The Cleveland Monsters announced Friday that the Blue Jackets reassigned goaltender Cam Johnson to the Monsters from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and Cleveland signed forward Robbie Payne to a professional tryout (PTO) contract. In five appearances for the Monsters this season, Johnson went 1-2-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average (GAA) and .892 save percentage (S%) and added a record of 8-3-2 with one shutout, a 1.85 GAA and .923 S% in 13 appearances for Florida. Payne posted 1-1-2 with a -2 rating in five AHL appearances for the Monsters and Springfield Thunderbirds this season and added 16-13-29 with 40 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 37 appearances for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.

A 6’1”, 205 lb. left-catching native of Troy, MI, Johnson, 27, went 12-18-6 with one shutout, a 3.65 GAA and a .875 S% in 37 career AHL appearances for the Binghamton Devils and the Monsters spanning parts of three seasons from 2017-19 and 2021-22. In 51 career ECHL appearances for the Adirondack Thunder and Florida spanning parts of four seasons from 2018-22, Johnson went 31-14-4 with six shutouts, a 2.17 GAA and a .925 S%. Prior to his professional career, Johnson went 56-26-12 with 12 shutouts, a 2.10 GAA and a .914 S% in 102 NCAA appearances for the University of North Dakota spanning four seasons from 2014-18. During his time at North Dakota, Johnson helped capture the 2015-16 NCAA National Championship and was named to the 2015-16 NCAA All-Tournament Team, NCHC Second All-Star Team, and NCAA Second All-American Team. In two seasons of USHL action with the Fargo Force and Waterloo Black Hawks from 2012-14, Johnson went 27-23-10 with two shutouts, a 2.87 GAA and a .915 S%.

A 5’11”, 194 lb. right-shooting native of Gaylord, MI, Payne, 28, tallied 3-7-10 with 13 penalty minutes and a -5 rating in 40 career AHL appearances for the Texas Stars, Springfield, and the Monsters spanning parts of three seasons from 2017-19 and 2021-22. In 94 career ECHL appearances for the Idaho Steelheads and Adirondack spanning parts of three seasons from 2018-20 and 2021-22, Payne notched 34-39-73 with 102 penalty minutes and a +7 rating. Prior to his professional career, Payne logged 54-40-94 with 42 penalty minutes and a +18 rating in 158 career NCAA appearances for the University of Northern Michigan spanning four seasons from 2014-18. In 2017-18, Payne wore the captain’s “C” for the Wildcats and was named to the WCHA’s Third All-Star Team. In one USHL season with the Tri-City Storm and Chicago Steel in 2013-14, Payne contributed 14-11-25 with 72 penalty minutes and a +3 rating.