The Cleveland Monsters are loading up their 2026-27 home schedule with a heavy dose of giveaways, themed nights and community events as they prepare to celebrate their 20th home opener on Oct. 2 at Rocket Arena against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The first 5,000 fans that night will get a logo magnet schedule, and the season’s promotional calendar stretches well beyond opening night. The Monsters have 10 giveaway nights lined up, including a teddy bear snow globe featuring forward Luca Pinelli on Dec. 11, a nesting doll with Luca Del Bel Belluz, Luca Marrelli and Pinelli on Dec. 28, and a captains hat on Jan.
- Other giveaways on the books include an All-Star chocolate bar Jan. 31, a Laila Edwards bobblehead Feb. 27, a Roman Ahcan garden gnome April 2 and a “Fear the Depths” T-shirt for fan salute night April 10.
Jersey nights are a major part of the slate, too. The Monsters will wear five specialty jerseys, beginning with Hockey Fights Cancer night on Nov.
- The other jersey dates are Ugly Sweater Night on Dec.
18, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Day on Jan. 24, the Corned Beef Classic on March 5 and Star Wars Night on March 27. Cleveland will also mark St.
Patrick’s Day with a “Corned Beef Leftovers” game on March 17. Blue Jackets-inspired specialty jerseys are set to return for eight home games.
Friday nights will keep a familiar wrinkle as well. The club is bringing back its 1-2-3 Friday promotion for 11 Friday games, with discounted soft drinks, hot dogs and select beer.
The team is also expanding the family-friendly side of the experience. Weekend matinees will now be Monsters Family Days, complete with children’s activities and themed entertainment.
That list includes Hot Wheels Game Day on Nov. 22, along with Peanuts Day and Barbie Game Day. The Oct.
31 Monster Mash will feature trick-or-treat bags for the first 2,500 fans age 14 and younger, while Hot Wheels Game Day will include a Rodger Dodger toy giveaway for the first 2,500 children 14 and younger.
A few other dates stand out on the calendar: the Oct. 16 20th anniversary celebration, First Responders Night on Oct. 30, Black Friday on Nov. 27 and the annual Teddy Bear Toss on Dec.
- The Monsters will also host Pride Night on Jan.
7, Women in Hockey Night on Jan. 10 and Hip-Hop and Hockey: A Black Heritage Celebration on Feb. 26.
Rocket Arena will also host the 2027 AHL All-Star Classic on Feb. 7-8, with the AHL All-Star Skills Competition and AHL All-Star Challenge part of the event.
Beyond the rink, Cleveland is planning a toy drive from Nov. 21 through Dec. 2 and a food drive from March 5 through March 27. Special ticket packages are set to include a Peanuts blanket on Dec. 12 and a Barbie belt bag on Jan. 10, with more packages still to come.
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The timing, though, is what gives the situation some extra edge. Columbus is set to report for physicals on Wednesday and hit the ice on Thursday, and the last thing either side wants is for Fantilli to be left watching early camp unfold from the sideline. For a team that expects him to be a central piece of its future, every day of delay adds a little more attention to a process that still has a ways to go. [Read more 🡒]
