Cleveland Monsters | |
---|---|
City | Cleveland, Ohio |
League | American Hockey League |
Conference | Eastern |
Division | North |
Founded | 1994 (In the IHL) |
Operated | 2007–present |
Home arena | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse |
Colors | Blue, black, gold, white |
Owner(s) | Dan Gilbert |
General manager | Chris Clark [1] |
Head coach | Trent Vogelhuber |
Captain | Brendan Gaunce |
Media | Radio: WARF TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes Online: AHL.TV |
Affiliate | Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) |
Franchise history | |
1994–1995 | Denver Grizzlies |
1995–2005 | Utah Grizzlies |
2007–2016 | Lake Erie Monsters |
2016–present | Cleveland Monsters |
Championships | |
Division titles | 1 (2023–24) |
Conference titles | 1 (2015–16) |
Calder Cups | 1 (2015–16) |
Current season |
The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Monsters play home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland and have one Calder Cup championship, after winning their first title in 2016.
The Monsters began in 2006 when the dormant Utah Grizzlies AHL franchise was purchased on May 16, 2006, by a Cleveland ownership group led by Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans. [2] A new AHL team was awarded to Cleveland following the departure of the Cleveland Barons to Worcester, Massachusetts, after the 2005–06 season. [3] With Quicken Loans Arena established as the team's home venue, the Colorado Avalanche was announced on December 17, 2006, as the franchise's first NHL parent club with a five-year agreement. [2] [4]
The franchise was officially announced on January 25, 2007, as the Lake Erie Monsters, referring to Bessie, a creature of local folklore. The name was chosen from researching focus groups around the Cleveland area and the logo incorporated the geographical connection in the region with Lake Erie. [5]
Former NHL player Joe Sacco was named as the Lake Erie Monsters first head coach and Dave Oliver was named general manager. [6] [7] The Monsters opened their inaugural 2007–08 campaign with a loss at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins on October 6, 2007. [8] The team ended the season 26–41. [9]
At the end of the 2010–11 season, the Monsters qualified for the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in team history. After gaining a 3–1 series lead over the Manitoba Moose in the opening round, the Monsters proceeded to lose the next three consecutive games, losing the series 4–3. [10]
On April 17, 2015, the Monsters announced the signing of a multi-year agreement to become the AHL affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets, which took effect in the 2015–16 season. [11] The multi-season affiliation was extended in 2019. [12] [13]
The Monsters finished the 2015–16 season by setting a franchise record in points (97) and qualified for the playoffs for the second time in team history. [14] On April 23, 2016, the Monsters defeated their first round opponent, the Rockford IceHogs, 5–3, ending a three-game sweep of their opponent in a best-of-five series. [15] [16] The Monsters advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals to play the Grand Rapids Griffins in a best-of-seven series, defeating them 4–2. They then swept the defending Calder Cup Champion Ontario Reign in the Western Conference Finals to reach their first Calder Cup Final in franchise history. [17] On June 11, 2016, the Monsters won the franchise's first Calder Cup in a four-game sweep of the Hershey Bears, with Oliver Bjorkstrand scoring the Cup-winning goal in overtime. [17] [18]
This marked Cleveland's first AHL title since the Barons won their last Calder Cup in 1964, and 10th overall for a Cleveland-based AHL team. [17] The Monsters won Game 4 before a sellout crowd of 19,665 people at Quicken Loans Arena — the second largest crowd for a professional hockey game in Ohio behind the 19,941 in a Cleveland Lumberjacks game against the Minnesota Moose in February 1996, and the second largest in Calder Cup playoff history behind the 20,103 Philadelphia Phantoms game four victory in the 2005 Calder Cup Finals over the Chicago Wolves. [19]
On August 9, 2016, the Lake Erie Monsters changed their name to the Cleveland Monsters. [20] The team's Calder Cup winning head coach, Jared Bednar, was then hired by the Colorado Avalanche on August 25. [21] Under their new name and coach John Madden, the Monsters failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2016–17 season. [22] [23] [24] In the 2017–18 season, the Monsters earned last place in the Western Conference and failed to make the playoffs. [25] The team returned to the playoffs following the 2018–19 season as the fourth seed in the North Division where they upset the division champion Syracuse Crunch before being swept by the Toronto Marlies in the division finals. [26] [27] Head coach John Madden then left the team and was replaced by Mike Eaves. [28] [29]
The Monsters 2019–20 season was curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. [30] The team ended the season in last place in their division with a record of 24–31. [31] [32] Owing to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the 2020–21 season was delayed and shortened with no playoffs held in their division. [33] They ended the season in second place within their division. [34]
The following teams have previously played in Cleveland. The Monsters recognize and honor past Cleveland teams with commemorative banners at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: [35] [36]
Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | Goals for | Goals against | Standing | Year | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
2007–08 | 80 | 26 | 41 | 6 | 7 | 65 | .406 | 209 | 276 | 6th, North | 2008 | Did not qualify | |||
2008–09 | 80 | 34 | 38 | 3 | 5 | 76 | .475 | 199 | 218 | 6th, North | 2009 | Did not qualify | |||
2009–10 | 80 | 34 | 37 | 1 | 8 | 77 | .481 | 234 | 257 | 6th, North | 2010 | Did not qualify | |||
2010–11 | 80 | 44 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 96 | .600 | 223 | 206 | 2nd, North | 2011 | L, 3–4, MTB | — | — | — |
2011–12 | 76 | 37 | 29 | 3 | 7 | 84 | .553 | 189 | 210 | 3rd, North | 2012 | Did not qualify | |||
2012–13 | 76 | 35 | 31 | 3 | 7 | 80 | .526 | 211 | 220 | 3rd, North | 2013 | Did not qualify | |||
2013–14 | 76 | 32 | 33 | 1 | 10 | 75 | .492 | 200 | 235 | 4th, North | 2014 | Did not qualify | |||
2014–15 | 76 | 35 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 82 | .539 | 211 | 240 | 4th, Midwest | 2015 | Did not qualify | |||
2015–16 | 76 | 43 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 97 | .638 | 211 | 188 | 2nd, Central | 2016 | W, 3–0, RFD | W, 4–2, GR | W, 4–0, ONT | W, 4–0, HER |
2016–17 | 76 | 39 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 86 | .566 | 195 | 198 | 5th, Central | 2017 | Did not qualify | |||
2017–18 | 76 | 25 | 41 | 7 | 3 | 60 | .395 | 190 | 258 | 7th, Central | 2018 | Did not qualify | |||
2018–19 | 76 | 37 | 29 | 8 | 2 | 84 | .553 | 232 | 234 | 4th, North | 2019 | W, 3–1, SYR | L, 0–4, TOR | — | — |
2019–20 | 62 | 24 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 55 | .444 | 159 | 192 | 8th, North | 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2020–21 | 29 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 35 | .603 | 101 | 86 | 2nd, Central | 2021 | No playoffs were held [lower-alpha 1] | |||
2021–22 | 76 | 28 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 69 | .454 | 207 | 262 | 7th, North | 2022 | Did not qualify | |||
2022–23 | 72 | 33 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 73 | .507 | 220 | 254 | 6th, North | 2023 | Did not qualify |
Updated April 17, 2024. [38]
No Monsters player has had his number retired. However, the team has retired the numbers of players who have played on past Cleveland franchises to honor the city's hockey history. [35]
No. | Player | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Johnny Bower | G | Barons |
9 | Fred Glover | C | Barons |
15 | Jock Callander | C | Lumberjacks |
27 | Dave Michayluk | RW | Lumberjacks |
The following players have played both 100 games with the Monsters and 100 games in the National Hockey League:
Radio
WARF AM 1350 serves as the radio outlet for the team. Play-by-play announcer Tony Brown calls games on-site. [41]
TV
Select Monsters games will be televised, with Bally Sports Great Lakes serving as the outlet. The broadcast team consists of play-by-play broadcaster Tony Brown, former Monsters goaltender and current Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender development coach Brad Thiessen as booth analyst, former Cleveland Lumberjacks player Jock Callander as rinkside analyst, and WHBC afternoon host Kenny Roda as host/locker room reporter. All televised games are also simulcast on the radio. [42]
The Monsters' official mascot is a seagull character named "Sullivan C. Goal" (aka "Sully"). [43] Also featured are the "Monsters Hockey Girls" cheerleaders. [44] In March 2023 the Monsters unveiled "The Modelo Experience" which allows fans the opportunity to take ride on a custom made "fanboni" built by Cleveland Power and Performance. [45]
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). For the 2023–24 season, 31 of the 32 NHL teams have official affiliations with an AHL team, with only the Carolina Hurricanes having no such affiliation. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises. Twenty-six AHL teams are located across the United States whereas the remaining six are situated in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serves as a secondary arena for Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball.
Ryan F. Craig is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and current head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League. Prior to retirement, he was the captain of the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL). Craig was drafted 255th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 2007–08 AHL season was the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.
Jared Bednar is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously coached the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League, leading them to a Calder Cup championship in 2015–16. He also led the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL to a Kelly Cup championship in the 2008–09 season. Bednar won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, becoming the first coach to win the current ECHL, AHL, and NHL trophies.
Matthew Ford is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played most notably in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Anton Forsberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Forsberg also played for the Lake Erie Monsters and went undefeated during the playoffs en route to winning the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs.
Dean Kukan is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He is of Czech descent.
Daniel Zaar is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing with Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Zaar was drafted in the sixth round, 152nd overall, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Dillon Heatherington is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Heatherington was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second-round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Oliver Bjorkstrand is a Danish professional ice hockey forward for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bjorkstrand was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round, 89th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Bjorkstrand is the son of American hockey coach Todd and the brother of Patrick.
Frank "Sonny" Milano is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays its home games at the Toyota Arena.
Zachary Werenski is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Werenski was drafted eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs were held from April 20 to June 11, 2016, to determine the season champion of the American Hockey League (AHL). The 16 teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series in the division semifinals, then best-of-seven series for the division finals, conference finals, and Calder Cup finals. In the finals, the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Hershey Bears in a four-game sweep to win the Calder Cup for the first time in franchise history. It was the 10th time the Calder Cup was won by a team representing Cleveland, as the Cleveland Barons won nine titles during their history (1937–1973).
The 2016–17 AHL season was the 81st season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 14, 2016, and ended on April 15, 2017. The 2017 Calder Cup playoffs began on April 20, 2017.
Lukáš Sedlák is a Czech professional ice hockey forward for HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Sedlak was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Trent Vogelhuber is an American former professional ice hockey forward who most notably played in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected in the seventh round, 211th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently serving as head coach of the Cleveland Monsters.
Liam Foudy is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 18th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Justin Scott is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Straubing Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He previously played for the Cleveland Monsters and Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League (AHL).