CBJ assign Kivlenieks, Lilja and Peeke to Cleveland

The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, left wing Jakob Lilja and defenseman Andrew Peeke to the Cleveland Monsters, the club's American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Kivlenieks, 23, is 1-0-1 with a 1.49 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in two games with the Blue Jackets this season. He turned aside 31 shots in a 2-1 victory at the NY Rangers on January 19, becoming the second player in franchise history to win his NHL debut (Steve Mason). The Riga, Latvia native is 9-7-2 with a 2.91 GAA, .903 SV% and one shutout in 18 games with the Monsters in 2019-20. Signed by Columbus to an entry level contract on May 25, 2017, Kivlenieks has posted a 27-32-7 record, 3.22 GAA, .891 SV% and three shutouts in 75 career AHL appearances with Cleveland since making his professional debut in 2017-18.

Lilja, 26, made his NHL debut in the Blue Jackets' 2019-20 season opener on October 4 against Toronto and has recorded two goals and two assists for four points with two penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in 27 appearances with the club. He registered his first career NHL assist on October 16 vs. Dallas and his first career goal on December 27 at Washington. The Malmo, Sweden native has added 4-5-9 in 18 games with the Monsters this season. The winger, who signed a one-year entry level contract with Columbus on June 15, 2019, notched 48-51-99 with 71 penalty minutes and a +14 plus/minus rating in 222 career Swedish Hockey League contests from 2012-19.

Peeke, 21, has registered 0-1-1 with two penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating in seven games with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20. He made his NHL debut on December 5 vs. the NY Rangers and collected his first NHL point with an assist on December 16 vs. Washington. A native of Parkland, Florida, he has added 5-11-16 with six penalty minutes and is +2 in 28 contests with Cleveland in this season. Columbus' second round pick, 34th overall, at the 2016 NHL Draft, he registered 12-40-52, 62 penalty minutes and a +20 plus/minus rating in 119 career outings at the University of Notre Dame (Big Ten) from 2016-19.