By: Nick Lanciani
The Lake Erie Monsters are your 2016 Calder Cup champions after sweeping the Hershey Bears in four games in the 2016 Calder Cup Finals. Saturday night’s 1-0 overtime victory sealed the deal for the Monsters as they clinched their first Calder Cup in franchise history (and first Calder Cup championship for the Cleveland region since the Cleveland Barons won their ninth Calder Cup in 1964).
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the game winning goal with seconds remaining in the first sudden death overtime period. His 10th goal of the postseason and third overtime game-winner, Bjorkstrand was named the recipient of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of this year’s Calder Cup playoffs.
He had 10-6-16 totals in 17 games en route to becoming an AHL champion and is a third round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets from the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Lukas Sedlak and Zach Werenski had the primary and secondary assists on Bjorkstrand’s game-winning goal.
Anton Forsberg had a 23 save shutout in front of a sold out home crowd at the Quicken Loans Arena, while Justin Peters stopped 32 out of 33 shots faced for the Bears in the loss.
The 2016 #CalderCup Champions, Cleveland's Lake Erie Monsters! pic.twitter.com/wd25IxFupi
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) June 12, 2016
With the conclusion of the Calder Cup Finals, thus concludes the AHL’s 80th season as a league in operation since 1936. Fun fact for you hockey history buffs, the American Hockey League originally served as a rival professional league of the NHL in its first season of existence, until the NHL made the AHL sign an affiliation agreement becoming the official minor league of the NHL the following season.
The Monsters are the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets and show promising depth throughout the organization heading into next season. Hershey had a good season showing as an annual powerhouse of the AHL as the affiliate of the Washington Capitals.
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