Monsters sign trio of players to AHL contracts for 2021-22 season
Jul 12, 2021The Cleveland Monsters announced Monday that the club signed sixth-year defenseman Thomas Schemitsch, rookie forward Cole Fonstad and second-year d-man Billy Sweezey to AHL contracts for the 2021-22 season.
In his first season with Cleveland, Schemitsch posted 2-16-18 with 19 penalty minutes and a -5 rating in 28 appearances in 2020-21, leading all Monsters defensemen in scoring and leading the club in assists. In 23 appearances as captain of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips last season, Fonstad posted 16-18-34 with 14 penalty minutes and a +17 rating and added 0-1-1 with a -1 rating in two appearances for the Monsters. Sweezey supplied 0-4-4 with 26 penalty minutes and a +2 rating in 22 appearances for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, the first professional action of Sweezey’s career.
A 6’4”, 205 lb. right-shooting native of Thornhill, ON, Schemitsch, 24, was originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round (88th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In 247 career AHL appearances for the Springfield Thunderbirds and Cleveland spanning parts of five seasons from 2016-21, Schemitsch tallied 26-54-80 with 134 penalty minutes and a -3 rating. In 17 appearances for the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs in 2016-17, Schemitsch contributed 1-7-8 with six penalty minutes and a +2 rating. Prior to his professional career, Schemitsch notched 29-68-97 with 84 penalty minutes and a -27 rating in 182 appearances for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack spanning three seasons from 2013-16.
A 5’10”, 176 lb. left-shooting native of Estevan, SK, Fonstad, 21, tallied 92-189-281 with 68 penalty minutes and a +74 rating in 293 career WHL appearances for the Prince Albert Raiders and Everett spanning parts of six seasons from 2016-21.
A 6’2”, 205 lb. right-shooting native of Hanson, MA, Sweezey, 25, registered 3-26-29 with 159 penalty minutes and a +16 rating in 127 career NCAA appearances for Yale University spanning four seasons from 2016-20. Prior to his collegiate career, Sweezey logged 3-1-4 with 135 penalty minutes and a +8 rating in 58 appearances for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints and Chicago Steel spanning parts of two seasons from 2014-16.
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