CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Monsters will play 27 of their 40 home games this season on weekend dates, including 12 on Saturdays. They also will have 10 games on Fridays and five on Sundays. The AHL released the 80-game schedules for its 75th anniversary season Wednesday. Notable for the Monsters: *For the third time in the four-year history of the franchise, they begin their...
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Monsters will play 27 of their 40 home games this season on weekend dates, including 12 on Saturdays. They also will have 10 games on Fridays and five on Sundays.
The AHL released the 80-game schedules for its 75th anniversary season Wednesday. Notable for the Monsters:
*For the third time in the four-year history of the franchise, they begin their season at home. They play host to Syracuse on Oct. 8.
*After their season opener, they embark on a seven-game trip. They return to play eight straight home games.
*They will be involved in five doubleheaders with the Cavaliers, The Q featuring hockey in the afternoon and basketball in the evening. Those dates are Nov. 10, Nov. 13, Nov. 27, Feb. 5 and Feb. 16.
*For the first time in franchise history, the Monsters will play at home on New Year’s Day (7:30 p.m.).
*They will host two “school day'' games. The 10:45 a.m. faceoffs will be Nov. 10 and Feb. 16.
*They will play 17 back-to-backs, as well as nine back-to-back-to-backs.
*The home schedule concludes April 9. The regular-season finale is the next day in Rochester, N.Y.
*The popular Dollar Dog Fridays continue this season, with hot dogs and sodas being sold for $1 each at all Friday night games.
In their third season in the AHL in 2009-10, the Monsters posted the sixth-best attendance average in the AHL, up from 9th the previous year and 11th in their inaugural season.
Lake Erie recorded two of the league’s top 10 highest-attended games in 2009-2010. The crowd of 18,626 for Shaq Bobblehead Night was the second-highest in the league for the season and a franchise-high. It ranked sixth in the AHL’s all-time single-game attendance records. Lake Erie’s crowd of 14,103 on Fan Appreciation Night was the 10th-largest of the 2009-10 regular season in the AHL.
The Monsters, affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, had 14 players promoted last season.