Monsters drop the puck for opening weekend with homestand against Crunch
October 10, 2022
The Cleveland Monsters begin the 2022-23 season this week against the Syracuse Crunch in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. Both games are currently scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The first 5,000 fans present on Friday Opening Night presented by SeatGeek will receive a magnet schedule courtesy of University Hospitals Sports Medicine. The opening night also marks the first 1-2-3 Friday of the season with $1 Pepsi products, $2 Hot Dog Wally and $3 Labatt Blue hot dogs and other beer specials. In addition, Hockey for heroes will take place every Friday night throughout the season allowing for special in-game recognition for veterans of the home care program and the chance to meet Monsters players after the game.
Along with the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the monsters will host Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Rocket Mortgage Saturday evening. Fans will enjoy the sounds of the Santa Cecilia Mariachi Band playing in the Atrium pregame as well as moments throughout the night. The Monsters are also proud to recognize local organizations with Hispanic ties during gameplay, including Pulpo Beer Co., Cleveland Play House and the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
Monsters and Crunch will be using Sugar Skull Hispanic Heritage commemorative pucks during Saturday warm-ups, which will then be available for purchase through DASH. Cultural and spiritual celebrants of Día de Los Muertos, “The Day of the Dead”, often use the image of a sugar skull to celebrate a tradition of crafting “sugar skulls” or Calaveras. These beautiful items culturally signify ancestors who have passed away and are usually personalized. For this Calavera, the hockey sticks and puck are present to honor the earliest ancestors in the game of hockey and are blue and orange to symbolize the blessings of balance and abundance. The marigolds above the eyes are meant to symbolize the afterlife, as they are usually placed to celebrate this Mesoamerican cultural tradition. Prized for their bright colors and powerful fragrance, marigolds attract the souls of the dead to the offerings prepared for them. Families will often scatter marigold petals forming a path from their entrance to the ofrenda waiting in the house.
Profits from the special puck will benefit HOLA Ohioa group that provides stability to Spanish-speaking, Latino, immigrant and farming families by removing barriers to better opportunities, providing access to medical and mental health care, immigration assistance, employment, educational programs and assistance for the direct needs of families in difficulty.
Dropping the puck Saturday will be the special guest Albert PadilleAssistant Athletic Trainer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and member of the Cavaliers Team Member Resource Group (TMRG) organization HELLO. TMRGs are team member-led groups that provide support, mentorship, networking, and a platform to voice the ideas and opinions of team members representing specific dimensions of diversity. Hispanics for Awareness, Leadership and Advocacy, also known as HOLA, has a mission to advance the Hispanic community, through awareness, leadership and advocacy alongside Hispanic-focused organizations in the northeast region of Ohio.
Saturday’s game will serve as the start of Simmer’s Sidekicksa program designed by the defender of the Monsters Dillon Simpson. Simpson will host a local athlete from the Unified Champion Schools every Saturday night, providing the group with tickets, food, Monsters gear and the ability to send the team out on the ice as part of Cave Crew. Additionally, Simpson will arrange a meet and greet with each child and family after the game is over.
Tickets for Friday’s and Saturday’s matches are available now at clevelandmonsters.comfrom just $10.
Stay up to date on all Monsters news with the Monsters Mobile App presented by the University Hospitals downloadable from the Apple Store Where Google Play Store. Be sure to follow the monsters on Twitter, Facebook, instagram and ICT Tac.
