The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Friday that Monsters co-captain Nathan Gerbe will represent Cleveland and the North Division at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, CA from January 26-27. In five appearances for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets this season, Gerbe tallied 1-2-3 with six penalty minutes and a +2 rating and added 8-17-25 with 22 penalty minutes and a -8 rating in 30 appearances for Cleveland this year. Gerbe is Cleveland’s team-leader this season in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (4), power-play points (11) and game-winning goals (4).

A 5’4”, 176 lb. left-shooting native of Oxford, MI, Gerbe, 32, was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and signed a two-year, two-way contract extension with Columbus on March 15, 2018. In 401 career NHL appearances for Buffalo, the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus spanning ten seasons from 2008-16 and 2017-20, Gerbe tallied 59-82-141 with 178 penalty minutes and a -20 rating. In 196 career AHL appearances for the Portland Pirates and Cleveland spanning parts of five seasons from 2008-10 and 2017-19, Gerbe, a three-time AHL All-Star (2010, 2019, 2020), contributed 63-106-169 with 187 penalty minutes and a -23 rating. In 2009, Gerbe was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team and claimed the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s Rookie of the Year.

Prior to his professional career, Gerbe notched 71-62-133 with 216 penalty minutes and a +43 rating in 123 NCAA appearances for Boston College spanning three seasons from 2005-08. In 2008, Gerbe earned NCAA Tournament MVP honors, helping Boston College claim the 2008 National Championship, and was named an NCAA First-Team All-American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player. In one USHL season for the River City Lancers in 2002-03, Gerbe logged 3-3-6 with 49 penalty minutes and a +3 rating in 25 appearances and represented Team USA at the 2006 and 2007 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, helping the Americans claim Bronze Medal honors in 2007.