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Blue Jackets Trade Forward Markus Hannikainen to Arizona Coyotes, Add Forward Calvin Thurkauf to Roster on Emergency Recall

February 24, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL) - Cleveland Monsters News Release


CLEVELAND - The AHL's Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Monday that the Blue Jackets traded forward Markus Hannikainen to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Columbus also added forward Calvin Thurkauf to their roster on emergency recall from the Monsters.

A 6'1", 200 lb. left-shooting native of Helsinki, Finland, Hannikainen, 26, posted 7-11-18 with six penalty minutes and a -4 rating in 28appearances for Cleveland this season and signed a one-year, one-way contract extension with the Blue Jackets on June 17, 2019. In 91 career NHL appearances, all for Columbus spanning parts of four seasons from 2015-19, Hannikainen tallied 8-7-15 with 14 penalty minutes and a -8 rating. In 143 career AHL appearances, all for Lake Erie/Cleveland spanning parts of four seasons from 2015-20, Hannikainen logged 33-45-78 with 48 penalty minutes and a +9 rating. In the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, Hannikainen contributed 3-7-10 with two penalty minutes and a +12 rating in 16 appearances for the Monsters, helping the club claim the Calder Cup as AHL Playoff Champions.

Prior to his North American professional career, Hannikainen notched 22-31-53 with 67 penalty minutes and a +26 rating in 117 Liiga appearances for Jokerit, HPK and JyP spanning parts of four seasons from 2011-15, helping JyP claim the 2015 Liiga Bronze Medal. Internationally, Hannikainen represented Finland in the 2012 and 2013 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships and the 2017 IIHF World Championships.

A 6'2", 212 lb. left-shooting native of Zug, Switzerland, Thurkauf, 22, was originally selected by Columbus in the seventh round (185th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and signed a three-year, two-way entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets on December 30, 2016. Thurkauf made his NHL debut for Columbus on Saturday in Nashville and posted 9-16-25 with 37 penalty minutes and a +6 rating in 47 appearances for the Monsters this season. In 148 career AHL appearances for Cleveland spanning three seasons from 2017-20, Thurkauf contributed 22-29-51 with 101 penalty minutes and a -10 rating.

Prior to his professional career, Thurkauf tallied 51-64-115 with 141 penalty minutes and a +53 rating in 121 WHL appearances for the Kelowna Rockets spanning two seasons from 2015-17. Additionally, Thurkauf represented Switzerland in the 2016 and 2017 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships.

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