USHL stars Kivlenieks and Kulbakov to share work in goal for Blue Jackets prospects

When the Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect team takes the ice at the annual Traverse City Prospects Tournament on Friday, it will have a pair of USHL graduates guarding the crease.

Since the end of the 2016-17 NHL season, the Blue Jackets have signed both Matiss Kivlenieks, the 2016-17 USHL Goaltender of the Year from the Sioux City Musketeers and Ivan Kulbakov, the puck stopper for the Youngstown Phantoms last season.

Kulbakov was officially signed by the Cleveland Monsters to a one-year contract in late August while Kivlenieks was signed by the same team earlier this summer. Another USHL goaltender, Joseph Korenar who protected the crease for the Lincoln Stars last season was signed as a Free Agent by the San Jose Sharks.

The Blue Jackets traded goaltender Anton Forsberg to the Chicago BlackHawks at the end of last season as part of a player along with Brandon Said for Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and a draft pick that ended up being Jonathan Davidsson.

With Joonas Korpisalo expected to make the jump to the NHL as a full time back up now for Sergei Bobrovsky, there appears to be at least one opening on the Monsters in the American Hockey League.

The Blue Jackets currently do not have an affiliate at the ECHL level.

The Jackets are defending champions at the Traverse City tournament which involves Prospects from all five Midwest-based NHL teams including the host Detroit Red Wings, Chicago BlackHawks, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues along with the Blue Jackets. Also at the tournament are Prospect teams from the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricane and Dallas Stars.