many injuries,? he said. ?To miss five games this past season was tough. I wanted to play through it, but in the end, the smart thing was to take time and let it heal.?

cont...

http://triblive.com/sports/2001450-...ey-pittsburgh-season-blue-games-goals-jackets

 

[Buckskin86]

Report Card: Umberger
Posted Sep 4, 2012 by Aaron Portzline
The latest in our post-season Blue Jackets player report card:

R.J. Umberger
Age: 30

Position: LW/RW

Contract status: Signed through 2016-17

Year in review: Umberger, with 20 goals, had his fourth straight 20-goal season, finishing second on the club in goals behind Rick Nash (30). ? Still, Umberger would be the first to admit he didn?t have his best season in 2011-12. His 40 points represents a five-year low, and it took a massive late-season rally to reach 20-20-40. ? Umberger was not the only Blue Jacket to endure a horrific start to the season, but ? because of his track record for consistency ? his early-season struggles were among the most noticeable. He needed nine games to score his first goal, 19 games to score his second, and at the 30-game mark he had 5-5-10. The 15-15-30 he put up in his final 47 games was more like it. ? Nobody takes his job or his club?s success more personally that Umberger. That?s a double-edged sword, too. Many players in the dressing room could stand to emulate Umberger?s pride and passion, not to mention his off-season conditioning. But Umberger, ultra-serious and introspective, also gets slowed by the burden of losing, taking the weight upon his shoulders. That can ofter exascerbate the problem when things are headed south. ? Pride is not easily measured by numbers, but in one aspect with Umberger it can be qualified: Umberger played in 288 straight games with the Blue Jackets (and 291 NHL games overall) before missing five games in mid-January because of a concussion. The 288 games is a Columbus franchise record. He played through a litany of injuries, including a broken foot (2010-11), to keep the streak alive. ? When the clouds began to break last season after the firing of Scott Arniel and the promotion of Todd Richards, Umberger was among those who spear-headed the strong finish. He had nine goals in the final nine games, including a hat trick vs. Carolina (March 23) and five goals in a three-game span a week later (March 28-31). ? Umberger?s 18:11 in average ice time was his lowest in four seasons with the Blue Jackets, but still third among Columbus forward behind Nash (19:05) and Jeff Carter (19:37). ? With the trade of Nash this summer, Umberger is now the active franchise leader in points (198), goals (94), assists (104), game-winning goals (12), power play goals (30), short-handed goals (four), shots on goal (875), hat trick (two), multi-point games (38) and multi-goal games (16).

Grade: C-

Career trajectory: Bounce-back needed.

http://www.bluejacketsxtra.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/2012/09/report-card-umberger.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Umberger Reacts To NHL Lockout- NBC4i video

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State Adds R.J. Umberger as Coach for Men?s Hockey Team
by Krista Golden

As some of his Columbus Blue Jackets teammates make the most of the lockout in Europe, alternate captain R.J. Umberger has found a job that won?t take him out of the city.

The Ohio State University men?s hockey team announced on Tuesday that they?ve taken Umberger on as a volunteer coach. He?ll be behind the bench for the Buckeyes for home games and practices whether the lockout persists or not. If the NHL season resumes, he?ll continue to coach as long as his schedule allows. He will not be going on the road with the team so he can stay close to his family in Columbus.

?Having an alum of R.J.?s stature around our program will be great,? said Buckeyes head coach Mark Osiecki. ?As an All-American in college, he knows what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level and he has carried that on to a successful professional career. For him to be able to share that with our players will really help their development.?

For Umberger, being back at Ohio State will bring back fond memories. The Pittsburgh native attended the university from to 2000 to 2003 and amassed 129 points. In his time with the Buckeyes, he was a three-year letter winner, CCHA Rookie of the year and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

?With the NHL lockout in full force, I am looking forward to being more connected to the Ohio State hockey program once again,? Umberger said. ?I?m excited to spend time on the ice with the players keeping myself in shape and hopefully offering any advice and help I can to them.?

This won?t be just a way for Umberger to pass the time while he?s off NHL ice. Many coaches are former players, and this volunteer stint will give him a glimpse into what coaching a team entails. It could be an option for Umberger when his playing career is over.

http://www.rantsports.com/nhl/2012/10/09/ohio-state-adds-r-j-umberger-as-coach-for-mens-hockey-team/

 

[Buckskin86]

R.J. Umberger bides his time as volunteer coach with Buckeyes, who also hope NHL returns soon
Published October 17, 2012
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? The questions come every day for R.J. Umberger.

The theme remains the same: When will the NHL be back?

Umberger, a top-six forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, doesn't know. It seems that every day when he arrives at Ohio State, where he serves as a volunteer coach to Mark Osiecki, one of the players again asks him.

When will the NHL be back?

"They ask questions every day," Umberger said after the Buckeyes' Wednesday workout. "The first thing today, somebody asked, 'Is it going to get done?'"

While the NHL lockout continues with the owners and players staring each other down over a new agreement, Umberger faces questions without any answer. Yes, the NHL showed some movement by offering a proposal on Tuesday, but no, the players' union hasn't accepted it and is currently working on a counterproposal. Talks will resume Thursday in Toronto.

Even though college kids like those at Ohio State, along with the players toiling in juniors and the minor leagues, stand to gain a few more fans and a little more attention if the NHL remains shut down, almost all of them want a quick and complete resolution to the labor strife.

"We want the see the game grow at every level," Osiecki said. "We want nothing more than the NHL and the Blue Jackets to have great success because that only guarantees more interest in the sport locally and around the world.

"We want the entire sport to have success."

cont...

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/...ith-buckeyes-who-also-hope-nhl/#ixzz29eQtJdmz

 

[Buckskin86]

Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger back at Ohio State as volunteer coach
By Dan Hope
[email protected]
Published: Thursday, November 8, 2012

Columbus Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger should be 10 games into his eighth NHL season as of Tuesday night. But instead of playing games at Nationwide Arena, Umberger can be found at the Schottenstein Center.

With the NHL in the midst of its second lockout in nine seasons, Umberger has temporarily traded in his blue jersey for scarlet and gray as a volunteer coach for Ohio State men?s hockey team.

?I?m very fortunate to be able to come here and help out, and I?m glad they want me to be here,? Umberger said.

Umberger, who played at OSU from 2001 to 2003, said it?s fun helping out his alma mater, but he would rather be playing.

The NHL?s collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players? Association expired in September, and the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. Until they do, the jobs of Umberger and every other NHL player are on hiatus. All scheduled games in November have already been canceled.

The NHL and NHLPA resumed talks Saturday after more than two weeks apart, but Umberger said it was a ?disappointing moment? when the previous round of negotiations ended Oct. 18 without a deal.

?The NHL gave their offer and we came back at them and they kind of walked out in 10 minutes,? Umberger said. ?That was a little bit of a reality moment ? this could go a long time. This is something that might not end shortly.?

Umberger said working with the Buckeyes has helped him stay focused during the lockout.

?I?ve been on the ice so I?m staying in shape ? (and) just being around the game and staying fresh and staying prepared mentally,? Umberger said. ?This (lockout) is such an unknown thing, it could be tomorrow and they tell us we got to be at the rink, so it?s a challenge to stay fresh every day.?

cont...

http://www.thelantern.com/sports/co...ate-as-volunteer-coach-1.2948522#.UJ5g64Ya2So

 

[Buckskin86]

Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger spending NHL lockout behind NCAA bench
By Robert Tychkowski ,Edmonton Sun
First posted: Friday, December 14, 2012

Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger has spent his time during the NHL lockout helping the Ohio State Buckeyes. (MATT SULLIVAN/Reuters file photo)

The expression ?Those who can?t do, teach,? isn?t supposed to be about filling one?s time during an NHL lockout ? except in the case of R.J. Umberger, where it describes his winter perfectly.

He can?t play in the NHL because the league is shut down for its regularly scheduled maintenance, so he?s now Coach Umberger ? sharing his hockey knowledge with the players at Ohio State University.

A partnership that began with Umberger asking last summer if he could skate with his alma mater in the event of a lockout has morphed into a full-on volunteer coaching position.

?After the first skate they threw out the idea of being a little more involved,? said the 30-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets centre. ?I?ve been on the ice with them, skating every day, pushing them and offering any advice I can, and it?s kind of evolved more and more as the lockout?s gone on, to being involved on game days.

?I?m usually in the press box taking notes, but last week I travelled with them and was behind the bench because one of the other coaches was away on a recruiting trip.?

The pay isn?t as good ? nothing compared with the $5 million he would have made in the NHL this year ? but he?s loving the opportunity.

?It?s fun to be connected to a team, not just be a guy who shows up and skates every once in a while. I enjoy having a relationship with this team and try to help them out as much as I can.

?It?s also fun for me to see a different side of the game, what goes on in the coaches? room ? the thoughts and the process they have, why they make the decisions they do.?

Though he?s a rookie volunteer coach, Umberger commands instant respect in the Buckeyes? dressing room. He isn?t a career coach who never played the game, he isn?t someone who never made it to the NHL, or played 25 years ago. He?s playing in the NHL right now ? or at least would be if there were any games.

?I think it?s been well-received. They can relate because I?m a player and I?m playing in a league that everybody wants to be in. Ultimately, they look for advice and anything they can get.

?They?ve asked a ton of questions. They?re really receptive to wanting to know more in any way that can help them.?

He also has the unique perspective of being able to view their situation from three sides ? coach, NHLer and someone not far removed from sitting in those same dressing room stalls. He spent three years at Ohio State, notching 129 points (58 goals, 71 assists) in 112 games. He was CCHA rookie of the year in 2001 and a first team all-star in 2002.

?I look back on my own college career, the hard times I had or the good times, and think about how I could have done things differently and I try and pass that on,? he said, adding they also come to him for physical tests.

?The players want to compete hard in practice with me, battle me in the corners because it helps elevate their game and it?s a challenge for them.

?You see that in practice and then see them go out that weekend and have a good weekend, it?s a good feeling.?

cont...

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/1...berger-spending-nhl-lockout-behind-ncaa-bench

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j807hiNs-0s"]R.J. Umberger Interview - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State remains dear to Umberger.

?I?m a very proud Buckeye,? he said. ?And I?m really very lucky to be playing in Columbus. It?s a great city, and Ohio State is there. It?s a really perfect situation for me.?

Of course, before Umberger knew anything about Ohio State or Columbus, he was a Pittsburgher.

?This was a great week for Pittsburgh hockey,? he said. ?Having Penn State around is going to make it even better. Things are looking up for hockey in this city.?

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/nhl/3212240-74/umberger-hockey-state#ixzz2GXuWxHch

 

[Buckskin86]

Plum?s Umberger joins coaching ranks

R.J. Umberger, an alternate captain with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, was inducted into the Plum High School Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 8, 2012.

By Stephen Catanese
Published: Tuesday, January 1, 2013

If you happened to catch a glimpse of an Ohio State hockey practice sometime over the past three months, you may have noticed a particularly polished forward looking noticeably out of place among a bevy of younger Buckeyes adorned in white, red and silver jerseys.

That 30-year-old forward isn?t a college player. In fact, he?s not even a college student anymore. He?s Plum native R.J. Umberger, who typically during this time of year is playing left wing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

But this isn?t a typical year. With a labor dispute that has kept players locked out since Sept. 15, Umberger, like every other NHL player, is temporarily jobless.

That?s why the one-time Buckeyes standout contacted Ohio State coach Mark Osiecki.

?I approached Coach Osiecki to see if I could skate with the team to stay in shape,? Umberger said. ?I didn?t know if it would be short-term or not.?

Osiecki not only accepted the offer, but shortly thereafter asked Umberger to assume a larger role with the team.

?Pretty much after the first week he asked if I wanted to step up and be a volunteer coach,? Umberger said.

cont...

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/nhl/3128109-74/umberger-ohio-state#ixzz2GjhCuMCT

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arpwy8rfT_k"]R.J. Umberger Interview (1/16/13) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Foligno, Umberger key Columbus? dramatic OT win
James O'Brien
Apr 16, 2013

The Columbus Blue Jackets stayed in the playoff hunt with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

Their formula seems to be set: Sergei Bobrovsky remained the constant force with a revolving set of other heroes giving the team yet another victory despite a tiny margin of error. In this case, Nick Foligno (OT winner) and R.J. Umberger (late game-tying goal) were the ones who made the difference.

cont...

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/16/foligno-umberger-key-columbus-dramatic-ot-win/