Cleveland Monsters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cleveland Monsters |
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| 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 |
| Head coach | Trent Vogelhuber |
| Captain | Stefan Matteau |
| Media | Radio: WARF TV: WUAB WTCL-LD/WOHZ-CD (RESN) Online: AHL.TV |
| Affiliate(s) | Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1994–1995 | Denver Grizzlies |
| Utah Grizzlies | |
| 2007–2016 | Lake Erie Monsters |
| 2016–present | Cleveland Monsters |
| Championships | |
| Division Championships | 1 (2023–24) |
| Conference Championships | 1 (2015–16) |
| Calder Cups | 1 (2015–16) |
 Current season |
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The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Cleveland, Ohio, and play in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team started playing in 2007. Since 2015, they have been the top partner team for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Monsters play their home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland. They have won one Calder Cup championship, which they earned in 2016.
Contents
Franchise History: The Monsters' Journey
How the Team Started
The Cleveland Monsters team began in 2006. A group from Cleveland, led by Dan Gilbert, bought the AHL team called the Utah Grizzlies. This happened after the previous Cleveland hockey team, the Cleveland Barons, moved away.
The team's home became Quicken Loans Arena (now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse). In December 2006, the Colorado Avalanche became their first NHL partner team. This partnership was set for five years.
Choosing the Name: Lake Erie Monsters
On January 25, 2007, the team was officially named the Lake Erie Monsters. This name was chosen to honor Bessie, a legendary creature from local stories. The team's logo also included a design that showed its connection to Lake Erie.
Joe Sacco, a former NHL player, became the first head coach. Dave Oliver was named the general manager. The Monsters played their first game on October 6, 2007. They lost at home to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The team finished their first season with 26 wins and 41 losses.
In the 2010–11 season, the Monsters made it to the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time. They led their first series 3–1 against the Manitoba Moose. However, they lost the next three games and were knocked out of the playoffs.
The Blue Jackets Era and a Championship Win
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On April 17, 2015, the Monsters announced a new partnership. They became the AHL affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets. This new partnership started in the 2015–16 season and was extended in 2019.
The 2015–16 was a great year for the Monsters. They set a team record with 97 points and made the playoffs again. On April 23, 2016, they swept their first opponent, the Rockford IceHogs, winning 3–0. They then beat the Grand Rapids Griffins 4–2 in the next round. After that, they swept the defending champions, the Ontario Reign, to reach their first Calder Cup Final.
On June 11, 2016, the Monsters won their first Calder Cup! They swept the Hershey Bears 4–0. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the winning goal in overtime. This was Cleveland's first AHL title since 1964. The final game was played in front of a huge crowd of 19,665 fans at Quicken Loans Arena.
On August 9, 2016, the team changed its name to the Cleveland Monsters. Their Calder Cup-winning coach, Jared Bednar, then moved to coach the Colorado Avalanche. Under new coach John Madden, the Monsters missed the playoffs in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons. They returned to the playoffs in 2018–19, winning their first series before being swept in the next round.
The 2019–20 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished last in their division. The 2020–21 season was also shorter, and there were no playoffs in their division. They finished second that year.
Cleveland's Rich Hockey History
Cleveland has a long history of ice hockey teams. The Monsters proudly honor these past teams with special banners at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Here are some of the teams that played in Cleveland before the Monsters:
- Cleveland Indians/Falcons/Barons (1929–1973) — These teams won the Calder Cup nine times!
- Cleveland Crusaders (1972–1976)
- Cleveland Barons (1976–1978)
- Cleveland Lumberjacks (1992–2001)
- Cleveland Barons (2001–2006)
Season-by-Season Results
This table shows how the Cleveland Monsters have performed each season, including their regular season and playoff results.
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 40 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 88 | .611 | 233 | 238 | 1st, North | 2024 | W, 3–1, BEL | W, 3–0, SYR | L, 3–4, HER | – |
Players: Who Plays for the Monsters?
Current Roster
This is the list of players currently on the Cleveland Monsters team. Updated November 22, 2024.
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 |  |
Roman Ahcan | LW | L | 26 | 2022 | Savage, Minnesota | Monsters |
| 8 |  |
Ole Bjorgvik-Holm | D | L | 23 | 2021 | Oslo, Norway | Blue Jackets |
| 6 |  |
Madison Bowey | D | R | 30 | 2024 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Monsters |
| 45 | |
Gavin Brindley | RW | R | 20 | 2024 | Estero, Florida | Blue Jackets |
| 42 | |
Cameron Butler | RW | R | 23 | 2023 | Ottawa, Ontario | Blue Jackets |
| 30 |  |
Pavel Cajan | G | L | 22 | 2022 | Prague, Czech Republic | Monsters |
| 4 | |
Corson Ceulemans | D | R | 22 | 2023 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Blue Jackets |
| 34 | |
Cole Clayton (A) | D | R | 25 | 2021 | Strathmore, Alberta | Blue Jackets |
| 10 | |
Luca Del Bel Belluz | C | L | 21 | 2023 | Woodbridge, Ontario | Blue Jackets |
| 64 | |
Trey Fix-Wolansky (A) | RW | R | 26 | 2019 | Edmonton, Alberta | Blue Jackets |
| 18 | |
Dylan Gambrell | C | R | 28 | 2024 | Bonney Lake, Washington | Blue Jackets |
| 19 | |
Jake Gaudet | C | L | 29 | 2021 | Ottawa, Ontario | Monsters |
| 73 | |
Jet Greaves | G | L | 24 | 2021 | Cambridge, Ontario | Blue Jackets |
| 91 | |
Rocco Grimaldi | RW | R | 32 | 2024 | Rossmoor, California | Monsters |
| 16 | |
Curtis Hall | C | R | 25 | 2024 | Chagrin Falls, Ohio | Monsters |
| 55 | |
David Jiricek | D | R | 21 | 2022 | Klatovy, Czech Republic | Blue Jackets |
| 20 |  |
Samuel Knazko | D | L | 22 | 2022 | Trenčín, Slovakia | Blue Jackets |
| 14 | |
Joseph LaBate | C | L | 32 | 2024 | Eagan, Minnesota | Monsters |
| 11 | |
James Malatesta | LW | L | 22 | 2023 | Montreal, Quebec | Blue Jackets |
| 17 | |
Denton Mateychuk | D | L | 20 | 2024 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Blue Jackets |
| 25 | |
Stefan Matteau (C) | C | L | 31 | 2023 | Chicago, Illinois | Monsters |
| 93 | |
Max McCue | C | L | 22 | 2024 | Sudbury, Ontario | Blue Jackets |
| 41 | |
Hunter McKown | C | R | 22 | 2023 | San Jose, California | Blue Jackets |
| 24 | |
Justin Pearson | LW | L | 27 | 2023 | Nashua, New Hampshire | Monsters |
| 82 |  |
Mikael Pyyhtia | LW | L | 23 | 2023 | Turku, Finland | Blue Jackets |
| 36 | |
Zach Sawchenko | G | L | 27 | 2024 | Calgary, Alberta | Blue Jackets |
| 12 | |
Owen Sillinger (A) | C | L | 27 | 2022 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Blue Jackets |
| 5 | |
Stanislav Svozil | D | L | 22 | 2023 | Přerov, Czech Republic | Blue Jackets |
Team Captains
Here are the players who have been team captains for the Monsters over the years.
- Mark Rycroft, 2007–08
- Wyatt Smith, 2008
- Brian Willsie, 2008–10
- David Liffiton, 2010–12
- Bryan Lerg, 2012–14
- Brian Sutherby, 2013
- Bruno Gervais, 2014–15
- Ryan Craig, 2015–17
- Nathan Gerbe, 2018–19
- Zac Dalpe, 2019–21
- Dillon Simpson, 2021–2023
- Brendan Gaunce, 2023–2024
- Stefan Matteau, 2024–present
Retired Numbers: Honoring Legends
No player from the Cleveland Monsters has had their number retired yet. However, the team honors players from Cleveland's past hockey teams by retiring their numbers. This celebrates the city's long hockey history.
| No. | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny Bower | G | Barons |
| 9 | Fred Glover | C | Barons |
| 15 | Jock Callander | C | Lumberjacks |
| 27 | Dave Michayluk | RW | Lumberjacks |
Notable Alumni: Players Who Made It Big
These players played at least 100 games with the Monsters. They also played at least 100 games in the National Hockey League (NHL), which is the top hockey league.
- Patrick Bordeleau
- Paul Carey
- Ryan Craig
- Zac Dalpe
- Philippe Dupuis
- Nathan Gerbe
- T.J. Hensick
- Dean Kukan
- Brad Malone
- Sonny Milano
- Calvin Pickard
- Kevin Stenlund
Team Records: Best Performances
These are some of the best records set by Cleveland Monsters players and the team itself.
- Single Season Records
- Goals: 33, Zac Dalpe (2018–19)
- Assists: 50, T.J. Hensick (2009–10)
- Points: 71, Trey Fix-Wolansky (2022–23)
- Penalty minutes: 215, Daniel Maggio (2014–15)
- Wins (Goaltender): 28, Jet Greaves (2023-24)
- Goals Against Average (GAA): 2.11, Cedrick Desjardins (2011–12)
- Save Percentage (SV%): .932, Cedrick Desjardins (2011–12)
- Shutouts: 8, Tyler Weiman (2008–09)
- Goaltending records require a minimum of 25 games played by the goaltender.
- Playoff Records
- Goals: 10, Oliver Bjorkstrand (2016)
- Assists: 10, Ryan Craig (2016)
- Points: 16 (tie), Oliver Bjorkstrand and Lukas Sedlak (2016)
- Penalty minutes: 26, Kerby Rychel (2016)
- Wins (Goaltender): 9, Anton Forsberg (2016)
- Goals Against Average (GAA): 1.34, Anton Forsberg (2016)
- Save Percentage (SV%): .949, Anton Forsberg (2016)
- Shutouts: 2, Anton Forsberg (2016)
- Career Records
- Career goals: Trey Fix-Wolansky, 69
- Career assists: Andrew Agozzino, 98
- Career points: Trey Fix-Wolansky, 165
- Career penalty minutes: Brett Gallant, 663
- Career goaltending wins: Calvin Pickard, 60
- Career shutouts: Tyler Weiman, 13
- Career games played: Justin Scott, 336
- Firsts and Team Records
- First game: October 6, 2007, vs. Grand Rapids Griffins
- First win: October 20, 2007, 3–2 vs. Syracuse Crunch
- First goal: Matt Hussey (October 6, 2007 vs. Grand Rapids Griffins)
- First shutout: Jason Bacashihua (November 15, 2007, vs. Quad City Flames)
- First hat trick: Chris Stewart (November 17, 2007, vs. Toronto Marlies)
- Most goals in a game: 4 by Patrick Rissmiller (December 3, 2010, vs. Chicago Wolves)
- Most wins in a season: 44 (2010–11)
- Most home wins in a season: 25 (2015–16)
- Most points in a season: 97 (2015–16)
- Most games won in a row: 8 (2010–11)
- First playoff game: April 16, 2011. (vs. Manitoba Moose)
- First playoff goal: April 16, 2011 (by Matthew Ford)
- First playoff win: April 16, 2011 (Monsters 6, Manitoba Moose 4)
- First playoff series win: April 23, 2016 (Monsters won series 3–0 vs. Rockford IceHogs)
- First Western Conference championship: May 26, 2016 (Monsters won series 4–0 vs. Ontario Reign)
- First Calder Cup championship: June 11, 2016 (Monsters won series 4–0 vs. Hershey Bears)
Media: How to Watch and Listen
Radio You can listen to Monsters games on WARF AM 1350. Tony Brown is the play-by-play announcer.
TV Some Monsters games are shown on WUAB channel 43. You can also watch them on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN). This network is available on WTCL-LD channel 22 in Cleveland and WOHZ-CD channel 22 in Canton. The TV team includes Tony Brown, former Monsters goalie Brad Thiessen, former Cleveland Lumberjacks player Jock Callander, and Kenny Roda. All televised games are also broadcast on the radio at the same time.
Mascot and Entertainment
The Monsters' official mascot is a seagull named "Sullivan C. Goal," or "Sully" for short. The team also has the "Monsters Hockey Girls" cheerleaders. In March 2023, the Monsters introduced "The Modelo Experience." This lets fans ride on a special "fanboni," which is like a Zamboni but for fans!
