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AHL Cleveland Monsters

Blue Jackets Assign Four Players to Monsters

April 7, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Monsters News Release


CLEVELAND - The AHL's Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Friday that the Blue Jackets assigned forwards Josh Dunne and Joona Luoto, and defensemen Marcus Bjork and Billy Sweezey to Cleveland.

Dunne posted four penalty minutes in seven appearances for Columbus this season and added 20-16-36 with 67 penalty minutes in 59 appearances for Cleveland. Luoto supplied 1-0-1 in four appearances for the Blue Jackets this year and added 14-11-25 with ten penalty minutes and a +2 rating in 43 appearances for the Monsters. In 32 appearances for the Blue Jackets this season, Bjork registered 3-8-11 with 42 penalty minutes and added 6-7-13 with 18 penalty minutes in 40 appearances for the Monsters. In six appearances for the Blue Jackets this season, Sweezey registered 0-1-1 with five penalty minutes and added 0-11-11 with 62 penalty minutes in 52 apperances for Cleveland this year.

A 6'4", 204 lb. left-shooting native of O'Fallon, MO, Dunne, 24, signed a one-year, two-way contract with Columbus on July 1, 2022. In 13 career NHL appearances for the Blue Jackets during the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, Dunne registered eight penalty minutes and added 34-23-57 with 120 penalty minutes in 103 career AHL appearances, all for Cleveland, spanning parts of three seasons from 2020-23.

Prior to his professional career, Dunne notched 29-26-55 with 70 penalty minutes and a +24 rating in 78 career NCAA appearances for Clarkson University spanning three seasons from 2018-21. Dunne served as Clarkson's captain in 2020-21, was named to the 2019-20 ECAC Third All-Star Team, and helped the Golden Knights claim the 2018-19 ECAC Tournament Championship. In 140 career USHL appearances for the Green Bay Gamblers spanning parts of four seasons from 2014-18, Dunne logged 34-40-74 with 91 penalty minutes and a +16 rating.

In 27 appearances for Tappara Tampere in Finland's Liiga last season, Luoto posted 9-5-14 with 12 penalty minutes and a +8 rating and earned the Jari Kurri Award as Liiga's Playoff MVP, helping Tappara claim the 2021-22 Liiga Championship. A 6'3", 192 lb. left-shooting native of Tampere, Finland, Luoto, 24, tallied 1-0-1 with two penalty minutes in 20 career NHL appearances for the Winnipeg Jets in 2019-20 and Columbus in 2022-23, and added 2-6-8 with 22 penalty minutes in 29 AHL appearances for the Manitoba Moose in 2019-20 as well.

In 175 Liiga appearances for Tappara and HIFK Helsinki spanning parts of five seasons from 2016-19 and 2020-22, Luoto contributed 35-26-61 with 66 penalty minutes and a +24 rating. Luoto additionally helped Tappara claim the 2018-19 Liiga Bronze Medal, 2017-18 Liiga Silver Medal, and the 2016-17 Liiga Championship. Luoto also represented Finland at the 2016-17 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship.

A 6'4", 211 lb. right-shooting native of Umea, Sweden, Bjork, 25, registered 17-47-64 with 98 penalty minutes in 204 appearances for Orebro HK, the Malmo Redhawks, and Brynas IF in Sweden's SHL spanning four seasons from 2018-22. Prior to his professional career, Bjork logged 1-2-3 with six penalty minutes in eight appearances for the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2016-17.

A 6'2", 203 lb. right-shooting native of Hanson, MA, Sweezey, 27, logged 4-22-26 with 202 penalty minutes in 144 career AHL appearances spanning parts of three seasons from 2020-23 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Cleveland. Prior to his professional career, Sweezey tallied 3-26-29 with 159 penalty minutes and a +16 rating in 127 career NCAA appearances for Yale University spanning four seasons from 2016-20. Sweezey added 3-1-4 with 135 penalty minutes and a +8 rating in 58 career USHL appearances for the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Chicago Steel spanning parts of two seasons from 2014-16.

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