Blue Jackets Assign Forward Joona Luoto to Monsters
Nov 13, 2022The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Sunday that the Blue Jackets assigned forward Joona Luoto to the Monsters. In 27 appearances for Tappara Tampere in Finland’s Liiga last season, Luoto posted 9-5-14 with 12 penalty minutes and a +8 rating and earned the Jari Kurri Award as Liiga’s Playoff MVP, helping Tappara claim the 2021-22 Liiga Championship.
A 6’3”, 192 lb. left-shooting native of Tampere, Finland, Luoto, 24, tallied two penalty minutes and a -3 rating in 16 NHL appearances for the Winnipeg Jets in 2019-20 and added 2-6-8 with 22 penalty minutes and a -1 rating in 29 AHL appearances for the Manitoba Moose the same year.
In 175 Liiga appearances for Tappara and HIFK Helsinki spanning parts of five seasons from 2016-19 and 2020-22, Luoto contributed 35-26-61 with 66 penalty minutes and a +24 rating. Luoto additionally helped Tappara claim the 2018-19 Liiga Bronze Medal, 2017-18 Liiga Silver Medal, and the 2016-17 Liiga Championship. Luoto also represented Finland at the 2016-17 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship.
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