Blue Jackets activate Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko off injured reserve

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner appears ready to make his season debut four months since having surgery to repair a shoulder injury.

President of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said Friday that Jenner and fellow forward Kirill Marchenko had been activated off injured reserve. Marchenko is back after having surgery on his broken jaw earlier this month.

Jenner’s return to the lineup comes just in time for him to play in the Stadium Series outdoor game against Detroit on March 1 at Ohio State’s stadium. The 31-year-old was injured during a training camp practice Oct. 4, and when he had surgery a few days later, Waddell was hopeful Jenner would be back playing games before the end of the NHL regular season.

The injury news is not all good, though, as the Blue Jackets will be without forwards Kevin Labanc and Owen Sillinger for the rest of the season. The team said Labanc had shoulder surgery on Tuesday, while Sillinger is out with a knee injury.

Despite the rash of injuries and expectations of being near the bottom of the standings, Columbus is firmly in contention, one point out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 26 games left to play.