CBJ place Atkinson on IR, recall four players from AHL Cleveland

The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed right wing Cam Atkinson on Injured Reserve retroactive to December 19, recalled left wing Jakob Lilja and added center Ryan MacInnis and defensemen Gabriel Carlsson and Adam Clendening to the roster on emergency recall from the Cleveland Monsters, the club's American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Atkinson, 30, is expected to miss two to three weeks due to an ankle sprain suffered vs. the Los Angeles Kings on December 19. The Riverside, Connecticut native has tallied nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 35 games this season, including 5-2-7 in the eight games prior to suffering the injury. A two-time All-Star, he has registered 195-168-363 and 142 penalty minutes in 562 career NHL games and has scored 20 or more goals in each of the past six seasons.
Clendending, 27, has notched 4-20-24, 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. He was +1 in four games with Columbus during the 2018-19 season and added 0-1-1, two penalty minutes and was +1 in seven games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Clendening was selected by Chicago in the second round, 36th overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft. He currently leads all Cleveland defensemen in scoring with 5-13-18, has 28 penalty minutes and is +6 in 26 games. The two-time AHL All-Star has registered 37-179-216 and 393 penalty minutes in 332 career AHL games. A native of Niagara Falls, New York, he played two seasons at Boston University (Hockey East) from 2010-12.
Lilja (0-2-2, 12 games with CBJ in 2019-20), MacInnis (0-0-0, two games with CBJ in 2019-20) and Carlsson (0-0-0, two games in 2019-20 with CBJ) all return to the club after being reassigned to Cleveland on December 23.
The Blue Jackets will return to action on Friday following the National Hockey League's holiday break when they visit the Washington Capitals. Game time from Capital One Arena is 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Ohio and the FOX Sports Go app. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with the "Blue Jackets Live" pre-game show. The game will also be broadcast on the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, including Sports Radio 97.1