Former Barrie Colts forward Justin Scott is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after being called up by the Columbus Blue Jackets on an emergency basis.
The Blue Jackets face the Bruins tonight in Boston in a 7 p.m. start. The game is being televised on Rogers Sportsnet East.
Scott, a 24-year-old Burlington native, was called up after Columbus forward Alexandre Texier was placed on injured reserve
With the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters this season, Scott has six goals, eight assists and 42 penalty minutes in 33 games. Standing six-foot-one and weighing 198 pounds, he'll bring some size to the Columbus lineup against the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins.
Scott played four seasons (2012-16) with the Colts, amassing 69 goals and 78 assists in 251 regular-season games, as well as 20 goals and 10 assists in 42 OHL playoff games.
Scott's breakout season came in 2014-15 when he cracked the 30-goal plateau, followed by a spectacular playoff run in 2015-16 when he scored 17 goals in 15 games.
Undrafted by an NHL team, Scott signed with Columbus as a free agent on April 15, 2016, and is now in his fourth season with the Cleveland Monsters.
Scott has collected 38 goals and 41 assists for 79 points, as well as 231 penalty minutes, in 231 career AHL games.
Texier, 20, is out indefinitely with a lumbar stress fracture suffered in Tuesday's game versus the Florida Panthers. He has posted six goals and seven assists for 13 points with 10 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating in 36 games this season.
A native of St. Martin D'heres, France, Texier leads Blue Jackets rookies in goals, assists, points and shots (49) and is tied for third in plus/minus rating.
The Blue Jackets (18-14-8) are five points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Bruins (24-7-10) are second in the Eastern Conference.
