Ramage named CCM/AHL Player of the Week

Photo: Mark Newman

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Cleveland Monsters defenseman John Ramage has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 25, 2016.

Ramage tallied four points and a plus-4 rating in two games for Cleveland last week as the defending Calder Cup champions improved to 7-0-0-1 in their last eight contests.

On Tuesday night vs. Charlotte, Ramage was named the game’s first star after he scored the winning goal with 3:54 left in regulation, assisted on two other third-period goals, took a game-high seven shots and was a plus-4 as Cleveland defeated the Checkers, 4-2. It was the first three-point game of his career. Then on Thursday, Ramage set up another goal to help the Monsters to a 3-2 victory over Charlotte, moving Cleveland into third place in the Central Division at the Christmas break.

Ramage has two goals and seven assists for nine points in 22 games for Cleveland this season, his fourth pro campaign. The 25-year-old blueliner out of the University of Wisconsin has appeared in 197 AHL games with Cleveland, Adirondack and Abbotsford, recording 13 goals and 39 assists for 52 points, and has played two career NHL games with Calgary and Columbus. A member of the Monsters’ Calder Cup championship team last spring, Ramage also won gold with the United States at the 2010 World Junior Championships and captained the squad to a bronze medal in 2011.

In recognition of his achievement, Ramage will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Monsters home game.