COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Oleg Yevenko to a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract extension through the 2016-17 season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Yevenko, 25, has registered one goal and three assists for four points and is third in the American Hockey League with 142 penalty minutes while playing in 48 games this season with Cleveland’s Lake Erie Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. Signed by Columbus to a one-year NHL/AHL contract on October 1, 2015, he has collected 1-3-4 and 156 penalty minutes in 52 career AHL games since making his professional debut with the Adirondack Flames at the end of the 2014-15 season.

The Minsk, Belarus native recorded 1-9-10 with 211 penalty minutes and 182 blocked shots in 132 career games with the University of Massachusetts (Hockey East) from 2011-15. He notched 0-5-5 and 51 penalty minutes in 36 games while serving as alternate captain in his senior campaign. He finished second in the conference and 11th among NCAA Division I skaters with 89 blocked shots in 2014-15.

Yevenko has tallied 0-4-4 and 14 penalty minutes in 21 appearances for Belarus in international competition. He represented Belarus at the 2014 and 2015 IIHF World Championships and also skated in the 2009 IIHF U18 World Junior Championships.