CLEVELAND — Monsters goaltender Brad Thiessen grew up in a different country on the opposite side of the North American continent, but since he began playing in Cleveland, the Aldergrove, British Columbia native has developed an appreciation for the hockey tradition of the city.
And when it came time for a helmet design for the 2018-2019 season, Thiessen wanted to pay tribute to that history of success.
“Just being here for four years, this has kind of been our home, and I wanted to be able to kind of look into the past of the hockey history here in Cleveland,” Thiessen said. “A lot of people don’t think of Cleveland as a hockey city, but once you’re kind of around here for a little while, you know there’s a lot of really cool history.
“Just being able to see some of the goalies that have played here in Johnny Bower and Gerry Cheevers, guys who went on to have some pretty good NHL careers, they spent some time here, so I just wanted to be able to honor them with that and put them on my helmet.”
Bower spent parts of nine seasons with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League before going on to play for the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and a 12-year run with the Toronto Maple Leafs Of the National Hockey League.
Bower, who went on to have 250 wins in the NHL, had an above .500 record in each of his nine years with the Barons, including three straight 40-win seasons (1950-1953) and his jersey is one of three retired by a Cleveland team.
In the middle of Cheevers’ 10-year run with the Boston Bruins, he played for the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association. Cheevers posted a 99-78-9 record with 14 shutouts and a 3.12 goals against average in 191 games played.
“It is something that’s important,” Thiessen said of honoring Cleveland’s hockey tradition.
“When you see the fans that we get to interact with and just how passionate they are about Cleveland hockey and the history that it does have, when you kind of look into things here, it was something I wanted to be a part of and put on the helmet.”
This year’s design is the latest example of Thiessen honoring Cleveland’s sports history, as he once put on his helmet the likenesses of great players from each of the city’s major-league franchises.
“A couple years ago here in Cleveland, I had LeBron on the one,” Thiessen said. “I had him, Jim Brown and Jim Thome just kind of honoring the Cleveland sports history. That’s one of the cool things as a goalie. You kind of get to be able to have some fun with it.”
From team-themed colors, favorite activities away from the game or one’s homeland, helmets for hockey goaltenders have become as much art as they are protective equipment, and for Thiessen, it is an opportunity let his personality show, something that has drawn him closer to fans.
“They all love the helmet, and being able to see the Barons and the Crusaders kind of brought back has been well received.”
While honoring the past, Thiessen has an opportunity to write his own chapter in Cleveland’s hockey history, as the Monsters will open Calder Cup Playoffs action tonight at the Syracuse Crunch.
