Cleveland Monsters

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. A new AHL team was awarded to Cleveland following the departure of the Cleveland Barons to Worcester, Massachusetts, after the 2005–06 season. 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]

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.[3] The Monsters do not recognize any past links to the Grizzlies (including the Grizzlies' two Turner Cups) and promote themselves as having begun 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.[4]

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.[5]

Monsters with the Calder Cup in 2016

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. The affiliation was among several that offseason that brought AHL and NHL franchise affiliations geographically closer together.[6] The multi-season affiliation was extended in 2019.[7]

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. On April 23, 2016, the Monsters defeated their first round opponent, the Rockford IceHogs 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.[8] 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.

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. 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.[9]

On August 9, 2016, the Lake Erie Monsters changed their name to the Cleveland Monsters.[10] The team's Calder Cup winning head coach, Jared Bednar, was then hired by the Colorado Avalanche on August 25.[11] Under their new name and coach John Madden, the Monsters failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2016–17 season. In 2017–18 season, the Monsters were the first team eliminated from playoff contention, failing to make the post-season for the ninth time in 11 seasons, and earned last place in the Western Conference. 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. Head coach John Madden then left the team[12] and was replaced by Mike Eaves.

Updated June 4, 2020.[15]

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace	Contract
25		Derek Barach	C	R	25	2019	Glenmont, New York	Monsters
7		Paul Bittner	LW	L	23	2016	Crookston, Minnesota	Blue Jackets
2		Adam Clendening	D	R	27	2018	Niagara Falls, New York	Blue Jackets
6		Ryan Collins	D	R	24	2017	Bloomington, Minnesota	Blue Jackets
28		Zac Dalpe (C)	RW	R	30	2017	Paris, Ontario	Blue Jackets
56		Marko Dano	LW	L	25	2019	Eisenstadt, Austria	Blue Jackets
64		Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	R	21	2019	Edmonton, Alberta	Blue Jackets
41		Maxime Fortier	RW	R	22	2018	Montreal, Quebec	Blue Jackets
44		Brett Gallant	LW	L	31	2015	Summerside, Prince Edward Island	Monsters
–		Adam Helewka	LW	L	24	2020	Burnaby, British Columbia	Monsters
10		Steve Johnson	D	L	26	2019	Excelsior, Minnesota	Monsters
47		Anton Karlsson	D	L	27	2019	Vetlanda, Sweden	Monsters
80		Matiss Kivlenieks	G	L	23	2017	Riga, Latvia	Blue Jackets
16		Bryan Moore	LW	L	26	2019	Charlotte, North Carolina	Monsters
–		Wyatt Newpower	D	R	22	2020	Hugo, Minnesota	Monsters
24		Michael Prapavessis	D	L	24	2018	Oakville, Ontario	Blue Jackets
20		Justin Scott	RW	L	24	2016	Burlington, Ontario	Blue Jackets
88		Kole Sherwood	RW	R	23	2017	New Albany, Ohio	Blue Jackets
18		Dillon Simpson (A)	D	L	27	2018	Edmonton, Alberta	Blue Jackets
26		Doyle Somerby	D	L	25	2017	Marblehead, Massachusetts	Blue Jackets
–		Matthew Struthers	C	L	20	2020	London, Ontario	Monsters
39		Brad Thiessen	G	L	34	2015	Aldergrove, British Columbia	Monsters
27		Calvin Thurkauf	C	L	23	2017	Zug, Switzerland	Blue Jackets
35		Veini Vehvilainen	G	L	23	2019	Jyväskylä, Finland	Blue Jackets
21		Sam Vigneault	C	L	24	2017	Baie-Comeau, Quebec	Monsters

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.[13]

Goals: 33, Zac Dalpe (2018-19)

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: 27 Anton Forsberg (2016–17)

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

[16][17]

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:9, Anton Forsberg (2016)

GAA: 1.34, Anton Forsberg (2016)

SV%: .949, Anton Forsberg (2016)

Shutouts: 2, Anton Forsberg (2016)

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: Cameron Gaunce, 264

• Franchise First Game: October 6, 2007. Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Lake Erie Monsters 2
• Franchise First Win: October 20, 2007. Lake Erie Monsters 3, Syracuse Crunch 2.
• Franchise First Goal: October 6, 2007. Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Lake Erie Monsters 2. Goal scored by Matt Hussey
• Franchise First Shutout: November 15, 2007. Jason Bacashihua. Lake Erie Monsters 2, Quad City Flames 0.
• Franchise First Hat Trick: November 17, 2007. Chris Stewart. Lake Erie Monsters 5, Toronto Marlies 3.
• Franchise Most Goals in a Game: December 3, 2010. 4-Patrick Rissmiller. Lake Erie Monsters 6, Chicago Wolves 3.
• Franchise Most Wins in a Season: 44 (2010–11)
• Franchise Most Home Wins in a Season: 25 (2015–16)
• Franchise Most Points in a Season: 97 (2015–16)
• Franchise Most Games Won in a Row: 8 (2010–11)
• Franchise First Playoff Game: April 16, 2011. (vs Manitoba Moose)
• Franchise First Playoff Goal: April 16, 2011 (by Matthew Ford)
• Franchise First Playoff Win: April 16, 2011 (Monsters 6, Manitoba Moose 4)
• Franchise First Playoff Series Win: April 23, 2016 (Monsters win series 3-0, Rockford IceHogs)
• Franchise First Western Conference Championship: May 26, 2016 (Monsters win series 4-0, Ontario Reign)
• Franchise First Calder Cup Championship: June 11, 2016 (Monsters win series 4-0, Hershey Bears)