Heading Outdoors In Ohio

There was some news from the AHL today as the league will put its stamp on Ohio on March 4 when the Cleveland Monsters will invade the FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland where they will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins! The top affiliate of the Blue Jackets has seen a solid following built thanks to the success they had while winning their Calder Cup in 2015-16, but there haven't been many big moments since that season. That changes this year with the outdoor game on the shore of Lake Erie!

This game will mark the 11th time the AHL will play a game outdoors, and it will be the first time that Cleveland will host a professional outdoor game. Considering Cleveland's long history with the AHL and NHL, I'm actually quite surprised that it's the first time they'll have a professional game outside of a closed arena. Whatever the reasons are, that will be erased come March 4 at 1pm ET.

"We are thrilled to bring the spectacle of outdoor hockey to Northeast Ohio with the Cleveland Monsters Outdoor Classic at FirstEnergy Stadium," said Mike Ostrowski, President of Franchise Properties for Rock Entertainment Group. "The home of the Browns will be a fantastic setting for this historic American Hockey League event and we can't wait to see fans from across the region at the lakefront to watch the Blue Jackets' and Penguins' stars of tomorrow battle it out on the outdoor ice."

For those wondering, this will be the second outdoor game that the Monsters will have played in as they were the visitors against the Rochester Americans at Frontier Field in December 2013. Rochester won 5-4 in a shootout in that game that delighted the 11,015 hometown fans on December 13, 2013.

The Penguins will also be participating in their second outdoor game as they too were visitors in their game against the Hershey Bears outdoors at Hersheypark Stadium in January 2013. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime in front of 17,311 fans on January 20, 2013.

"We are delighted to continue the AHL tradition of outdoor games with the Cleveland Monsters Outdoor Classic," said AHL President and CEO Scott Howson. "The city of Cleveland has a long and storied history in the American Hockey League, and we look forward to having our fans and players experience the exciting environment in FirstEnergy Stadium on March 4."

As per AHL records, Hershey is 0-3 in outdoor games after losing to the aforementioned Penguins in 2013, to the Adirondack Phantoms in overtime in 2012, and to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2018. Meanwhile, the Toronto Marlies are the only team to go 2-0 in outdoor games after defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2012 and the Grand Rapids Griffins in a shootout in 2013. Clearly, the Penguins will be gunning for a second win in Cleveland while the Monsters are looking to move back to .500 with a win on home ice.

If you're looking to go to the game, tickets will go on sale for the general public on Wednesday, October 12 with tickets starting at $10. I have no idea where those tickets will land you in terms of seating, but FirstEnergy Stadium holds 67,895 fans. The AHL record for fans at an outdoor game was set on January 6, 2012 between the Adirondack Phantoms and Hershey Bears when they played in front of 45,653 fans at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. Might we see a new record set in Cleveland?

Whatever happens, it should be a good game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland between the Penguins and Monsters on March 4. The first AHL outdoor game since January 20, 2018 will give fans a reason to venture outside and watch a little puck between two solid teams whose rivalry in the NHL may bleed into the AHL this season as well. There's nothing better than a solid rivalry to ramp up the outdoor action!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!