The Cleveland Monsters are combining elements of their city’s professional hockey history for an all-new throwback identity this weekend.
The American Hockey League team will transform into the Cleveland Lumberjacks for their games this weekend against the Providence Bruins at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. With the name change comes jerseys that combine the Monsters’ current blue, gold and black colour scheme with graphic elements from different eras of Cleveland pro hockey over the last 30 years.
The jersey has a white base and a black collar. On the front is a logo with gold “LUMBERJACKS” lettering in the style of the logo of the Cleveland Lumberjacks when they first moved to Cleveland in 1992. The human lumberjack face from that logo is replaced by that of a beaver wearing a blue toque, which is reminiscent of the Lumberjacks’ logo used from 1995 to 2001.
The striping around the waist and sleeves is black with gold trim and mimics a saw blade — an element from the 1995-2001 Lumberjacks identity. The right shoulder has a patch with “CLE” overtop of two crossed logs that taper into hockey sticks, while the right shoulder has the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse logo.
It was 1992 when the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League relocated to Cleveland, playing out of the Richfield Coliseum. Two seasons later, they moved into Gund Arena — now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — where they played until the IHL folded in 2001. Pro hockey returned to Cleveland in 2007 when the dormant Utah Grizzlies AHL franchise was purchased and relocated.
Game-worn Lumberjacks jerseys will be auctioned off, some online and some in person following Saturday’s game, with proceeds benefitting the Monsters Community Foundation. The online bids close at 9:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Monsters had previously worn Lumberjacks throwback jerseys that focused on the 1995-2001 logo and jersey design.
Puck drop for both Lumberjacks Weekend games against the P-Bruins is at 7 p.m. ET.
