When the Lake Erie Monsters celebrate their 5th Anniversary Season in Cleveland in 2011-12, all (76) regular season games will be broadcast live on the Monsters Hockey Network for the second straight year. Calling the games will be the new “Voice of the Monsters,” Doug Plagens, who begins his first season with the team in 2011-12.

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Serving as co-flagship stations again for the second straight year, ESPN 850 WKNR and AM 1220 WHKW will each carry 38 games live beginning with the season opener on Friday, October 7th, 2011. The 2011-12 season marks the fifth year that ESPN 850 WKNR will be carrying Monsters games, while Salem Communications-owned AM 1220 WHKW The Word will be airing games for the second time (also simulcast on AM 1440 WHKZ in Warren).

Additionally, for the fourth consecutive year the Monsters will partner with both FOX Sports Ohio and MY43 THE BLOCK WUAB to televise 15 games during the 2011-12 season. FOX Sports Ohio (10 games) is the official Cable Home of the Monsters, while MY43 THE BLOCK WUAB (five games) is the official Over the Air TV Home of Monsters. All telecasts will be simulcast live on either ESPN 850 WKNR or AM 1220 WHKW radio.

“We have been extremely fortunate to have such tremendous media partners as ESPN 850 WKNR, AM 1220 WHKW, FOX Sports Ohio and MY43 THE BLOCK WUAB and we are very happy to continue our relationship with each station as we celebrate our special 5th Anniversary Season,” said Mike Ostrowski, Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the Monsters. “At the same time, we're very excited to have Doug Plagens join the Monsters family too. We think Monsters fans will immediately sense his passion for hockey in this region and enjoy his high-energy game calls."

Handling the calls on both the radio and television sides will be Plagens, who comes to Cleveland from Youngstown, where he served as a television sports anchor and reporter at the local CBS, FOX and ABC affiliates. He was previously the radio and television play-by-play broadcaster for the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars). While there he was named the 2010 ECHL Broadcaster of the Year. Plagens received his bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College and his master’s from Syracuse University.

Plagens will be joined on television broadcasts by Cleveland hockey legend Jock Callander, who will provide color commentary. Veteran Cleveland sports broadcaster Kenny Roda will return for his fifth season as rinkside reporter and intermission host on all telecasts in 2011-12.

The complete Monsters Broadcast Schedule can be found HERE.