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Cleveland Monsters
Cleveland Monsters logo
City: Cleveland, Ohio
League: American Hockey League
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Founded: 2007
Home Arena: Quicken Loans Arena
Colors: Wine, black, white, blue, yellow
                        
Owner(s): Dan Gilbert
General Manager: Bill Zito
Head Coach: John Madden
Media: ESPN 850 WKNR
ESPN 1540 KNR2
WUAB My 43
FS Ohio
Affiliates: Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
Franchise history
1994 -- 1995: Denver Grizzlies
1995 -- 2005: Utah Grizzlies
2007 -- 2016: Lake Erie Monsters
2016 -- present: Cleveland Monsters
Championships
Conference Championships: 1 (2015-16)
Calder Cups: 1 (2015-16

The Cleveland Monsters are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The team is the minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL.

History[]

The Lake Erie Monsters began in 2006 when the dormant Utah Grizzlies AHL franchise was purchased by a Cleveland ownership group led by Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team and Quicken Loans on May 16, 2006, after a new AHL team was awarded to Cleveland following the Cleveland Barons moving to Worcester following the 2005–06 season.[1] With the Quicken Loans Arena established as the team's home venue, the Colorado Avalanche were announced as the franchise's first NHL parent club with a five-year agreement on December 17, 2006.

On January 25, 2007, the franchise was officially announced 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.[2] The Monsters do not recognize any past links to the Grizzlies and promote themselves as having began in 2007.

Former NHL player Joe Sacco was named as the Lake Erie Monsters first head coach. The Monsters opened their inaugural 2007–08 campaign at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins on October 6, 2007, with Craig Billington acting as the Monsters General Manager.[3]

At the end of the 2010–11 season the Monsters made it into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. After gaining a 3-1 game lead over the Manitoba Moose they lost in game 7 4-1 and lost the round four games to three.[4]

On April 17, 2015, it was announced that the Monsters had signed a multi-year agreement to become the AHL affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets, which will take effect in the 2015–16 season. The affiliation was among several that offseason that brought AHL and NHL franchise affiliations geographically closer together.[5]

Winning the Calder Cup[]

The Monsters finished the 2015–16 by setting a franchise record in points (97) and qualified for the playoffs for the second time in team history. On April 23, 2016, the Monsters defeated their first round opponent, the Rockford Ice Hogs 5-3, capping a three game sweep of their opponent in a best-of-five series. The Monsters advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals to play the Grand Rapids Griffins in a best-of-seven series, defeating them 4–2 in six games. 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.[6] On June 11, 2016, the Monsters won the franchise's first Calder Cup in a four-game sweep of the Hershey Bears.

This marked Cleveland's first AHL title since the Barons in 1964, and 10th overall between the Barons and Monsters. Game 4 sold out Quicken Loans Arena and featured 19,665 spectators, the largest ice hockey attendance ever in Ohio, and the second in AHL history behind Philadelphia Phantoms vs. Chicago Wolves in 2005.[7]

Logo as Lake Erie Monsters The team would announce on August 9, 2016 that the team would be renamed the Cleveland Monsters citing the winning of the Calder Cup by the team, the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA championship and the team's tenth anniversary as making it the right time to change the team's name to better identify with the city of Cleveland.

Cleveland hockey history[]

The following teams have previously played in Cleveland. The Monsters recognize and honor past Cleveland teams with commemorative banners at Quicken Loans Arena:[8]

Retired numbers[]

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.[8]

Name Number
Johnny Bower 1 (Barons)
Fred Glover 9 (Barons)
Jock Callander 15 (Lumberjacks)

Season-by-season results[]

Calder Cup Champions Conference Champions Division Champions League Leader

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Team records[]

Single season[]

Goals: 30, Andrew Agozzino (2014–15)
Assists: 50, T.J. Hensick (2009–10)
Points: 70 T.J. Hensick (2009–10), Ben Walter (2010–11)
Penalty Minutes: 215, Daniel Maggio (2014–15)
Wins: 23 Jason Bacashihua (2010–11), Calvin Pickard (2014–15)
GAA: 2.11, Cedrick Desjardins (2011–12)
SV%: .932, Cedrick Desjardins (2011–12)
Shutouts: 8, Tyler Weiman (2008–09)
  • Goaltending records need a minimum 25 games played by the goaltender

Career[]

Career Goals: Andrew Agozzino, 67
Career Assists: Andrew Agozzino, 98
Career Points: Andrew Agozzino, 165
Career Penalty Minutes: Daniel Maggio, 522
Career Goaltending Wins: Calvin Pickard, 60
Career Shutouts: Tyler Weiman, 13
Career Games: Andrew Agozzino, 225

Firsts and Franchise records[]

References[]

  1. "Lake Erie Monsters history". Case Western Reserve University (2013-02-03). Retrieved on 2013-02-03.
  2. "Famous sea monsters". Sea Monster.org (2013-04-05). Retrieved on 2013-04-05.
  3. "Monsters front office". Lake Erie Monsters (2014-10-10). Retrieved on 2014-10-10.
  4. "Monsters' stats". JustSportsStats.com (2011-04-28). Retrieved on 2012-03-04.
  5. "Monsters affiliate with the Columbus Blue Jackets". Lake Erie Monsters (2015-04-17). Retrieved on 2015-04-17.
  6. Monsters Move On With 4-3 OT Win.
  7. Record full house at the Q for Lake Erie Monsters' Calder Cup bid - Cleveland.com (Plain Dealer)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Quicken Loans Arena hockey banners". Stadium Journey.com (2014-06-07). Retrieved on 2014-06-07.
  9. Cleveland hockey history. Lake Erie Monsters (2013-02-03). Retrieved on 2013-02-03.

External links[]

Columbus Blue Jackets
PlayersGMsSeasonsDraft PicksNationwide ArenaHead CoachesSyracuse Crunch (AHL), Elmira Jackals (ECHL), Youngstown Steelhounds (CHL)


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