Lake Erie Monsters to play in Cleveland

They will begin play at Quicken Loans Arena next season.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Scaring fans into their seats -- and keeping them there -- will be the goal of the Lake Erie Monsters, the city's new minor league hockey team.
With artificial fog and dimmed lights setting an eerie mood, owner Dan Gilbert unveiled the team nickname, logo and colors for the American Hockey League affiliate that will begin play at Quicken Loans Arena next season.
The Monsters, whose logo consists of a black reptile-like head and two bright yellow eyes peering above a blue water surface, will operate as the primary feeder for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
"We expect Monster Hockey to be a smash hit with fans and can't wait to develop what will be one of the most exciting, energy-packed game atmospheres in the AHL," Gilbert, the Cleveland Cavaliers' owner, said Thursday. "Just like Cavaliers games, our fans are going to have a blast and help create that special home-ice advantage for our players."
Says ticket affordable
Gilbert promised "fun, family entertainment" at Monster games, and said tickets would be affordable for fans in the mid-size market. Like the Cavs, the Monsters plan corporate programs, group rates and other promotions to lure avid hockey fans as well as newcomers to the sport.
In recent years, minor league hockey has been a tough sell in Cleveland, which has seen several affiliates come and go.
Poor ticket sales drove the Cleveland Barons, the top minor-league affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, to Worcester, Mass., after last season. The Barons had replaced the Cleveland Lumberjacks, a moderately successful International Hockey League club that folded along with the league in 2001.
Quicken Loans president Len Komoroski, who previously worked for the Lumberjacks, feels the Monsters can thrive partly because the AHL no longer competes with the IHL for players, creating a better product.
Also, Cleveland has a strong hockey history -- the city has supported teams dating to the 1930s -- and there is interest throughout the region because of a large number of youth hockey organizations.
"There's a pulse and heartbeat for hockey here that is very strong," Komoroski said. "All we're going to do is revive that ember, blow on it and turn it into a raging fire. It will be successful."
A lack of media coverage has also hurt Cleveland hockey in the past and Komoroski said the team is in talks to have its games broadcast on TV and radio.
The Monsters' nickname was selected from hundreds of nominations and eventually picked following extensive research conducted with fan focus groups. The club's colors will be wine, blue, yellow and black, creating a connection to the wine-and-gold outfitted Cavaliers.