Blue Jackets sign Copley, Bezeau to one-year deals
The Columbus Blue Jackets have added some depth to the roster, signing goaltender Pheonix Copley and forward Riley Bezeau to one-year contracts with $850,000 cap hits.
The #CBJ have signed 34 y/o G Pheonix Copley to a 1 year $850K cap hit contract Deal is 1-way Rep'd by Gerry Johannson @GJTSC puckpedia.com/player/pheonix…
Bezeau’s 🔙! We’ve signed right wing Riley Bezeau to a one-year, two-way contract. 📝 cbj.co/bezeau-070126 CBJ x @OHHeartofitAll
Copley is an NHL veteran with 78 games played over 10 seasons. While he has primarily served as a backup, Copley has a career record of 44-17-8 with three shutouts and a .898 save percentage. The 34-year-old’s best NHL season to date came in 2022-23, when he went 24-6-3 with one shutout. It also marked the last year in which he saw regular NHL action, having combined for just 10 starts over the past three seasons.
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Copley has primarily played in the AHL, where he had a 21-11-1 record with the Ontario Reign last year. Through 11 AHL campaigns, Copley has a career record of 169-104-40 with 18 shutouts in 312 games.
Look for Copley to spend 2026-27 with the Cleveland Monsters, while Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves will continue to hold down the fort with the big club.
Bezeau, 24, is coming off his fourth career AHL campaign. He had five goals and seven points in 24 games with the Monsters, where he spent more time trying to fight opponents with 74 penalty minutes in that span. He had an additional goal and 39 PIM during the 2025-26 Calder Cup playoffs. Bezeau, an undrafted free agent signing, has 15 goals and 27 points alongside 244 penalty minutes in 131 AHL games over five years. He has yet to make the jump to the NHL, and will likely stay in the AHL for the upcoming campaign.
The Blue Jackets can still be busy this offseason with $23 million in current cap space. Moving defenseman Zach Werenski would open up further cap space, although nothing appears imminent regarding a trade on that front.