Blue Jackets recall goaltender McKenna, assign Chaput to Springfield
Press release from the Blue Jackets:
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have added goaltender Mike McKenna to the roster on emergency recall from the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. The club has also assigned forward Michael Chaput to Springfield.
McKenna, 30, has appeared in 17 career NHL games with Tampa Bay and New Jersey, amassing a record of 4-9-1 to go along with a 3.49 goals-against-average and .887 save-percentage. This season, he is 6-2-0 with a 1.45 GAA, .943 SV% and two shutouts in eight games with Springfield and was named the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for November (4-1-0, 1.16 GAA, .950 SV%, 2 SO).
The 6-3, 195-pound native of St. Louis, Missouri has compiled a 116-105-13 record with a 2.82 GAA and 14 shutouts in 252 career AHL games with Peoria, Binghamton, Albany, Norfolk, Portland, Omaha, Milwaukee and Springfield. He went 19-18-1 with a 2.42 GAA and .923 SV% in 39 appearances with Peoria in 2012-13. Nashville’s fourth pick, 172nd overall, at the 2002 NHL Draft, McKenna spent four seasons at St. Lawrence University where he posted 32 wins, a 2.85 GAA and .907 SV% in 97 career games from 2001-05.
Chaput, 21, collected 0-1-1 and two penalty minutes with an even plus/minus rating in 17 games with the Blue Jackets and has 2-2-4 with a +4 plus/minus rating in six games with Springfield this season. In 2012-13, he tallied 13-19-32 and 57 penalty minutes in 73 games as a rookie with the Falcons.
Philadelphia’s first pick, 89th overall, at the 2010 NHL Draft, Chaput was acquired by Columbus along with Greg Moore from the Flyers in exchange for Tom Sestito on February 28, 2011.
