Down To The Wire: A Personal Thank You To The 2016-17 Cleveland Monsters

As soon as the Chicago Wolves and Charlotte Checkers headed to overtime on Saturday night, the Cleveland Monsters had been officially eliminated from a Calder Cup Playoff spot. Cleveland fans were hoping and praying that their rival from Chicago could help them out in the kindest of ways by defeating the Checkers in regulation to get the Monsters into the playoffs. Unfortunately, Chicago had to battle back from being down 3-1 in the third period and could only tie it before going on to win in overtime. Alas, Charlotte survived the late charge and grabbed the last spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The beauty of sports.

For about two and a half hours this weekend, all of the Monsters’ faithful became engulfed with everything Chicago Wolves-related, hoping they’d get another chance to take the ice this season. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and the Monsters’ season is over.

Though the season is over, there was a lot to look back on and be happy about. Let’s do that right now.

A big thank you to Head Coach  John Madden, who took over the role of Head Coach just a few weeks before the season started. He adapted quickly to the scenery of Cleveland hockey and brought the full potential out of his players. It’s hard trying to win in hockey while having to constantly adapt to losing players to the NHL affiliate. That’s why I have so much respect for any AHL coach that can focus on winning with the ever-changing circle of players he can play from night to night. It’s like playing a game of cards and right when you think you have the right hand to deal, someone takes three of your cards and tells you to figure out a way to win with a different hand. Coach Madden developed players that will be ready to go play in the NHL next season and some that are doing so right now. As of today, Sonny Milano, Anton Forsberg and Markus Hannikainen have all been called up to the Columbus Blue Jackets to help with their playoff run to the Stanley Cup. Put Joonas Korpisalo and Oliver Bjorkstrand on that list of Madden successes. Madden helped Bjorkstrand when he was sent down from Columbus early in the season to work on his game more before receiving the call-up from the Blue Jackets in the middle of the season. Korpisalo returned to Cleveland after missing the first month of the season due to an injury suffered in a pre-season game. Madden helped Korpisalo regain his confidence to the extent where Columbus brought him up from Cleveland to make him their backup goaltender after cutting Curtis McElhinney.

Here’s the point I’m trying to make: It’s not necessarily about winning in the AHL. Of course we want to, but the focus of improving the talent of the team is the main priority. Madden did that and even put the team in playoff contention late in the year. The team went on a 13-2-1 run in their final 16 games and fell just one point short of making the Calder Cup Playoffs.

So the first year under Coach Madden as the Cleveland Monsters Head Coach is over. We look forward to next year.

I’d also like to thank the all of the players on the team, as they made this season memorable and exciting all the way to the final horn.

Captain Ryan Craig, who corraled the group every game to be ready to play on both sides of the ice. Craig is a tremendous player who puts his own statistics on the back burner for the good of the team. That’s a leader.

Assistant Captains Jaime Sifers, T.J. Tynan and Markus Hannikainen showed veteran leadership to the young guys who are still adjusting to the professional game. These players and veterans like Alex Broadhurst and Daniel Zaar help teach and grow at the same time.

Zac Dalpe, the journeyman for most of his career that found a home late in the year with Cleveland. Dalpe became a strong force in the Cleveland front line with Craig and Tynan, producing at an efficient rate for Cleveland. Personally, seeing Dalpe return next season would be a welcomed idea.

The goaltending team of Anton Forsberg and Brad Thiessen, who shut down offenses throughout the season. Forsberg’s future with Cleveland is foggy with the expansion draft coming around, but he has been a staple between the pipes and will always be remembered for his 2016 Calder Cup Playoff performances.

To the hard-hitting defensemen John Ramage, Ryan Stanton, Oleg Yevenko, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Brett Gallant who served as enforcers for their teammates when things got chippy. These guys defend the zone at all times and you couldn’t find any better core.

And to all the young players that have grown this season, including Sonny Milano, Jordan Maletta, Justin Scott, Joe Pendenza, Dean Kukan, Sam Vigneault, Blake Siebenaler, Paul Bittner, Gabriel Carlsson, Vitaly Abramov and so many others. This is the future of Columbus Blue Jackets hockey.

This season didn’t end the way the Monsters had hoped, but there were positives throughout the campaign.

And like any great team, the Monsters will be back.