FEBRUARY 13, 2021
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated defenseman Zach Werenski off Injured Reserve and placed goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks on Injured Reserve retroactive to February 6, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Werenski, 23, has missed the last three games due to a lower body injury suffered on February 4 vs. Dallas. He has registered a goal and three assists for four points with nine penalty minutes in 12 games with the Blue Jackets this season. The Grosse Pointe, Michigan native has notched 59-114-173 with 67 penalty minutes and a cumulative +14 plus/minus rating in 312 career games with the club since making his NHL debut in 2016-17. He led NHL defensemen while setting a single-season franchise record for goals by a blueliner with 20-21-41 in 63 games in 2019-20. The 6-2, 218-pound blueliner was Columbus’ first round pick, eighth overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft.
Kivlenieks, 24, suffered a lower body injury in practice on February 6 and is day-to-day. He went 1-1-2 with a 2.95 GAA and .898 SV% in six games with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20, including a 31-save performance to beat the New York Rangers, 2-1, at Madison Square Garden in his NHL debut on Jan. 19, 2020. The 6-2, 183-pound goaltender also posted a 9-8-3 mark with a 2.96 GAA, .904 SV% and one shutout in 20 games with the Monsters last season. Signed by Columbus as a free agent on May 25, 2017, the Riga, Latvia native has gone 27-33-8 with a 3.23 GAA, .892 SV% and three shutouts in 77 career AHL games over the past three seasons.
The Blue Jackets return to action tonight when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks. Game time from United Center is 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Ohio and the FOX Sports Go app with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. with the “Blue Jackets Live” pre-game show. It will also be broadcast on the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, including flagship station 97.1 The Fan in Columbus.
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