COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday forward Alexandre Texier will rejoin the club for the 2023-24 season.
General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen said the 23-year-old center spent this past season with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League.
The team also announced that the second year of Texier’s two-year contract, which was signed on July 28, 2021, will cover the 2023-24 season.
In March 2022, the club granted Texier a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. At the time, Kelalainen said Texier experienced personal losses of people close to him.
Five months later, the club announced Texier would not play for them during the 2022-23 season and needed to be closer to family.
“Alexandre Texier is an outstanding, young player who is an important part of our team and we are excited that he will be rejoining the club as expected next season,” Kekalainen said. “His well-being has been our sole priority and we couldn’t be happier that he is ready to resume what is a very promising NHL career at this time.”
The Frenchman has scored 22 goals and 27 assists with Columbus since making his NHL debut in 2018. He was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
