Lake Erie Monsters

 
 
Ice hockey team Lake Erie Monsters, based in Cleveland Ohio, first began playing in the 2007-2008 AHL  season and currently compete from the league’s North Division of the Western Conference. An affiliate of NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and CHL’’s Denver Cutthroats, the team plays its home games at Quicken Loans Arena, a multi-r arena located in downtown Cleveland, with a seating capacity of more than twenty-thousand for ice hockey.
 
The Monsters team was founded in 1994 in Denver where it came to be called the Denver Grizzlies, and was member of the IHL. Their current Head Coach is Dean Chynoweth with General Manager David Oliver and owner Dan Gilbert. The team has entered the AHL playoffs of 2011 in which it played against the Manitoba Moose, whom it defeated with a score of six to four. Lake Erie Monsters tickets have since been among the most sought-after treats among AHL ice hockey fans.
 
In 2006, the long inactive team Utah Grizzlies were bought by a Cleveland-based ownership group under eth leadership of Dan Gilbert, who is had also been known as the owner of NBA basketball team Cleveland Cavaliers along with Quicken Loans. The revival of the Grizzlies resulted in Lake Erie Monsters that were moved to Cleveland in order to replace the previously well-known tenants of Cleveland American Hockey League, called Cleveland Barons. The latter relocated to Massachusetts so they could participate in the games following the 2005-06 season under the title of Worcester Sharks. After Quicken Loans Arena was designated as the team’s home ground, the famous Colorado Avalanche franchise was announced as the Monsters’ primary NHL affiliates. The team’s official name was announced in 2007 with team colors Blue, Yellow, White, Black and Wine. The name was selected from among several focus groups researching around Cleveland while its logo was designed such as to incorporate geographical connections with the Lake Erie area.  
 
Joe Sacco, former NHL player was then selected as Lake Erie Monsters’ first coach, given his three-year long experience with affiliate organizations of Avalanche. Sacco was soon joined by former NHL and Avalanche defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre in 2007. Since the team had been positioned to participate in the AHL’s North Division, it opened its inaugural campaign in the 2007-08 season against the well recognized Grand Rapids, at home in October. In November 2010, an announcement was made regarding the Monsters and Avalanche that agree on several years’ extension of their then agreement. The extension’s terms were not announced, which was perfectly in-keeping with the policies of both AHL and NHL. By the end of the 2010-2011 season, the team entered its first ever playoffs.
 
The Monsters’ current roster includes the likes of Andrew Agozzino, Sami Aittokallio, Paul Carey, Joel Chouinard, Stefan Elliot, Mike Connolly, Cameron Gaunce, Barry Goers, Brent Henley, Joey Hishon, Brian Sutherby, Bill Thomas, Sean Sullivan, Karl Stollery, Calvin Pickard, Brad Malone, Bryan Lerg, and Thomas Pock, among several others.  Grab Lake Erie Monsters tickets and be there to cheer for the unstoppable players.