The Calder Cup came to Cleveland in 2016. In 2024, Cleveland came agonizingly close to bringing it back to the Forest City.
The Monsters, the minor league affiliate of the Blue Jackets, competed in the American Hockey League postseason for the first time since 2019 and authored another unforgettable run. After winning the AHL North Division in the regular season, Cleveland did it again in the postseason, downing Belleville three games to one and then sweeping Syracuse to advance to the conference final. Unfortunately, after a tight seven-game series that featured four overtime games, Cleveland lost to defending AHL champion Hershey with a bid in the Calder Cup final on the line.
It was a memorable run, though, for the Monsters, one that should help the team's young prospects down the road. This year’s Cleveland squad has a good mix of prospects and veterans, and it features 11 players who suited up for the Blue Jackets this year and six others who have NHL experience with Columbus.
While it finished short of a championship, Cleveland authored a postseason that many will remember.
Read More
- What to know about the Monsters playoffs
- Cleveland enters the postseason on a roll
- Meet the Mon-stars
- Czech mates: Jiricek, Svozil thriving in postseason
- Greaves' playoff success comes from hard work
Game Recaps
Eastern Conference Final
Game 7: Hershey 3, Cleveland 2 (OT)
In the end, it had to go to overtime. Cleveland's never-say-die bunch didn't go down easy, but Hershey got the final stroke of luck and captured the series in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
Garrett Roe found a loose puck after a Cleveland shot block and quickly fired past Jet Greaves' glove 7:38 into overtime to send the Bears back to the Calder Cup final for a rematch vs. Coachella Valley.
It wasn't for a lack of effort from Cleveland, as the Monsters had a 44-30 edge in shots on goal, including 6-2 in the extra time. Trey Fix-Wolansky and James Malatesta scored for Cleveland, while Greaves finished with 27 saves.
Fix-Wolansky started the scoring late in the first period with a power-play goal when he jammed a shot past goalie Hunter Shepard, but Hershey answered 39 seconds later with Logan Day's tally. The Bears got the only goal of the second when Pierrick Dube scored to make it 2-1, where it stayed until Malatesta spun and fired past Shepard with 5:52 to go in regulation.
That set up the fourth overtime contest in as many games in Hershey's Giant Center, but Roe sent the home fans happy and ended the Monsters' season with his tally.
Game 6: Cleveland 3, Hershey 2 (OT)
Cleveland hasn't seen Kardiac Kids like this since in more than four decades.
Just when it looked like their season was over, the never-say-die Monsters came off the mat. Hershey scored to take a 2-1 lead with 49.3 seconds to play, surely ending Cleveland's season ... until Brendan Gaunce came along. The Cleveland captain scored just 17 seconds later, then Jake Christiansen scored in overtime as the Monsters won their third game in a row and tied the series at three wins apiece.
Owen Sillinger also scored as Cleveland incredibly, dramatically set up a do-or-die Game 7, as well as becoming the first team to win on Hershey's home ice all postseason.
Sillinger opened the scoring in the first period with a power-play one-timer off a feed from James Malatesta, but Hershey tied things up in the second as Henrik Rybinski tied things up near the midway point. The game stayed tied at 1 until the final minute of regulation, as Joe Snively thought he'd won the series at 19:10 before Gaunce's shot from the right corner deflected into the net with 32.9 seconds to go.
Cleveland pushed to win it throughout overtime, with Bears goalie Hunter Shepard making a number of key saves, but Christiansen got the winner at 17:31 when his shot from the blue line sailed home. It was the second-team All-AHL defenseman's first game since suffering an injury in the opening series vs. Belleville.
Jet Greaves was staunch yet again in net with 29 saves.
Game 5: Cleveland 5, Hershey 1
Cleveland made sure this series would go back to Hershey, building momentum from Game 4 and posting a comprehensive 5-1 win over Hershey on Saturday night in front of another big crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
There would be no doubt in the final home game of the series, as Josh Dunne and Brendan Gaunce each scored twice as the Monsters scored five unanswered goals to earn the win.
Hershey actually got on the board first with the lone goal of the first period before Cleveland pulled away with four second-period goals. Alex Whelan opened the scoring when he got to a rebound in a scramble to make it 1-1, then Dunne gave the Monsters the lead for good when he put home another rebound from a shot by Denton Mateychuk, giving the first-round pick his first pro point.
Gaunce scored two goals in a row to cap the frame, then Dunne added an empty-net goal to close things out. Jet Greaves stopped 33 shots in another strong performance.
Game 4: Cleveland 3, Hershey 2
Facing elimination, the Monsters were able to do something Thursday night they hadn't done much of this series -- play from ahead.
Cleveland never trailed and got its first win of this conference final series, cutting Hershey's lead to 3-1 with a 3-2 victory in front of another big crowd in the Forest City.
Josh Dunne, Roman Ahcan and Jake Gaudet scored for Cleveland, while Jet Greaves had 33 saves -- including 16 in the third period -- to clinch the win.
Dunne got Cleveland on the board first when he scored from a sharp angle in the opening frame, then Ethen Frank tied things up late in the first. Ahcan's quick wrister at 7:46 of the second gave Cleveland the lead for good, and Gaudet tallied from the slot in the third to make it 3-1. Hershey got a goal from Garrett Roe to make it 3-2 with over 14 minutes to go, but the Monsters survived from there to force a pivotal Game 5 on Saturday night.
Game 3: Hershey 6, Cleveland 2
Cleveland approached the brink of elimination Tuesday night at home with a 6-2 loss to Hershey, and the team's penalty kill was a big culprit.
The Monsters couldn't stay out of the box and paid for it, giving up three power-play goals and an empty-netter. Cleveland also gave up four unanswered goals as Hershey broke open a 2-2 game in the second period.
The Bears took a 2-0 lead on a pair of power-play goals, Chase Priskie's first-period tally and Ethen Frank's tally early in the second. But Alex Whelan scored 1:10 later to make it 2-1 and Trey Fix-Wolansky got his own power-play goal to tie the score.
Unfortunately, it was all Bears from there. Alex Limoges, Ivan Miroschnichenko and Joe Snively scored in the final three minutes of the second to break it open, and Cleveland couldn't generate any goals in the third before Henrik Rybinski's empty-netter.
Jet Greaves stopped 20 of 25 shots in the first two periods before Malcolm Subban played the third.
Game 2: Hershey 3, Cleveland 2 (OT)
Saturday's Game 2 followed a same script as the series opener in Hershey -- a spirited effort, a late tying goal and, ultimately, heartbreak for the Monsters.
For the second game in a row, Cleveland dropped its contest in overtime, with this time Pierrick Dube getting inside the defense and beating Jet Greaves to deliver a 3-2 win to the Bears and give them a 2-0 series lead before the games shift back to Cleveland.
The Monsters twice answered Hershey goals, with Josh Dunne scoring late in the second to make it a 1-1 game and David Jiricek tying the game for the second contest in a row late in the third. His slap shot past Hunter Shepard with 1:33 to go made it a 2-2 game in a third period Cleveland dominated (14 shots on goal to two).
Greaves made 27 saves, while Cleveland also got its captain, Brendan Gaunce, back from injury.
Game 1: Hershey 5, Cleveland 4 (OT)
An entertaining Game 1 came down to extra time, and Mike Vecchione's goal 7:58 into the extra frame was the difference as Hershey claimed the opening contest of the Eastern Conference Final on home ice Thursday night.
It took a furious comeback from the Monsters to get to overtime, as Trey Fix-Wolansky scored his first goal of the postseason with 1:23 to go and David Jiricek tallied in the final 20 seconds to erase a two-goal deficit for Cleveland.
In a back-and-forth contest, Hershey scored the lone goal of the first period on Jet Greaves before Cleveland took a 2-1 lead early in the second on tallies by Hunter McKown and Alex Whelan. But Hershey then scored three straight tallies before the never-say-die Monsters' late dramatics led to the extra frame.
Greaves made 30 saves while Jiricek had a three-point night to lead the way.
North Division Final
Game 3: Cleveland 6, Syracuse 4
Get out the brooms, Cleveland is headed to the Eastern Conference final!
The Monsters were without standout goalie Jet Greaves on Wednesday night in Syracuse, but it didn't matter as six different players scored in Cleveland's sweep-clinching victory over the Crunch.
In a topsy-turvy game that both teams led at one point, Cleveland responded to all challenges to put away their division rival. Jake Gaudet, Stefan Matteau, Alex Whelan, Josh Dunne, Luca Del Bel Belluz and Roman Ahcan scored as the Monsters had their best offensive output of the postseason.
Gaudet tallied in the first and Matteau in the second, but Cleveland was down 3-2 before a wild third period. Goals by Whelan and Dunne put the Monsters ahead, but Syracuse tied the game with 3:28 to go with Alex Barre-Boulet's second goal of the night. Just 70 seconds later, though, rookie second-round draft pick Del Bel Belluz got the series-winning goal, and Ahcan's empty-netter sealed things.
In relief of Greaves, veteran goalie Malcolm Subban made 25 saves.
Game 2: Cleveland 4, Syracuse 1
Cleveland moved within a victory of advancing to the AHL's final four on Saturday afternoon, coming back to beat Syracuse by a 4-1 score in front of another raucous crowd of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The team went into a 1-0 hole early as Devante Stephens scored a power-play goal for the Crunch, but Cleveland rallied to take the lead before the end of the opening frame. Billy Sweezey tied the score, throwing the puck on net from the right boards and sneaking it by goalie Brandon Halverson at the near post on a goal that required a lengthy video review to confirm. Later in the period, Halverson lost the puck off his stick and Hunter McKown took advantage, grabbing the turnover and flipping a backhander over the goalie.
Jakub Zboril's power-play blast early in the third extended the lead to 3-1 and Alex Whelan added an empty-netter, while Jet Greaves did the rest with 17 saves in his fifth straight win.
"I thought we were just quicker to get to the puck and get to the areas in both ends of the rink," head coach Trent Vogelhuber said. "Last game, I thought they out-supported us. I thought we did a better job of skating to the puck, second and third man even in both ends, and then you give yourself a chance to win those 50-50 battles because you have at least even numbers. And I'll take our group at even numbers competing for pucks against most."
Game 1: Cleveland 1, Syracuse 0
They don't come easy this time of year, but the Monsters are used to it.
In another low-scoring, hard-fought battle, Justin Pearson's shorthanded goal early in the third period was the difference Thursday night as Cleveland opened the AHL North Division final with a 1-0 win over Syracuse at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The teams were knotted 0-0 through 40 minutes before Pearson's goal made the difference. It was a fantastic individual effort, as the Monsters forward intercepted a drop pass, deked out one defender, cut across another and beat goalie Brandon Halverson for the only tally of the game.
Cleveland finished it off from there, with goalie Jet Greaves making 28 saves in his first career playoff shutout.
North Division Semifinal
Game 4: Cleveland 3, Belleville 1
Friday night's clinching Game 4 win over Belleville was about tonight, but it was also a long time coming, too.
The close-knit Monsters have gone through plenty the past few years, building a brotherhood, and the franchise's first playoff series win since 2019 sure feels good with that in mind.
"It's great," third-year Cleveland defenseman Billy Sweezey said after the Monsters' 3-1 win to capture the series three games to one. "It's emotional on the ice, it's emotional in the room when the guys come back in after the games. We've been building a culture here. We've been building a team here. Everyone is just playing really good hockey right now and contributing, and that's what you need to keep playing games this time of year."
Marcus Bjork had a goal and an assist in the clinching win, while Owen Sillinger and Justin Pearson also scored. Jet Greaves turned in another beauty, stopping 32 shots.
It didn't take long for Cleveland to get on the board in the clinching win, as Bjork's shot deflected and looped over Belleville goalie Leevi Merilainen just 1:39 into the game to make it 1-0. Stephen Halliday's power-play goal tied things for the Senators later in the first, but Sillinger got his second straight game winner at 14:00 of the second when he crashed the net and deflected Mikael Pyyhtia's pass behind Merilainen.
Cleveland had to kill an extended 5-on-3 disadvantage to start the third, then held on from there until Pearson's empty-net goal with 2.2 seconds to go finished things off.
"Everybody played super hard," head coach Trent Vogelhuber said. "We didn't have any passengers, which you can't this time of year. That's what got it done. And the guy back in the goal helps, too."
Game 3: Cleveland 3, Belleville 2 (2OT)
In a game of wild momentum swings and ups and downs, the Monsters leaned into what's gotten them through a successful season.
Their close nature and willingness to battle for one another.
A team that has played in plenty of close games this year stuck to the plan and got the winner 4:41 into the second overtime off the stick of Owen Sillinger to take a 3-2 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Wednesday night -- and 2-1 lead in their best-of-five series with the B-Sens.
"That was the best part," head coach Trent Vogelhuber said of his team's ability to stick with it. "Just finding ways. I think that's what we've done all year. We've been in tight one-goal games all year and more often than not have found ways to win. They're comfortable in those situations. Now having a couple overtime winners just helps grow that confidence. I'm just happy for them."
Sillinger got the winner when he collected the rebound of a shot that went wide by David Jiricek and found goalie Mads Sogaard out of position, setting off a wild celebration in front of the 12,659 home fans that stuck around.
"It just happened to go in for me," Sillinger said. "Shot it in the open net and game over."
Cleveland built a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes on goals from Mikael Pyythia and Jiricek, but Belleville tied the score with a response goal late in the first and the equalizer early in the third. Donovan Sebrango's shot through a screen would be the last one to beat Jet Greaves, though, as the Monsters goalie stopped 39 shots.
Game 2: Cleveland 4, Belleville 3 (OT)
If you made a list of unlikely overtime heroes, Cole "Cowboy" Clayton would likely be near the bottom.
The physical defenseman had five goals in 59 games during the regular season, but he was at the right place at the right time Friday night, pinching down from the right point and putting Tyler Angle's shot into the net early in OT to give Cleveland its first playoff win of the season.
The teams now return to Cleveland tied 1-1 in their best-of-five series.
Angle and Jake Gaudet each scored in the first for Cleveland as the teams were knotted at 2 after 20 minutes, then Josh Dunne scored for the second time in as many games in the middle period before former Ohio State forward Stephen Halliday tied things in the third for Belleville to set up OT. Angle, Gaudet and Justin Pearson (two assists) each had two-point games, while Jet Greaves finished with the win and 36 saves.
Game 1: Belleville 2, Cleveland 1
Hitting the road to open the postseason, the Monsters dropped a tight one-goal decision to the B-Sens on Wednesday night to fall into a 1-0 hole in their best-of-five series.
Josh Dunne's power-play goal was the only tally for Cleveland, cutting Belleville’s lead to 2-1 in the second period, but the B-Sens made goals from Egor Sokolov and Angus Crookshank stand up. The Monsters had a 16-6 edge in third-period shots on goal and a 32-26 advantage overall, but they couldn’t find the tying marker in the third.
Trey Fix-Wolansky and Stanislav Svozil had assists on the Dunne goal, while netminder Jet Greaves made 24 saves.
