The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned center Liam Foudy, the club's first round pick, 18th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft, to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. Foudy is expected to join the Monsters prior to Game One of the club's Calder Cup Playoffs series against the Syracuse Crunch on Friday.

Foudy, 19, signed a three-year entry level contract with the Blue Jackets on July 30, 2018 and spent this season with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. He set career highs with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points with 32 penalty minutes and a +39 plus/minus rating in 62 games in 2018-19, ranking second-T in the OHL in shorthanded goals (seven) and 20th-T in goals. He was third among London players in goals, points and game-winning goals (five) and had a 13-game point streak from January 9 to February 2 in which he notched 13-9-22 and five multi-point efforts. He added 6-6-12 and 12 penalty minutes in 11 playoff contests.

The 6-0, 174-pound native of Scarborough, Ontario has registered 69-54-123, 73 penalty minutes and a +38 plus/minus rating in 185 career OHL games with the Knights. He collected 24-16-40 and 22 penalty minutes in 65 outings in his first full campaign in 2017-18. He was selected by London in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2016 OHL Priority Draft.

Foudy also has represented Canada internationally on two occasions. He posted 2-2-4 in five games at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 World Championships and collected 0-3-3 in six contests for Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The Blue Jackets defeated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round and have advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in franchise history. The Jackets will play either the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs in the next round with game dates and times to be determined.