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Cleveland Monsters

Blue Jackets Recall Three from Monsters

December 6, 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 Wednesday that the Blue Jackets added defenseman Nick Blankenburg and goaltender Jet Greaves to their roster on emergency recall and additionally recalled forward Emil Bemstrom from Cleveland. Also, goaltender Daniil Tarasov's long-term injured reserve conditioning loan from Columbus to Cleveland is now a regular conditioning loan. In 18 appearances for the Monsters this year, Blankenburg posted 3-8-11 with 20 penalty minutes and a +9 rating while Greaves went 9-3-0 with one shutout, a 3.09 goals-against average (GAA) and .899 save percentage (S%) in 12 appearances for Cleveland, and Bemstrom supplied 10-4-14 with six penalty minutes and a +9 rating in eight appearances for the Monsters this season.

A 5'9", 178 lb. right-shooting native of Washington, MI, Blankenburg, 25, registered 5-12-17 with 20 penalty minutes in 43 career NHL appearances, all for Columbus, spanning parts of two seasons from 2021-23. Prior to his professional career, Blankenburg contributed 25-43-68 with 62 penalty minutes and a +50 rating in 133 career NCAA appearances for the University of Michigan spanning four seasons from 2018-22. In 2021-22, Blankenburg wore the captain's "C" for Michigan, helped the Wolverines claim the Big Ten Tournament Championship, claimed the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award, and was named to the NCAA Lowe's Senior Class All-American First Team. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, Blankenburg was named to the Big Ten's Honorable Mention All-Star Team.

A 6'0", 191 lb. left-catching native of Cambridge, ON, Greaves, 22, went 0-1-0 with a 3.05 GAA and a .939 S% in one appearance for Columbus last season in the first NHL action of his career. In 84 career AHL appearances, all for Cleveland, spanning parts of three seasons from 2021-23, Greaves went 40-31-7 with four shutouts, a 3.00 GAA, and a .901 S%. In 15 appearances for the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings in 2021-22, Greaves went 10-5-0 with a 3.05 GAA and a .907 S%. Prior to his professional career, Greaves went 20-27-5 with three shutouts, a 3.71 GAA, and a .899 S% in 60 OHL appearances for the Barrie Colts spanning two seasons from 2018-20 and was named to the 2018-19 OHL First All-Rookie Team.

A 6'0", 193 lb. right-shooting native of Nykoping, Sweden, Bemstrom, 24, was selected by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 184 career NHL appearances, all for Columbus, spanning parts of five seasons from 2019-23, Bemstrom logged 29-33-62 with 22 penalty minutes. In 33 career AHL appearances, all for Cleveland, spanning parts of three seasons from 2021-23, Bemstrom registered 26-21-47 with 12 penalty minutes and a +5 rating. Prior to his North American professional career, Bemstrom supplied 8-9-17 with two penalty minutes and a +2 rating in 16 appearances for HIFK Helsinki in Finland's Liiga in 2020-21 and posted 23-12-35 with eight penalty minutes and a +9 rating in 52 appearances for Leksands IF and Djurgardens IF in Sweden's SHL spanning parts of two seasons from 2016-17 and 2018-19. Bemstrom was named the SHL's Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 while helping Djurgardens IF claim the SHL's Silver Medal. Internationally, Bemstrom represented Sweden at the 2021-22 IIHF World Championship and the 2018-19 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, and was named Sweden's Junior Player of the Year in 2018-19.

A 6'5", 196 lb. left-catching native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, Tarasov, 24, was originally selcted by Columbus in the third round (86th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 21 career NHL appearances for the Blue Jackets spanning parts of two seasons from 2021-23, Tarasov went 4-13-1 with a 3.66 GAA and .900 S%. In 29 career AHL appearances for the Monsters spanning parts of four seasons from 2020-23, Tarasov went 15-10-3 with a 3.31 GAA and .890 S%. In 2019-20, Tarasov went 11-17-9 with one shutout, a 2.72 GAA and .899 S% in 41 appearances for Assat Pori in Finland's Liiga. In 18 appearances for Salavat Ufa in Russia's KHL spanning parts of two seasons from 2018-19 and 2020-21, Tarasov went 11-4-3 with two shutouts, a 2.13 GAA and .924 S%. In international competition, Tarasov helped Russia claim Bronze Medal honors at the 2018-19 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship.

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