Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced Thursday that forward Alexandre Texier will take an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons.
“Recently, Tex has experienced personal losses of people very close to him and our priority right now is to support him in every way possible,” Kekalainen said in a statement. “We are going to give him the time he needs and look forward to welcoming him back to the Blue Jackets family when he is ready.”
The 22-year-old native of France hasn’t played since Jan. 26, when he fractured a finger during a game against the Calgary Flames.
A 2017 second-round draft pick, Texier has played in 123 career games over parts of four NHL seasons for Columbus. He has tallied 22 goals and 27 assists along with 44 penalty minutes. In 36 games this season, Texier has already set career bests of 11 goals and 20 points.
–Field Level Media