The Columbus Blue Jackets assigned goaltender Evan Gardner to the Cleveland Monsters, their American Hockey League affiliate, according to an announcement by club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell on Apr. 17.
Gardner, who is 20 years old, has played for the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League since making his debut in the 2023-24 season. Over his WHL career, he recorded a 69-34-13 record with a goals-against average of 2.66, a .911 save percentage, and ten shutouts in 126 appearances. In playoff games, he posted a record of 14-15 with a goals-against average of 2.90 and a .905 save percentage over thirty games.
Gardner was selected by Columbus in the second round as the sixty-first overall pick at the 2024 National Hockey League Draft. During the most recent season with Saskatoon (2025-26), he played fifty-two games and achieved a record of twenty-five wins, sixteen losses, and six overtime losses along with three shutouts. He finished second in league games played that year and was among league leaders for saves, shutouts, and wins while setting personal bests for games played, wins, and saves.
Earlier this month on April 8th, Gardner was named as a finalist for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to recognize humanitarian contributions within the league.
Gardner is originally from Fort St. John in British Columbia. In previous seasons with Saskatoon he ranked highly among Western Hockey League netminders including leading rookies during his first year (2023-24) when he had four shutouts across thirty contests.
