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 (IHL) |
| Operated | 2007–present |
| Home arena | Rocket Arena |
| Colors | Blue, black, gold, white |
| Owner(s) | Dan Gilbert |
| General manager | Chris Clark |
| Head coach | Trent Vogelhuber |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Media | Radio: WARF TV: WUAB RESN - encompassing: WTCL-LD Cleveland WOHZ-CD Canton W28FG-D Akron Online: AHL.TV |
| Affiliate(s) | 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 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. The team plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are connected to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). This means the Monsters help develop players for the Blue Jackets.
The Monsters play their home games at Rocket Arena. This arena is located in downtown Cleveland. The team has won one Calder Cup championship. They earned their first title in 2016.
Contents
Team History: How the Monsters Started
Early Days of the Franchise
The Monsters team started in 2006. A group from Cleveland bought the AHL team known as the Utah Grizzlies. This group was led by Dan Gilbert, who also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. Cleveland got a new AHL team after the Cleveland Barons moved away.
The team's home arena was set up at Quicken Loans Arena. In December 2006, the Colorado Avalanche became their first NHL partner team. This agreement was for five years.
On January 25, 2007, the team was officially named the Lake Erie Monsters. This name was inspired by Bessie, a legendary creature from local stories. The team's logo also 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 that first season with 26 wins and 41 losses.
In the 2010–11 season, the Monsters made 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 the series 4–3.
Working with the Blue Jackets
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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 started in the 2015–16 season. This partnership was extended in 2019.
The 2015–16 season was a record-breaking year for the Monsters. They earned 97 points, their highest ever. They also made the playoffs for the second time. On April 23, 2016, the Monsters beat the Rockford IceHogs 5–3. They won that first round series 3–0.
The Monsters then moved on to play the Grand Rapids Griffins. They defeated them 4–2 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Next, they swept the defending champions, the Ontario Reign. This win sent them to their first Calder Cup Final.
On June 11, 2016, the Monsters won their first Calder Cup. They swept the Hershey Bears in four games. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the winning goal in overtime. This was Cleveland's first AHL title since 1964. The Monsters won Game 4 in front of a huge crowd of 19,665 fans. This was one of the largest crowds for a professional hockey game in Ohio.
On August 9, 2016, the team changed its name to the Cleveland Monsters. Their Calder Cup-winning coach, Jared Bednar, then left to coach the Colorado Avalanche. Under their new coach, John Madden, the Monsters did not make the playoffs in the 2016–17 season. They also missed the playoffs in the 2017–18 season.
The team returned to the playoffs after the 2018–19 season. They upset the Syracuse Crunch but then lost to the Toronto Marlies. John Madden left, and Mike Eaves became the new coach.
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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. No playoffs were held in their division that year. The Monsters finished second in their division.
The Monsters did not qualify for the playoffs in the 2021–22 or 2022–23 seasons. However, in the 2023–24 season, they finished first in the North Division. They won their first two playoff series against the Belleville Senators and Syracuse Crunch. They then lost a close series to the Hershey Bears.
Cleveland's Hockey Legacy
Cleveland has a rich history of ice hockey. The Monsters honor past Cleveland teams with special banners at Rocket Arena. Here are some of the teams that played in Cleveland before the Monsters:
- Cleveland Indians/Falcons/Barons (1929–1973) — They won nine Calder Cup championships!
- Cleveland Crusaders (1972–1976)
- Cleveland Barons (1976–1978)
- Cleveland Lumberjacks (1992–2001)
- Cleveland Barons (2001–2006)
Season-by-Season Performance
This table shows how the Cleveland Monsters have performed each season. It includes their regular season results and how they did in the playoffs.
| 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 | — |
| 2024–25 | 72 | 35 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 81 | .563 | 206 | 225 | 5th, North | 2025 | W, 2–0, TOR | L, 1–3, LAV | — | — |
Team Players
Current Roster
Updated July 22, 2025.
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 |  |
Roman Ahcan | LW | L | 26 | 2022 | Savage, Minnesota | Monsters |
| – | |
Riley Bezeau | RW | R | 23 | 2025 | Mansfield, Massachusetts | Monsters |
| 8 |  |
Ole Bjørgvik-Holm | D | L | 23 | 2021 | Oslo, Norway | Monsters |
| 3 | |
Will MacKinnon | D | L | 25 | 2025 | Plymouth, Michigan | Monsters |
| 29 |  |
Ryland Mosley | LW | L | 25 | 2025 | Arnprior, Ontario | Monsters |
Team Captains
The team captain is a leader on the ice. Here are the players who have been captains for the Monsters:
- 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, 2024–2025
Retired Numbers
No Monsters player has had their number retired yet. However, the team honors players from past Cleveland hockey teams. They have retired numbers for these players to celebrate the city's 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 Former Players
These players have played at least 100 games for the Monsters. They also played at least 100 games in the National 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 and Achievements
Single Season Records
These are the best performances by individual players in one season:
- 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): 30, 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)
- Note: Goaltending records require a minimum of 25 games played.
Playoff Records
These are the best performances by individual players during the playoffs:
- 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
These are the best performances by players over their entire time with the Monsters:
- Career goals: 112, Trey Fix-Wolansky
- Career assists: 147, Trey Fix-Wolansky
- Career points: 259, Trey Fix-Wolansky
- Career penalty minutes: 663, Brett Gallant
- Career goaltending wins: 82, Jet Greaves
- Career shutouts: 13, Tyler Weiman
- Career games: 336, Justin Scott
Team Milestones and 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: 10 (2024–25)
- 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 Coverage
Radio Broadcasts
WARF AM 1350 is the main radio station for the team. Some games are also broadcast on WTAM AM 1100/FM 106.9. Tony Brown is the play-by-play announcer for the games.
Television Broadcasts
More than 20 Monsters games are shown on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN). This network is available on WTCL-LD in Cleveland, WOHZ-CD in Canton, and W28FG-D in Akron. Many of these games are also shown on WUAB channel 43.
The TV broadcast team includes Tony Brown for play-by-play. Former Cleveland Lumberjacks player and current Monsters vice president Jock Callander is the analyst. All televised games are also available on the radio.
Mascot and Entertainment
The official mascot for the Cleveland Monsters 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 allows fans to ride on a special "fanboni" built by Cleveland Power and Performance.
