Columbus Places Huselius on IR; Blunden Recalled

[Thrillhouse]

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed left wing Kristian Huselius on injured reserve retroactive to October 23 and added right wing Michael Blunden to the roster on emergency recall from the Springfield Falcons, Columbus’ American Hockey League affiliate, club Executive Vice President and General Manager Scott Howson announced today. Huselius suffered a lower body injury at Chicago on October 23 and is out indefinitely.

Blunden, 23, has registered seven goals and five assists for 12 points, 12 penalty minutes and is +4 in 13 games with the Falcons this season. He leads the team in goals and power play goals, while ranking second in points and plus/minus rating. He recorded 2-2-4, 59 penalty minutes and was +3 in 40 games with the Blue Jackets and collected 7-9-16 and 43 penalty minutes in 25 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch in 2009-10.

Chicago’s second pick, 43rd overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft, Blunden was acquired by the Blue Jackets from Chicago in exchange for Adam Pineault on Jan. 10, 2009. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Blunden has tallied 40-59-99, 253 penalty minutes and a +6 cumulative plus/minus rating in 203 career AHL games. Prior to his professional career, he notched 100-81-181 and 246 penalty minutes in 236 games with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League from 2002-2006.