With 78 days until hockey returns to Rocket Arena, there’s no time like the present to introduce the team’s new leader.  

The Monsters are proud to welcome Nick “Booter” Bootland back into the Cleveland fold as the eighth head coach in their history.  

Cleveland is not entirely unfamiliar to Bootland, who played for the Cleveland Barons spanning four seasons from 2001-05 posting 14-16-30 with 125 penalty minutes in 121 career games. In his time here previously, he enjoyed the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, taking in a Guardians game, spending time at West Side Market and Little Italy, and hiking at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

For all his time in The Land, Bootland never got the opportunity to visit the Christmas Story House and has made it a point to check it out in his return. Bootland is also a fan of museums and hopes to visit the many Cleveland has to offer as he reacclimates to the city. 

As a former assistant with the Hershey Bears, Bootland notes that having the fans on his side again will be a major plus to being back in town. Along with that, he’s looking forward to coaching an exciting young team, and to doing so in front of the best fanbase in the AHL.  

For non-Cleveland specific activities, Bootland most enjoys golfing and spending lots of time by the lake, so look out for him at Edgewater Beach or Lakewood Park, or see if you can spot him on the green sometime this summer! 

Something many don’t know about Bootland is that he and his friends won a lip sync competition two years in a row in high school. With such talent at the helm of this ship, fans will need to bring their A game during this year’s Crowd Karaoke moments. 

The Monsters put an emphasis on their community involvement, something Bootland is excited to get behind. During his time with Kalamazoo, he was a leading participant in the Teddy Bear delivery to the local hospital, creating a perfect opportunity to get involved in big moments in Monsters Hockey like the annual Teddy Bear Toss, happening on Saturday, December 19, at 12:30 p.m.! 

Bootland wants to make sure the fans know that this team will be one that is fast-paced, disciplined, and hard-working. He plans to leave it all out on the ice in the hopes of bringing the Calder Cup back to Cleveland, and he can’t WAIT to get started.  

Join Coach Bootland and the Monsters at Rocket Arena on Friday, October 2, when they faceoff against the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. for the season's Home Opener and make his homecoming game the loudest, yet.