Jackets Activate Hannikainen Off IR, Recall Letestu From Monsters

The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated left wing Markus Hannikainen off Injured Reserve and recalled center Mark Letestu from the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Hannikainen, 25, has missed the past six games with an elbow injury suffered on January 8 at Tampa Bay. In 34 games with the Blue Jackets this season, the 6-1, 200-pound forward has registered four goals and three assists for seven points with two penalty minutes, setting NHL career highs in goals, points and games played. Signed by Columbus as a free agent on April 20, 2015, the Helsinki, Finland native has registered 8-7-15 and 14 penalty minutes in 81 career NHL games over the past four seasons.
Letestu, 33, has recorded 93-117-210 with 90 penalty minutes in 558 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins. He is one of six players in Blue Jackets history to play for the organization on multiple occasions, posting 44-58-102 and 36 penalty minutes in 253 career games from 2011-15 and 2017-18. In 2017-18, he collected 9-14-23 and 10 penalty minutes in 80 contests with the Oilers and Blue Jackets, including 1-3-4 in 20 appearances with Columbus after being acquired in a trade on February 25.

The Elk Point, Alberta native has added 64-96-160, 67 penalty minutes and a +26 plus/minus rating in 230 career AHL games with the Monsters and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2006-10 and 2018-19. He ranks second on Cleveland in goals and fourth in points with 13-13-26 in 39 appearances in 2018-19. The 5-10, 194-pound center was originally acquired by Columbus in a trade from Pittsburgh on Nov. 8, 2011. He was signed by the Penguins as a free agent in March 2007 after spending 2006-07 at Western Michigan University.
The Blue Jackets return to action tonight when they host the Buffalo Sabres. Game time from Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FOX Sports Ohio begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. All Blue Jackets games televised on FOX Sports Ohio will also be streamed live via the FOX Sports app. The game may also be heard on the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs Blue Jackets Radio Network, including CD102.5 FM in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.