Jackets assign Vitaly Abramov to Cleveland Monsters

COLUMBUS, OHIO --- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned forward Vitaly Abramov to the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Abramov, 18, has recorded 84 goals and 113 assists for 197 points with 112 penalty minutes and a cumulative +49 plus/minus rating in 129 career games with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. This past season he captured the Michel-Brière Trophy as the QMJHL's Most Valuable Player and the Jean Beliveau Trophy as the QMJHL's leading scorer and was named to the QMJHL first all-star team after posting career highs in goals, assists, points, penalty minutes and games played with 46-58-104, 76 penalty minutes and was +13 in 66 games. He finished third in the QMJHL in goals and assists during the regular season. The 5-10, 181-pound forward added 1-6-7 in seven postseason contests.

The Chelyabinsk, Russia native made his QMJHL debut with the Olympiques in 2015-16, notching 38-55-93 with 36 penalty minutes and a +36 plus/minus rating in 63 contests. He was named the QMJHL Rookie of the Year and won the Michel Bergeron Trophy for the QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading league rookies in goals, assists, points and plus/minus and finished fifth-T among all skaters in scoring. He was selected 13th overall by Gatineau in the 2015 CHL Import Draft.

The Blue Jackets return to action Saturdday when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers. Game time from Wells Fargo Center is 12:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FOX Sports Ohio begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show at 12 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Eldorado Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, 97.1 The Fan FM, and online at BlueJackets.com.