Columbus Blue Jackets sign Nathan Gerbe to two-year contract extension

COLUMBUS, OHIO -The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Nathan Gerbe to a two-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract through the 2019-20 season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Gerbe, 30, has registered 58 goals and 80 assists for 138 points with 172 penalty minutes in 396 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes and added 3-1-4 in nine Stanley Cup playoff contests. Signed by the Blue Jackets on January 24, he has appeared in two games with Columbus this season and tallied 2-11-13 and 10 penalty minutes in 18 games with the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters, raising his career AHL totals to 43-64-107 and 119 penalty minutes in 119 games.

The Oxford, Michigan native tallied 2-5-7 and 85 penalty minutes in 19 games with Genève-Servette HC in the National League (Switzerland) earlier this season and registered 13-22-35 and 107 penalty minutes in 38 games with the club over the past two campaigns. Prior to joining Genève-Servette HC, Gerbe spent six seasons in the NHL, including 2010-11 when he set career highs in goals and points with 16-15-31 in 64 games with Buffalo. He later tied his career highs in goals and points with 16-15-31 in a personal-best 81 games with Carolina in 2014-15. He most recently recorded 3-4-7 and 14 penalty minutes in 47 games with the Hurricanes in 2015-16.
The 5-4, 176-pound forward was drafted by Buffalo in the fifth round, 142nd overall, at the 2005 NHL Draft. Prior to turning pro, he racked up 71-62-133, 216 penalty minutes and a +43 plus/minus rating in 123 career games at Boston College from 2005-08. He helped the Eagles win a national championship and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top collegiate hockey player in 2007-08 after leading the NCAA in goals and points with 35-33-68 in 43 games.