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Trent Vogelhuber says goodbye to Monsters as he takes new role with Columbus Blue Jackets An opportunity presented itself to the Monsters' longest-tenured and most-winning head coach in franchise history, leading Trent Vogelhuber to the NHL affiliate, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
COLUMBUS, Ohio For the past four years, Trent Vogelhuber has led the Cleveland Monsters as their head coach, and the four years prior to that served as an assistant coach.
But an opportunity presented itself to the Monsters' longest-tenured and most-winning head coach in franchise history, leading him to the NHL affiliate, the Columbus Blue Jackets."You go to the NHL, that's great, but it's the bittersweetness of this whole thing because of this town and because of the Monsters fans, the people in Cleveland," Vogelhuber said.
As a coach for the Monsters, Vogelhuber posted a record of 145-108-21-14 in 288 career regular-season games and led Cleveland to the postseason in three consecutive years , something no other head coach in Monsters history can claim.His dedication to his craft and the success he achieved drew the attention of the Blue Jackets organization."I just kind of had my head down doing my job here in Cleveland, and management for Columbus had come to me at the end of the regular season before our playoff run started, and asked if it was something that I was interested and felt ready for," Vogelhuber said.
"It'd be hard to turn down an NHL job, so, talked about it briefly and then after the playoffs, five or six weeks later when we were done, circled back around and both agreed that it was the right time, right situation, right opportunity." Vogelhuber accepted the role and is now an assistant coach for the Blue Jackets, and was quickly put to work as Columbus held its annual prospects development camp, which wrapped up this week.
Taking the job wasn't just about moving up to the NHL.
For Vogelhuber, it was also a homecoming.
Vogelhuber grew up in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Columbus.Much of his family still lives there."Both my parents and my wife's parents live in Columbus, and so many friends and familymy dad's parents, my grandparents, have lived there since the '50s," Vogelhuber said.
"Part of us will always be Clevelanders, but we did grow up in Columbus.
" But Vogelhuber is, undoubtedly, eager to coach in the NHL, and plans to immerse himself in the locker room as he joins the Blue Jackets' coaching staff.
"It's different when you're the assistant coach.You kind of take the head coach's lead as far as the way he wants it done, but still the same mindset and energy, and the way I go about it is I am an investor of people, other people around me, and whether head or assistant coach, just going to build trust with those players in that locker room, so that they know that I care about them, and can count on me to do everything in my power to help them be their best," he said.
As Vogelhuber's new NHL coaching chapter begins with the Blue Jackets, he is full of gratitude for his time with the Monsters and for the chapters in which he called Cleveland home."No greater support for a team in the American League, in the entire league, and so I just want them to know how thankful I am what they do for us, because if it wasn't for them, you don't enjoy being here as much.
It's an unbelievable place to coach and to play and to live because of the fans and the people of Cleveland," Vogelhuber said."All the people in Cleveland, I just thank you.
It's been amazing and we're so grateful to have had the opportunity to be Clevelanders." We Follow Through Want us to continue to follow through on a story? Let us know.