Angle signs with Blue Jackets

Tyler Angle, who seems to stand out every time he steps onto the ice with the Monsters, on March 23 signed a three-year entry level contract with the Blue Jackets. The deal kicks in in the 2021-22 season.

Angle, 20, has been playing with the Monsters on an amateur tryout contract. The five-foot-10, 172-pound center has four goals and three assists in six games. His behind-the-back pass to set up a goal by Liam Foudy in the March 27 game with the Texas Stars belongs on a highlight reel. He is tied for the Monsters’ team lead in goals scored despite playing in only six of their 12 games.

The Blue Jackets selected Angle in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. He was with the Monsters on an amateur tryout contract because he had yet to sign his contract with the Blue Jackets, although his rights still belonged to Columbus.

Under normal circumstances, because of his age, Angle would be playing with Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League, but the OHL is shut down because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Players from the OHL drafted by NHL teams are permitted to play with their AHL affiliates during these unusual circumstances.

Angle is playing with Cleveland because the Monsters are the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. He will be in the Blue Jackets training camp next September and either stick with the parent team or be reassigned to the Monsters.

Angle has a stat line of 61-71-132 and 120 penalty minutes in 228 career games with the Windsor Spitfires from 2016-20. He set career highs in goals, assists, points and plus/minus rating in 2019-20 after collecting 29-38-67 with 38 penalty minutes and a +13 plus/minus rating in 62 games. He is a native of Niagara Falls, Canada.

The Monsters next game is 6:05 p.m. March 31 in Rochester. Their next game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is 7 p.m. April 3 against the Grand Rapids Griffins.