The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening and goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Clendening, 27, was recalled on January 16 but did not appear in a game. He has notched four goals and 20 assists for 24 points with 49 penalty minutes and a cumulative +11 plus/minus rating in 90 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. The Niagara Falls, New York native was selected to play in his second AHL All-Star Classic on January 27 in Ontario, California. He currently ranks fifth among league defensemen in assists (tied) and points with 6-23-29, has 38 penalty minutes and is +6 in 35 games. Chicago's second round pick, 36th overall, at the 2011 NHL Draft, Clendening has posted 38-189-227 and 403 penalty minutes in 341 career AHL games.
Kivlenieks, 23, turned aside 31 shots in a 2-1 victory at the NY Rangers on January 19, becoming the second player in Blue Jackets history to win his NHL debut (Steve Mason). He is 7-7-2 with a 3.04 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and one shutout in 16 games with the Monsters in 2019-20. A native of Riga, Latvia, Kivlenieks has posted a 25-32-7 record, 3.26 GAA, .889 SV% and three shutouts in 73 career AHL outings with Cleveland since making his professional debut in 2017-18. He was signed by Columbus to an entry level contract on May 25, 2017.
The Blue Jackets return to action on Saturday, February 1 when they visit the Buffalo Sabres. Game time from KeyBank Center is 1 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FOX Sports Ohio begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show starting at 12:30 p.m. All Blue Jackets games televised on FOX Sports Ohio will also be streamed live via the FOX Sports app. The game can also be heard on the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, including WWCD 102.5 FM in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.
CBJ assign two players to AHL Cleveland
D Adam Clendening and G Matiss Kivlenieks assigned to Monsters
© Bruce Bennett/Getty Images