Cole Clayton Named Cleveland Monsters 2024-25 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man Of The Year
Apr 15, 2025The Cleveland Monsters are proud to announce that Cole Clayton has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Cleveland community during the 2024-25 season.
Throughout four seasons in Cleveland, Clayton has become a recognizable face for fans and most recently in the 2024-25 campaign he used his leadership position with the team and platform to keep the Monsters connected with the Northeast Ohio community.
The Monsters alternate captain’s biggest community project came when he helped continue to grow the relationship between the Monsters and the Cleveland Animal Protective League. Clayton served as one of the players who helped unveil the Cleveland APL’s newest program called Dog’s Day Out in March serving as one of the first ambassadors. Utilizing the awareness his platform with the Monsters entailed, Clayton spent an afternoon with an adult dog named Bill for a field trip to a park, inviting local media along to capture the adventure. Clayton used the time with the media to spotlight what residents would be able to do with the shelter dogs and answered questions about Bill along with the new program to people who expressed interest while they were out in the community.
Clayton found additional ways to get involved with the local community leading the team in volunteering hours starting during Hockey Fights Cancer month in November. Together with two teammates and front office staff members, Clayton helped prepare a dinner for 50 residents at Cleveland Hope Lodge, lead a special game of BINGO, give out prizes and meet with the families. Hope Lodge offers a home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers when receiving treatment in the Cleveland area.
Clayton also spent time helping with almost every youth hockey initiative including introducing over a dozen students to the sport during the Monsters Floor Hockey Program presented by Perani’s Hockey World. The 25-year-old laced up his skates and hit the ice during a Winter session of Mini Monsters dropping in to lead drills for boys and girls ages four to eight. Lastly, Clayton took part in Tour with the Monsters presented by University Hospitals Sports Medicine which saw players travel to local ice rinks for practice and autograph sessions during the season to grow the game of hockey.
Outside of Northeast Ohio, Clayton continued to exemplify what it means to be an ambassador for the American Hockey League and Monsters hockey while visiting other cities. Whether it was taking time to meet with young fans or continuously connecting with families he met along his path, Clayton continued to make sure the fans came first.
Clayton is now one of 32 finalists for the AHL’s 2024-25 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League later this month.