from Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post,

The Cleveland Browns, a football team without a title since 1964, dominate the local landscape. The baseball team (Indians) and the basketball team (Cavaliers) jockey for position close behind.

“We’re trying,” Johnson said. “A lot of people say, ‘Who are the Monsters?’ They look at you like you have four heads: ‘Who are you?’ ”

And yet as long as the National Hockey League continues to lock out its players, Johnson and her band of loyal Cleveland fans will bear witness to the best the game has to offer in North America. The Monsters opened their regular season at home against the Oklahoma City Barons on Friday, hosting a roster dotted with current and future NHL regulars.

And that is not for the first time, either, in Cleveland.

Cleveland has a surprisingly rich history in the game. The city was home to nine Calder Cup champions when the Cleveland Barons dominated the AHL around the time of the Second World War, and it has hosted teams from many major pro leagues, including the NHL.

Yes, the NHL.

“I do get that a lot,” retired NHL forward Dennis Maruk said with a laugh. “When people who are not of my age — they’re a lot younger — they’ve never heard of it: ‘What do you mean Cleveland had an NHL team?’ ”

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