The Cleveland Monsters announced Tuesday that Nick Bootland, assistant coach for the AHL’s Hershey Bears for the past four seasons, has been hired by Columbus as the eighth head coach in Monsters franchise history, succeeding Trent Vogelhuber who was promoted to the Blue Jackets as an assistant coach. A Shelburne, ON native, Bootland, 47, helped secure playoff berths in each of his four seasons with the Bears, claiming back-to-back Calder Cup Championships in 2023 and 2024, and the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as 2023-24 regular-season AHL champions.

Prior to his time in Hershey, Bootland served as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Kalamazoo Wings in the IHL2 (2008-09) and ECHL (2009-22) for 13 seasons. During his 929 combined games behind the K-Wings’ bench, Bootland secured nine playoff appearances, four division titles, and one trip to the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Finals (2011). Bootland’s 853 career ECHL games coached and 437 career ECHL coaching wins both rank among that league’s top ten all-time. "Nick is an experienced coach who has spent nearly two decades working with and developing young players, said Chris Clark, Columbus Assistant General Manager and GM of the Monsters. “He knows the league very well and we are excited to have him as the next head coach of the Monsters.”

Selected by the Dallas Stars in the ninth round (220th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Bootland, a left-shooting forward, posted 29-43-72 with 475 penalty minutes and a +3 rating in 329 career AHL appearances for Hershey and the Cleveland Barons spanning parts of seven seasons from 1998-2005. Bootland tallied 14-16-30 with 125 penalty minutes in 121 career games with Cleveland spanning four seasons from 2001-05. “I want to thank Don Waddell, Rick Nash, and Chris Clark for this opportunity,” said Bootland on Tuesday. “I’m excited to work alongside such a talented staff and this group of young players. Having played in Cleveland before, I understand firsthand that this is a true sports town and I cannot wait to get started.”

Bootland added 44-54-98 with 216 penalty minutes and a +14 rating in 114 career ECHL appearances for the Cincinnati Cyclones spanning parts of two seasons from 2001-03. In 275 career UHL/IHL2 appearances for the Columbus Stars and Kalamazoo spanning parts of four seasons from 2003-04 and 2005-08, Bootland registered 152-146-298 with 368 penalty minutes and a +60 rating, serving as the K-Wings’ captain for three seasons (2005-08) and helping claim the 2006 Colonial Cup as UHL Playoff Champions, earning Colonial Cup Playoff MVP honors along the way. Prior to his professional career, Bootland posted 66-67-133 with 335 penalty minutes and a +24 rating in 192 career OHL appearances for the Guelph Storm, helping claim the 1997-98 OHL Championship.