Top 5 Moments Covering the Cleveland Monsters
Photo Credit: Cleveland Monsters
On March 29th, 2025, my time covering the Cleveland Monsters came to a close.
For nine seasons, I had the distinct pleasure of being a credentialed member of the Cleveland media and with it came a multitude of memories which will be imprinted on my heart forever.
After looking at the 2025-26 schedule, I realized I likely won’t be able to make the trip from Grand Rapids to cover the Griffins vs the Monsters at Rocket Arena this coming season. From there, it hit me that my time with the Monsters was truly done and this chapter of my career was at an end. So, I decided a farewell article was needed featuring some of my favorite moments from covering the team.
I hope you enjoy them and they bring back good memories.
#5 - The AAA Blue Jackets Connection
In the fall of 2013, Ed Gingher took a chance on me and hired me as the Communications Intern for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets. My time with the AAA changed my life for the better and sent me down a path that’s led me to reach many of my childhood dreams. So for me, getting to have a front row seat to watch Carson Meyer, Kole Sherwood, and Justin Richards reach their dreams was beautifully surreal. They weren’t the only ones from the program who played and coached for the Monsters during my time covering them, but they were with the AAA while I was an intern, and it was an absolute privilege and honor to watch them achieve their dreams live and in-person.
#4 - The Pandemic
In March 2020, the entire world came to a standstill as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold. By the time the middle of May rolled around, the rest of the AHL season was cancelled. As a journalist depending on games to tell stories and get paid, the unknown of what was next for hockey made me anxious. But, the time off led way to unique opportunities to bond with players and tell their stories. It also gave me a chance to tell stories I never would have had the chance to tell during a busy season.
When the AHL started back up with a condensed season in February 2021, interviews were done via zoom and Cleveland was one of the lucky few who were allowed to have fans and media in the building. Yet again, offering another unique experience that many other sports writers and their fans didn’t get to experience during the pandemic.
Below are some of my favorite articles I got to write during that time.
#3 - Outdoor Game Sun Delay
If you live in Northeast Ohio, you know how truly magical it is for the sun to come out in full force at the beginning of March. Birds sing, the season depression floats into oblivion, and the ice melts away. Most of the time ice melting in Cleveland is a sign of all the good things to come. However, in this situation, ice melting was the last thing the Cleveland Monsters, WBS Penguins, and Scott Howson wanted for their outdoor game at First Energy Stadium.
I’ll never forget heading to the field to watch warmups and getting one look at Scott Howson’s face and realizing this game was going to be delayed. When I looked at the “ice”, I had a front row show of a player splashing their goalie instead of snowing the goalie. And yes, I was in the splash zone.
While most people went home during the delay, I decided to explore the stadium and hang out with as many random people as possible. At one point, I even made a snowman with the zamboni snow.
Disgusting? Yes!
Fun? Also yes!
But, not as much fun as watching the Monsters win in overtime under the lights with the city skyline in the background.
Below are the articles I wrote about the event.
#2 - Manitoba Moose fight between the benches
When people think of their top three favorite days of their life, they usually say things like “My wedding day”, “the day my first child was born”, and “when my team won the Stanley Cup.”
For me, Friday, April 14, 2017, was one of the best days of my life, because it featured a beautiful moment that perfectly encapsulated the sport of hockey: an all-out rumble between players on the ice and players on the benches. Sometimes when I’m feeling blue, I head to YouTube and pull up the fight so I can get a quick shot of that sweet, sweet serotonin.
It was truly one of the greatest moments I’ve ever seen in live hockey. To this day, my heart flutters every time things get spicy in front of the benches in hopes another kerfuffle between the benches will break out.
You can watch the video here.
#1 - Doyle Somerby and Roberta Pennington
While defenseman Doyle Somerby was playing for Cleveland, he would wear pink in October to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. At a “Meet the Team” event in 2018, Somerby met Roberta Pennington, a fan who was battling cancer. They became fast friends, and I was given the great gift of being able to interview Pennington about their relationship and her battle with cancer.
From this interview, not only did I get a chance to tell a beautiful story but I also earned a lifelong friend who I love dearly in Roberta and the Pennington family.
You can read the story here.
—--------------
One final note before I say goodbye:
Covering the death of Matiss Kivlenieks was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life, and it was hands down the most soul crushing article I’ve written in my career. Kivi wasn’t just a player I covered, he was my friend. Like many of you reading this article, losing Kivlenieks shattered my heart.
I will never forget how all of us grieved together and held each other up during the 2021-22 season. I almost quit writing that season because every game was a reminder that he was gone and it broke me game after game. I took a break that March intending not to return, but many Monsters fans worked hard to heal my heart. And, slowly, very slowly, I found my love of writing again.
All of you brought me an abundance of beauty in the darkness.
For that, I will be forever thankful.
My feelings for the city, the fans, and the organization were summed up best by goaltender Jet Greaves after his bobblehead night in March.
“I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful to God for just giving me the experience I’ve had here in Cleveland, it’s been so special. The fans here are so amazing. And just the support since the first year I played here has been unbelievable.”
Thank you for making my time covering the Cleveland Monsters an absolute pleasure.
I love you all <3
P.S. Please forgive me for covering the enemy now.
