"They're the top dogs," said Blue Jackets coach Dave King about the popularity of his players in the city of Columbus, Ohio.

OK, so that was taken a little out of context and was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Truth be told, Columbus isn't a hockey town … yet.

Hockey week in Columbus

Doubt that Columbus, Ohio is officially a hockey town? Monday's game against Minnesota concludes "Hockey Week" in Columbus, as proclaimed by mayor Michael Coleman. Starting with Columbus' Jan. 10 matchup with Colorado, the Blue Jackets and Ohio State University men's and women's teams played a combined seven games in five days. On Friday, the Blue Jackets' game with Chicago, the Buckeyes men's game against Michigan and their women's game against Bemidji State drew over 31,000 fans.

Questioning professional hockey's viability and popularity in Columbus has been belabored. Yes, football and Ohio State rule the roost, but King points out that his players are the first NHL players in Columbus and many of them aren't used to the kind of front-line attention they have been receiving.

"When you come to games, it must be nice to see something like 'Tyler Wright for mayor,' " King said. "When they see a sign, and there's no rope hanging next to their name, it must be a good feeling. The top stars get tired of that stuff, but these guys are not marquee players."

It's a similar story for the players with Minnesota, the Blue Jackets' expansion brethren. But the Blue Jackets have a different relationship with their fans. Hockey is ingrained in the culture of Minnesota. It doesn't have an iota of a comparable history in Columbus, which has resulted in some interesting experiences for King, who has spent time during his professional career in Montreal and Calgary, and forward Steve Heinze, who played in Boston, home of the Original Six Bruins.

"It's quite refreshing, actually," said King about being in a place where professional hockey is so new. "I've been in Montreal and Calgary, places with real traditions and Cups. It's very refreshing to start something brand new and be involved in fan education – it's kind of neat. We have great fans here, and as we go along, they'll probably get more informed and more opinionated.

"I've lost a few neighbors in conversations," added King with a laugh. "Once, I had a next-door neighbor come over. I tried to explain some of the rules. He had watched two games in a row and was trying to get a handle on the game. I was trying to explain the concept of changing on the fly. He was being polite and patient, but finally, he asked if I was referring to fly fishing. I said 'change on the go,' and he understood."

	Heinze, left, has received more playing -- and scoring -- opportunities in Columbus.

For Heinze, it has been a pleasant break from the volatility of hard-core fans.

"In Boston, based on how the season was going, it was either, 'Hey, Steve Heinze, how's it going?' or 'Hey, Steve Heinze, you suck,' " Heinze joked. "I don't know if it's different from organization to organization or just from Boston to Columbus. Win or lose, we get cheered here – even standing ovations. Our first two games, we played awful, and they gave us standing ovations. In Boston, I'd be ducking and people would be booing and throwing stuff at me.

"I love the fans in Boston; they were great to me. But here, they know we haven't won as much as we'd like, but that it's our first year. And they have been nothing but supportive. Boston is a hockey town and expects success."

While Columbus' expectations have yet to reach those of a city like Boston, the Blue Jackets' players are more than happy to prove they can be successful in the NHL.

"I think it's been unbelievable for my career," Heinze said. "I wasn't playing that much under Pat Burns (in Boston). It was fading away from me. … Here, I'm the leading forward in minutes; I play on the power play, penalty kill and during the last minute of the game. First and foremost, a player looks to be a part of something, then the rings and wins come into play."

Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com. He can be reached at brian.shactman@espn.com.