COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets are welcoming a new assistant coach from the northeastern side of the state. 

Trent Vogelhuber has spent the past four seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jacket’s American Hockey league affiliate. Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced the move on Tuesday, June 30. 

“Trent has done a fantastic job over the past four seasons in Cleveland and is one of the bright, young coaches in our game,” said Waddell. “He is hard-working, an excellent communicator, knows our players and will be a great addition to our staff in Columbus.”

Nick Bootland, who has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Hersey Bears, will be the new head coach in Cleveland.

Vogelhuber, 37, has a 145-108-35 record (.564) behind the Monsters in 288 regular season games. He added a 17-12 mark (.586) in 29 outings in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He posted a 33-32-7 mark (73 pts.) in his first campaign and led the Monsters to three consecutive playoff appearances beginning in 2023-24. 

He became the head coach for the Monsters on June 8, 2022 following four seasons as an assistant under head coaches John Madden (2018-19) and Mike Eaves (2019-22). His coaching career began following a six-year playing career that was cut short by injuries following the 2017-18 season. 

Originally form Dublin, Ohio, Vogelhuber was selected in the seventh round, 211th overall, at the 2007 NHL Draft held at Nationwide Arena by the Blue Jackets. During his time as a professional player, he registered 28 goals and 45 assists for 73 points with 191 penalty minutes in 267 career AHL games with the Springfield Falcons, Lake Erie Monsters and San Antonio Rampage. 

Four of those seasons were spent with he Blue Jackets organization from 2012-16 and helped the Monsters capture the 2016 Calder Cup championship. 

Bootland, 47, helped Hersey advance into the postseason in each of the past four seasons and capture consecutive Calder Cup championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

“Nick is an experienced coach who has spent nearly two decades working with and developing young players.  He knows the league very well and we are excited to have him as the next head coach of the Monsters,” said Chris Clark, Columbus Assistant General Manager and GM of the Monsters.  “I’d like to thank Trent for his outstanding contributions in Cleveland.  From winning a Calder Cup as a player to leading the team to a division title and three-straight playoff appearances, he has been a great representative of Monsters hockey and I know he will do a tremendous job in Columbus.”

Originally from Shelburne, Ontario, Bootland was a ninth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in the 1996 NHL Draft. He spent three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm between 1995 to 1998. His playing career lasted 10 years, during which he  registered 29-43-72 and 475 penalty minutes in 329 career AHL games with Hershey and the Cleveland Barons.

Bootland also collected 44-54-98 and 216 PIM in 114 games with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones from 2001-03 and split the 2003-04 campaign between Cleveland and the Wings, and Columbus Stars of the United Hockey League.

He started his coaching career in 2008-2009, after retiring in 2008, with the Kalamazoo Wings. He spent spent 13 seasons as the club’s head coach and director of hockey operations. 

Bootland compiled a record of 481-366-82 (.562) in 929 career games with Kalamazoo. The club qualified for the playoffs nine times, and during his tenure won four division titles and one conference championship, advancing to the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Finals in 2010-11.

His 853 games coached and 437 wins rank among the top 10 in ECHL history.