CBJ loan Bemstrom, Texier & Vehvilainen to trio of Liiga clubs

The Columbus Blue Jackets have loaned right wing Emil Bemstrom to HIFK Helsinki, center Alexandre Texier to KalPa and goaltender Veini Vehvilainen to JYP Jyvaskyla, all of Finland's top professional league (Liiga), club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. Bemstrom, Texier and Vehvilainen will rejoin the Blue Jackets prior to the start of the 2020-21 National Hockey League season.
Bemstrom, 21, recorded 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points with eight penalty minutes in 56 games with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20. He tied for the NHL league among rookies in game-winning goals (four) and ranked fourth-T in power play goals (five) and led club rookies in goals, points, power play goals and game-winning goals. The 6-0, 190-pound forward also skated in five contests during the 2020 postseason.
A native of Nykoping, Sweden, Bemsrom was selected by Columbus in the fourth round, 117th overall, at the 2017 NHL Draft. He led the Swedish Hockey League in goals and power play goals in 2018-19 with 23-12-35 and 10 power play tallies in 47 appearances with Djurgardens IF, earning SHL Rookie of the Year honors. He registered 23-12-35, eight penalty minutes and was +9 in 52 career SHL games with Djurgardens IF and Leksands IF from 2016-19.
Texier, who turns 21 on September 13, collected 6-7-13 with 10 penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating in 36 games this season prior to suffering a back injury during the December 31 game vs. the Florida Panthers. The injury sidelined him for the final 30 games of the 2019-20 regular season. He returned to action during the NHL's Return to Play and collected 0-4-4 and two penalty minutes, while averaging 21:52 of ice time in 10 postseason contests.
The Blue Jackets' second round pick, 45th overall, at the 2017 NHL Draft, Texier has notched 7-7-14 with 10 penalty minutes and a +6 plus/minus rating in 38 career regular season NHL games. The St. Martin D'heres, France native spent two seasons with KalPa from 2017-19 before coming to North America late in the 2018-19 season. In 108 games, the 6-1, 192-pound forward notched 27-36-63 and 74 penalty minutes and led KalPa in assists and points in 2018-19 with 14-27-41 in 55 outings.
Vehvilainen, 23, made his North American professional debut in 2019-20, going 10-18-4 with a 2.76 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and three shutouts in 33 outings with the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters. He ranked seventh-T in the AHL in shutouts.
The Jyvaskyla, Finland native was selected by the Blue Jackets in the sixth round, 173rd overall, at the 2018 NHL Draft. The 6-0, 181-pound netminder has posted a 64-30-21 record with a 1.83 GAA, .926 SV% and 13 shutouts in 119 career Liiga outings with Karpat, Sport and JYP from 2015-19, including a 17-12-6 record with a 2.09 GAA, .922 SV% and three shutouts in 37 career contests with JYP from 2015-17. He captured the Urpo Ylonen Award as Liiga's best goaltender with Karpat in 2017-18 and 2018-19.