NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Blue Jackets TV broadcasters Steve Mears & Jody Shelley want to give the fans a good show. (photo credit: Mark Scheig, the Hockey Writers)

Blue Jackets’ Analyst Jody Shelley Showing Well on National Stage

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mark Scheig | Last updated May 19, 2025 11:05 AM ET

Columbus Blue Jackets’ fans have long known how good color analyst Jody Shelley has been in the broadcast booth. Whether it’s been with radio voice Bob McElligott, former TV voice Jeff Rimer or current TV voice Steve Mears, Shelley brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the broadcast.

In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, viewers got to see firsthand how good Shelley is at his job. While his appearances on national TV are nothing new, he earned a more prominent role as these playoffs have gone on.

Shelley was between the benches on TNT for Game 6 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers series with Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk. Earlier in the playoffs, Shelley was with Olczyk and John Forslund as well as with Alex Faust and Brian Boucher. He has seen numerous assignments on TNT in these playoffs.

Shelley and Forslund worked together in the inaugural season of Prime Monday Night Hockey in Canada. Shelley is quickly gaining a reputation around the NHL as one of the best analysts on TV given the extra exposure he’s getting in big games.

How does one rise up the ranks like Shelley has? With passion, hard work and preparation for each game.

Shelley’s Preparedness

At the start of the 2024-25 season, the Hockey Writers did a Q&A with new Blue Jack ets’ TV voice Mears. In that conversation, Mears had nothing but glowing praise for Shelley when asked what makes him stand out.

“Just very diligent with his preparation,” Mears said of Shelley. “I knew that for a long time, but then to now see it firsthand, the way he prepares for this season, the way he prepares for a game, and the conversations, the notetaking that he’s getting done right now just to prep for that opening night. That’s what makes him one of the best in the business.”

Just because Shelley has played the game and knows the ins and outs of it, it doesn’t stop him from doing his homework. It’s that diligence that comes through the broadcast when you watch a game with him as an analyst. He has a way of explaining what’s going on in a way that’s easily understandable. Here’s Mears.

“It’s not a case where I played, so I don’t need to do the homework. He does the above and beyond level of homework, and then that’s what makes him one of the best. I love that approach. I’m kind of the same way when it comes to doing the homework and the preparation. I take a lot of pride in that. I think when you have two people who are making that type of commitment, it should all add up to a great show.”

“If I ever had a question about the Blue Jackets, I knew I could reach out to him, whether as a player, what’s really going on with the team, what’s the vibe with the team right now. I knew I could always tap into him because he knew exactly what was going on. And he was almost a 100% accurate with any type of an assessment when I had those conversations with him at morning skates or at 5:00 before a game. I think that’s what makes him one of the best.”

Future is Bright

Shelley currently works as both the Blue Jackets’ TV Color Analyst as well as the team ambassador. It’s fair to wonder what his future holds given how prominent his presence has become throughout the hockey world.

Shelley loves it in Columbus and with the Blue Jackets. When we say we wonder what his future holds, we wonder if it’s only a matter of time before he is one of the premier national game analysts on a more full-time basis?

Shelley has become a trusted voice within the Blue Jackets. It’s that trust and respect that is starting to make him a more prominent national presence.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Shelley be part of the call of a Stanley Cup Final sooner rather than later. The way he cares for his job makes him the perfect candidate for such a role.

For now, the nation got to see what Blue Jackets’ fans already know. Shelley is really good at what he does on camera as a game analyst. His future is very bright in the booth.