"Blue Jackets majority owner John P. McConnell is stunned by how this season has unfolded, as are many of the club's fans. As the NHL season pauses for this weekend's All-Star Game, McConnell expected to be figuring out Stanley Cup playoff scenarios and watching two or three of his players in the midseason gala.

Instead, the Blue Jackets (13-30-6) are suffering through the worst season in franchise history — dead last in the standings, nine points out of 29th place overall and a whopping 32 points out of fourth place in the Central Division.

"Everybody was looking forward to this season, myself included," McConnell said yesterday. "I think that makes the fall even worse.

"It has been crappy. It has just not turned out as we'd hoped or planned. Everybody wants to blame somebody when something goes wrong, and sometimes there's nobody to blame.

"To me, I think everybody in the organization has a little bit of blame."

McConnell said that neither club president Mike Priest nor general manager Scott Howson is on the verge of being fired or reassigned within the organization.

Regarding Priest, he said: "I don't know how he gets roped into the on-ice performance by some people because he doesn't have anything to do with it."

As for Howson: "As of right now, I know of no reason why he won't be our (GM next season)."

Asked whether he still believed in the two men who have run the franchise since Doug MacLean was fired in the summer of 2007, McConnell did not pause: "I believe they are smart, learning people," he said."