COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Jane Roslovic will be one of thousands of people in Central Ohio watching the Blue Jackets face Florida on Thursday night.

But she’ll be one of only a handful of people to watch the game in person because her son, Jack Roslovic, who was born and raised in Columbus, will make his CBJ debut against the Panthers.

“This is his first goal in the NHL,” she said proudly pointing at a framed shadowbox piece in her office that shows off a hockey puck scored by Jack. “They were playing the Anaheim Ducks and he scored on Ryan Getzlaf! I was so lucky that I saw the play.”

Jane traced her fingers across the plaque that sits just below the puck that reads, “Jack Roslovic, first NHL goal – January 25, 2018.”

“Four days before his birthday!” she exclaimed.

Now, a day before his 24th birthday, one of Jack’s biggest dreams will come true as he takes the ice at Nationwide Arena for his hometown team. Jane has compiled so many memories during Jack’s hockey career, but tonight’s may be the biggest, preceded only by the phone call she got from Jack last Saturday when he said two simple words.

“’It’s done.’ That’s what he said. It’s done,” Jane said when remembering what her son told her on that phone call. “’I’m going to be a Columbus Blue Jacket.”’

Those words represented almost 20 years of hard work for Jack.

“250,000 miles on my station wagon!” Jane said. “And who knows how many air miles.”

This dream realized all began in a Columbus neighborhood with some street roller hockey.

“Jack was always in net because he was the youngest of all the boys,” she said. “I mean they would just pelt pucks on my son!” Jane said. “I was laughing and I went out one day and said, ‘Okay, I’ve had enough!’ I said, ‘Let him play hockey. I mean don’t make him just be in the net.’ So, he started playing and he was probably four at the time, maybe five, and it just snowballed and turned into ice hockey.”

It was the perfect time for Jack to discover the sport as Columbus had just received an NHL franchise — the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“He’s a Blue Jacket nut!” Jane said when asked if CBJ was always Jack’s favorite team. “How can you not be? I mean he grew up with that and he loved hockey from the beginning . . . We had tickets behind the glass on the opponents side from the day they went on sale.”

Jack was more than just a hockey fan, he was an exceedingly talented player who was part of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets organization.

“He just did things that not a lot of kids can do,” explained Ed Gingher, president of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets. “His speed and his playmaking ability, but it’s just his vision. His hockey sense you could see that at a very young age.”

“Jack was fortunate enough to be in the very beginning of such a strong program that has just gotten stronger since he was in it,” said Jane. “So just the combination of being fortunate to have that AAA experience and then to have a great hockey team, an NHL hockey team.”

A team that Jack is now on.

A week before his 24th birthday, Roslovic got traded to his hometown club and now, on the eve of that birthday, he will take the ice donning the No. 96 sweater just like he did in AAA.

“We have a video of him when he was really young and he says, ‘I’m going to be a Columbus Blue Jacket,’” said Jane. “When you’re a parent, at least for me, it never crossed my mind that this would happen. I mean I knew he was an elite athlete, but to go to that? Nobody understands how complicated it is.”

“It’s always special when you get these moments when kids come through the program, play at the highest level, and can achieve their dreams and then when our big club actually goes out and wants him and trades for him, it feels good,” Gingher explained. “Any time they are drafting anybody or signing anybody that’s ours, they aren’t doing anybody any favors. They’re doing it because they think they’re a good hockey player. They think they’re a good person.”

Jack wants to make a difference on the ice as a Blue Jacket, but he also wants to make a difference in this community as a Columbus native.

He has started a foundation to help youngsters get involved in hockey – and it’s run by his sister, Grace. The two Roslovic children are hoping to develop the initiative in Columbus and eventually have its first event.

“I stay out of it. It’s for the two of them. She gave so much and supported him so much during this time, during the whole journey,” Jane gushed. “Jack is well-aware of the support system that got him here. He is more than well aware and that is the other reason why he’s glad he’s back because he’s got a lot to be thankful for.”

Jack is also well aware that playing for your hometown team, while exciting, can bring unique challenges.

“It’s a lot of pressure. I mean the expectations and you would have had to have gone through what he’s been through at such a young age to be that strong,” Jane said. “In the NHL, this is such an honor to have your child back home.”