FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  FEBRUARY 15, 2021

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson and Dr. Laurie Hommema, MD, OhioHealth Medical Director of Provider and Associate Well-Being, have been named the National Hockey League’s First Stars of the Week for the week ending February 14, the league and club announced today.  Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was named the Second Star, while Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust was selected Third Star. 

The NHL is celebrating the efforts of the off-ice stars making it possible for games to be played amid a pandemic by honoring frontline healthcare heroes from the regions represented by the League’s weekly and monthly “stars” and this week honors Dr. Laurie Hommema, who with her husband, Kevin, developed an idea to clean and reuse N95 masks during the pandemic. Coronavirus resulted in a shortage of personal protective equipment, leaving many frontline healthcare workers without crucial safety equipment. The ability to decontaminate and recycle millions of masks each day is helping thousands of these heroes remain safe. Dr. Hommema also is responsible for ensuring the well-being of doctors and nurses within the OhioHealth system by monitoring shift length, personal time off and quality of time away from work, in an effort to support resilience and combat compassion fatigue.

Atkinson, 31, notched a goal in all three games last week and added four assists for seven points with 10 shots on goal and a +4 plus/minus rating to lead Columbus to a 2-0-1 record.  He scored a shorthanded goal in a 3-2 win over Carolina on Feb. 8, registered his fourth career four-point night (1-3-4), including his franchise-record 15th career shorthanded goal, in a 6-5 win at Chicago on Feb. 11 and added 1-1-2 in a 3-2 OTL at Chicago on Feb. 13. 

The two-time All-Star leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 5-7-12 in 16 games this season and leads the NHL with three shorthanded goals.  The Riverside, Connecticut native has registered 203-177-380 in 587 career games and currently ranks second on the club’s all-time list in goals, points and games played, trailing only Rick Nash (289-258-547 in 674 games) in all three categories.

The Blue Jackets return to action tonight when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes.  Game time from PNC Arena is 7 p.m. ET.  The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Ohio and the FOX Sports Go app.  Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with the “Blue Jackets Live” pre-game show.  The game will also be broadcast on the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, including flagship station 97.1 The Fan.

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