Columbus Blue Jackets loan Andre Benoit to Bridgeport (AHL)

COLUMBUS, OHIO ---The Columbus Blue Jackets have loaned defenseman Andre Benoit, currently playing with the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.

Benoit, 34, has tallied 1-4-5 and 22 penalty minutes in 31 games with Cleveland this season and has 52-159-211 and 293 penalty minutes in 422 career AHL games. He registered 11-37-48 and 60 penalty minutes in 181 career NHL games with Ottawa, Colorado, Buffalo and St. Louis between 2010-16. His best NHL campaign was 2013-14 when he picked up 7-21-28 and 26 penalty minutes in 79 games with the Avalanche.
A native of St. Albert, Ontario, Benoit signed with Columbus as a free agent in July 2017 after spending the 2016-17 season with IF Malmo in the Swedish Hockey League. He collected 6-18-24 and 22 penalty minutes in 52 games with IF Malmo, leading all club defensemen in assists and points.