Blue Jackets Assign Four Players to Monsters

Oct 10, 2021

The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Sunday that the Blue Jackets assigned forwards Justin Danforth and Liam Foudy, defenseman Gavin Bayreuther and goaltender Daniil Tarasov to the Monsters.

 

A 5’9”, 185 lb. right-shooting native of Oshawa, ON, Danforth, 28, posted 4-3-7 with 16 penalty minutes and a +2 rating in 21 AHL appearances for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Rochester Americans spanning parts of two seasons from 2016-18. In 115 Liiga appearances for Lukko spanning two seasons from 2018-20, Danforth supplied 45-67-112 with 99 penalty minutes and a +33 rating while claiming 2019-20 Liiga All-Star honors along with the 2019-20 Lasse Oksanen Award as Liiga’s Best Regular-Season Player and the Veli-Pekka Ketola Trophy as Liiga’s top scorer. In 2020-21, Danforth registered 22-32-55 with 50 penalty minutes and a +3 rating in 58 KHL appearances for Vityak Podolsk. In 47 ECHL appearances for the Reading Royals and Cincinnati Cyclones spanning parts of two seasons from 2016-18, Danforth tallied 29-33-62 with 42 penalty minutes and a +25 rating. In 2017-18, Danforth was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, the ECHL All-Star Game and the ECHL Second All-Star Team while claiming the John A. Daley Trophy as ECHL Rookie of the Year.

 

Prior to his professional career, Danforth logged 42-82-124 with 125 penalty minutes and a -11 rating in 147 NCAA appearances for Sacred Heart University spanning four seasons from 2013-17. In 2013-14, Danforth was named to the AHA All-Rookie Team and claimed AHA Rookie of the Year honors. Danforth was also named to the 2015-16 AHA Second All-Conference Team and the 2016-17 AHA First All-Star Team. Internationally, Danforth helped Canada claim Gold Medal honors at the 2020-21 IIHF World Championship and the 2019-20 Spengler Cup.

 

A 6’2”, 183 lb. left-shooting native of Toronto, ON, Foudy, 21, was selected by Columbus in the first round (18th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 26 appearances for the Blue Jackets spanning parts of two seasons from 2019-21, Foudy posted 0-5-5 with six penalty minutes and a +1 rating and added 1-1-2 with a -1 rating in ten playoff appearances for Columbus in 2020. In 12 AHL appearances for the Monsters in 2020-21, Foudy notched 3-13-16 with a +7 rating and added 2-0-2 with two penalty minutes and a +3 rating in eight postseason appearances for Cleveland in 2019. Prior to his professional career, Foudy registered 97-94-191 with 97 penalty minutes and a +79 rating in 230 OHL appearances for the London Knights spanning parts of four seasons from 2016-20, captaining the team in 2019-20. Internationally, Foudy helped Canada claim Gold Medal honors at the 2019-20 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship and the 2020-21 IIHF World Championship.

 

A 6’1”, 194 lb. left-shooting native of Concord, NH, Bayreuther, 27, posted 3-3-6 with 17 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 28 NHL appearanes for the Dallas Stars and Columbus spanning parts of the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. In 212 AHL appearances for the Texas Stars and Cleveland spanning parts of five seasons from 2016-21, Bayreuther posted 25-78-103 with 98 penalty minutes and a -4 rating.

 

Prior to his professional career, Bayreuther supplied 35-76-111 with 92 penalty minutes and a +24 rating in 142 NCAA appearances for St. Lawrence University spanning four seasons from 2013-17. During his time at St. Lawrence, Bayreuther claimed ECAC Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team and ECAC Second All-Star Team in 2013-14 and was named to the NCAA Second All-American Team, ECAC All-Tournament Team and ECAC First All-Star Team in 2015-16. In 2016-17, Bayreuther was again named to the NCAA Second All-American Team and ECAC First All-Star Team. In 60 USHL appearances for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Fargo Force in 2012-13, Bayreuther contributed 9-24-33 with 43 penalty minutes and a +8 rating and was named to the 2012-13 USHL All-Rookie Team.

 

A 6’5”, 185 lb. left-catching native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, Tarasov, 22, was selected by Columbus in the third round (86th overall ) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and went 4-2-0 with a 3.16 goals-against average (GAA) and .896 save percentage (S%) in six appearances for the Monsters last season. In 18 KHL appearances for Salavat Yulaev Ufa during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons, Tarasov went 11-4-3 with two shutouts, a 2.13 GAA and .924 S%. In 2019-20, Tarasov went 11-17-9 with one shutout, a 2.72 GAA and .899 S% in 41 Liiga appearances for Assat Pori. Internationally, Tarasov helped Russia claim Bronze Medal honors at the 2018-19 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship.

 

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