In celebration of the American Hockey League’s 90th Anniversary, teams across the league are paying tribute to their respective roots. For the Cleveland Monsters, that means recognizing the Cleveland Barons – one of the most dominant franchises in minor league hockey history.  

Once the winningest team in AHL history, the Barons were an integral part of the Cleveland sports scene for nearly five decades. All-time greats like Fred Glover and Johnny Bower spent time in Cleveland en route to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and generations of hockey fans remember a time when the Big-Time Barons fight song rattled Cleveland Arena after a goal.  

The Barons played from 1937-1973 and amassed nine Calder Cup titles during that time. This year’s Monsters team will be looking to specifically recreate the magic of the ‘50s era Barons, who captured four of the franchise’s championships. 

“Cleveland is often overlooked as one of America’s premier hockey towns,” reflects Monsters Chief Marketing Officer Ben Adams. "As the AHL celebrates 90 years, wearing Barons throwback uniforms in historic matchups with the league’s other storied franchises is a great way to honor the rich tradition of professional hockey in the city.” 

The Monsters will rebrand as the Barons for seven select nights this season, including three home games and four road games, during which time they’ll face off against notable opponents such as the Hershey Bears and the Rochester Americans. 

Historically, the Barons met the Bears three times in the Calder Cup finals from the ‘40s to the ‘70s, coming away victorious in all three matchups.  Additionally, they saw the Americans in two finals bouts across the last three decades of team play and secured the Cup in one of the two series.  

As it stands, Hershey leads the league in Calder Cups with 12, while Cleveland trails close behind with 10, and Rochester sits soundly in fourth with six. 

With such a rich history to highlight, paying homage to this era of hockey is no easy task. While the Barons employed a variety of logo designs throughout their tenure in Cleveland, there was one particular logo and uniform set that stood out to Cleveland Monsters Graphic Designer Art Morris. 

“With this jersey being part of the 90th Anniversary of the AHL, I wanted to take a deep dive into the history of the Barons and pick a jersey design from the most memorable and successful era of the team,” said Morris. 

 “From what I discovered, the logo that [we chose] was the first character logo to be featured on a jersey. This was a big factor in the direction of the design.” 

Morris cites heavy influences from the players of that period, namely Fred Glover, for the inspiration behind the jersey and the logo. 

“[Glover’s] love for the city and the Barons’ organization was a big factor in choosing this jersey and the beginning of the era it represents.” 

There is, however, one notable change to this Barons logo: the number on the character’s jersey. What was originally a four has been changed to a nine, meant to represent Glover’s number and the number of Calder Cups won by the team.  

For the Barons and the Monsters alike, fan experience means everything. During the three home Barons Nights this season, fans can expect to be thrown back in time to an electric era of hockey and banging boards – and they may even get a chance to sing along to the Barons’ Fight Song.  

With in-game elements themed to match the days of old, concourse activities designed to draw fans back in time and a team emboldened by the greatness of the era, the experience is sure to be memorable for Cleveland hockey fans.  

Secure a Barons Hat Trick Ticket Pack HERE and don’t miss the chance to catch all the history in action! Packages start at $59 and will include tickets to all three home games (11/20, 11/22, and 12/29), as well as an exclusive Barons Legacy hat.