The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced Columbus-based Safelite as the team's first jersey sponsor in franchise history.

Safelite will sponsor all three of the team's 2022-23 season jerseys—home, road and third—with a 3.5-by-1-inch patch located on the upper right chest of each jersey for three years.

The Blue Jackets are the first team in the National Hockey League's 104-year history to announce a sponsor for all three of its jerseys, according to a Blue Jackets press release.

"The Blue Jackets and Safelite are both cornerstones of the community from both a business perspective and a charitable perspective," said Blue Jackets Chief Operating Officer Cameron Scholvin. "We've worked with the organization from top to bottom, we know the people there, we know what the company is about, and we have tremendous appreciation for it."

Scholvin did not disclose the exact value of the deal, but a source close to the agreement said it was a "seven-figure investment" that will last three years.

Scholvin also would not say how many companies were considered for the inaugural sponsorship but said he was flattered by how many were interested.

Safelite, founded in 1947, operates company-owned facilities in 50 states and employs nearly 16,000 people. The company has two operations: Safelite AutoGlass, a vehicle glass repair and recalibration services provider, and Safelite Solutions, a fleet and insurance claims management service for vehicle glass and other claims.

The ability to have a jersey sponsor comes following approval by the NHL in August 2021 and pairs with the league's approval of helmet sponsors, which began in the 2021-2022 season.

Last October the Blue Jackets partnered with Columbus-based Designer Shoe Warehouse for their home blue helmet and Solon, Ohio-based iDesign for their road white helmet.

Safelite has been a partner of the Blue Jackets since 2010 and with the jersey sponsorship the company has elevated from premium to championship partner status, a title reserved for a select group of top partners of the team, Scholvin says. The Blue Jackets have five championship partners now, counting Safelite.

The company also serves as the presenting sponsor of the Columbus Blue Jackets Get out and Learn program, a program meant to remove barriers of entry for kids interested in hockey. The program has impacted over 2,000 local boys and girls since it began in 2017, Scholvin says.

"We're particularly proud of the community component," he says. "There were a number of people that were interested, and we could have end up with any look or feel that you can imagine, but it feels great to have a Columbus-based company be the one that we wear on our chest alongside our crest."

jdeyo@dispatch.com

@DeyoJessica

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets name Columbus-based Safelite its jersey sponsor