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Erie Otters
Erie Otters logo
City Erie, Pennsylvania
League Ontario Hockey League
Conference Western
Division Midwest
Founded 1996 (1996)–97
Home arena Erie Insurance Arena
Owner(s) Jim Waters
General manager Dave Brown
Head coach Stan Butler

Website
ottershockey.com
Franchise history
1946–1953 Windsor Spitfires
1953–1960 Hamilton Tiger Cubs
1960–1974 Hamilton Red Wings
1974–1978 Hamilton/St. Catharines Fincups
1978–1984 Brantford Alexanders
1984–1988 Hamilton Steelhawks
1988–1996 Niagara Falls Thunder
1996–present Erie Otters

The Erie Otters are a Major junior ice hockey team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Midwest division of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of only three American teams in the circuit. The team name refers to the North American river otter common to Lake Erie.

History[]

The Erie Otters were previously located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, known as the Niagara Falls Thunder. They moved to Erie Insurance Arena for the 1996–97 season. After three seasons, they won the Holody Trophy as Midwest Division champions 1999. It was their first of three consecutive Midwest Division championships, culminating in a J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 2001–02 season. Dave MacQueen won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2000–01 as the OHL Coach of the Year. General manager Sherwood Bassin was awarded OHL Executive of the Year, and the CHL Executive of the Year for his role in building a championship team.[1][2]

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine partnered with the Otters in 2012, as their medical provider.[3]

Connor McDavid played for the Otters from the 2012–13 OHL season to the 2014–15 OHL season.[4] Hockey Canada granted McDavid "exceptional player" status, which permitted him to play in the OHL a year earlier than would otherwise be permissible for a player his age.[5] The Otters chose the 15-year-old McDavid as their first overall pick in the 2012 draft. He led the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup championship finals, where the Otters fell to the Oshawa Generals.[6]

On March 18, 2017, the Otters became the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to record four consecutive 50-win seasons (2013–2017). The Otters had previously shared the record of three consecutive 50-win seasons with the Kelowna Rockets (2012–2015), Edmonton Oil Kings (2011–2014), Saint John Sea Dogs (2009–2012) and the Kamloops Blazers (1989–1992).[7]

On May 22, 2017, the Otters set a Memorial Cup record for most goals by one team in a single game by defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs with a final score of 12–5, surpassing the previous record of 11 goals set by the Quebec Remparts (1974, 11–3) and Regina Pats (1980, 11–2). Dylan Strome set an individual record of 7 points in a single game (4 goals, 3 assists). Taylor Raddysh also tied the previous record of 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the same game.[8]

On January 17, 2022, the Erie Otters hosted their inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day game. The team made history when University of Pittsburgh student Alex Randall broadcast the television feed of the game as the first African American play-by-play announcer in the Ontario Hockey League or the Canadian Hockey League.[9] Theis continued on January 16, 2023 when Arizona State University student Trey Matthews broadcast the television feed of the game as the second African-American play-by-play announcer.[10] The Erie Otters used a Black History Month inspired logo and warm-up jersey on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2023.[11]

On January 26, 2023, Stan Butler was announced as the 10th head coach in the team's history.[12] The Otters lost by a 5–1 score to the London Knights in Butler's first game as coach.[13]

Uniforms and logos[]

Erieotters

previous logo with older color scheme

From their first season until the end of the 2016–17 season, the Erie Otters' colors were navy blue, gold, red, and white. Their primary logo featured a circular outline with a fierce, anthropomorphic otter furnishing a hockey stick and gear. The "Otters" wordmark is superimposed over the design in red with a gold and navy blue outline. The team's home uniform included a navy blue sweater with red and gold accents. The away uniforms featured a white jersey with navy blue and red trim.

For the 2013–14 season, the Erie Otters introduced a gold alternate jersey. This jersey features a navy blue shoulder yoke, navy blue and white stripes, and the cursive "Otters" wordmark centered across the chest. The design resembles the sweaters of the defunct Erie Blades, who played from 1975 to 1982.[14] In 2016, the Erie Otters began wearing the gold alternate jerseys for every Saturday home game throughout the regular season and also introduced gold helmets to the uniform set, rather than the blue helmets worn with the gold jersey in previous seasons.

For the 2017–18 season, the Erie Otters announced that the secondary cursive "Otters" watermark has become their new primary logo and the team is making a full-time switch to a gold, navy, and white color set. With this change, the alternate gold jerseys have become the new primary home set, and a newly introduced white jersey (in the same style as the gold) has become the new away set.[15]

On May 20, 2019, the Otters updated an older Otters logo with the new color pattern of navy blue and gold as part of the center emblem, a shoulder patch with a more modern look, and the Erie name inside of the Pennsylvania keystone symbol.[16]

Arena[]

The Erie Otters play their home games at Erie Insurance Arena, which opened in 1983 and seats 6,716 spectators.

Championships[]

List of championships:

J. Ross Robertson Cup Wayne Gretzky Trophy Hamilton Spectator Trophy Holody Trophy
OHL Champions Western Conference Champions 1st Place - Regular Season Midwest Division Champions

2001–02

2016–17

2001–02

2014–15

2016–17

2000–01

2015–16

2016–17

1999–00

2000–01

2001–02

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

Coaches[]

List of coaches:

Regular Season Playoffs Memorial Cup
Coach First Season Last Season GP W L T OTL SOL PTS PCT% GP W L PCT% GP W L PCT%
Chris Johnstone 1996-97 1996-97* 39 11 25 3 0 0 25 .321 - - - - - - - -
Dale Dunbar 1996-97* 1997-98 93 45 36 9 3 0 102 .548 12 4 8 .333 - - - -
Paul Theriault 1998-99 1998-99 68 31 33 4 0 0 66 .485 5 1 4 .200 - - - -
Dave MacQueen 1999-2000 2005-06 476 229 183 36 25 3 522 .548 64 38 26 .594 4 2 2 .500
Peter Sidorkiewicz 2006-07 2007-08* 84 19 62 0 1 2 41 .244 - - - - - - - -
Robbie Ftorek 2007-08* 2012-13* 353 139 174 0 16 13 307 .436 16 4 12 .250 - - - -
Kris Knoblauch 2012-13* 2016-17 313 216 83 0 9 5 446 .712 69 46 23 .667 5 3 2 .600
Chris Hartsburg 2017-18 2021-22* 199 75 99 0 14 11 175 .438 - - - .000 - - - .000
B.J Adams 2021-22* 2022-23* 90 36 48 0 3 3 78 .400
Stan Butler 2022-23*

* indicates replacement mid-season.

Award winners[]

List of award winners:

Season Coach Award Won Award For
2000-01 Dave MacQueen Matt Leyden Trophy Coach of the Year
2015-16 Kris Knoblauch Matt Leyden Trophy Coach of the Year

General managers[]

List of general managers with multiple seasons in parentheses.

Players[]

Award winners[]

List of award winners:

Season Player(s) Award Won Award For
1999-00 Brad Boyes CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award
Bobby Smith Trophy OHL Scholastic Player of the Year
2000-01 Brad Boyes Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player
Joey Sullivan Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the Year
2001-02 Brad Boyes CHL Sportsman of the Year Award
Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player
Wayne Gretzky 99 Award OHL Playoffs MVP
Cory Pecker Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Overage Player of the Year
2003-04 Chris Campoli CHL Humanitarian of the Year
Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the Year
2006-07 Derrick Bagshaw Roger Neilson Memorial Award Top Academic University Player
Ryan O'Reilly Jack Ferguson Award First Overall Draft Pick
2011-12 Connor McDavid Jack Ferguson Award First Overall Draft Pick
Adam Pelech Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year
Ivan Tennant Memorial Award Top Academic High School Player
2012-13 Connor McDavid Emms Family Award Top First Year Player
2013-14 Connor Brown Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy OHL Leading Scorer
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy Top Scoring Right Winger
Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
CHL Top Scorer Award Highest Scoring Player in CHL
Dane Fox Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Overage Player of the Year
Connor McDavid William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player
Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year
Oscar Dansk & Devin Williams Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team Goals Against
2014-15 Connor McDavid Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year
Wayne Gretzky 99 Award OHL Playoffs MVP
CHL Player of the Year
CHL Top Draft Prospect Award Top Eligible Draft Prospect in CHL
Dylan Strome Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy OHL Leading Scorer
William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player
CHL Top Scorer Award Highest Scoring Player in CHL
Alex DeBrincat Emms Family Award Top First Year Player
CHL Rookie of the Year
2016-17 Alex DeBrincat Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy OHL Leading Scorer
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy Top Scoring Right Winger
CHL Player of the Year
Darren Raddysh Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Overage Player of the Year
Max Kaminsky Trophy Defenceman of the Year
Warren Foegele Wayne Gretzky 99 Award OHL Playoffs MVP
Dylan Strome Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy Memorial Cup MVP
Dylan Strome & Taylor Raddysh Ed Chynoweth Trophy Memorial Cup Leading Scorer(s)
Anthony Cirelli George Parsons Trophy Memorial Cup Most Sportsmanlike Player

NHL alumni[]

List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni:

NHL first round draft picks[]

Connor McDavid is the first player with Erie ties to be selected first overall in a major professional sports league’s draft. In his case, it was by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26, 2015.[17]

List of first round NHL draft picks:

Year Player Team Round Pick #
1997 Jason Ward Montreal Canadiens 1 11
1998 Michael Rupp New York Islanders 1 9
1999 Tim Connolly New York Islanders 1 5
2000 Nikita Alexeev Tampa Bay Lightning 1 8
2000 Brad Boyes Toronto Maple Leafs 1 24
2001 Carlo Colaiacovo Toronto Maple Leafs 1 17
2001 Adam Munro Chicago Blackhawks 1 29
2005 Ryan O'Marra New York Islanders 1 15
2013 Andre Burakovsky Washington Capitals 1 23
2015 Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers 1 1
2015 Dylan Strome Arizona Coyotes 1 3
2020 Jamie Drysdale Anaheim Ducks 1 6

Retired numbers[]

Season-by-season results[]

List of season-by-season results:

Regular season[]

Legend: OTL - Overtime Loss, SL - Shootout Loss, PTS - Points, GF - Goals For, GA - Goals Against, GD - Goal Differential

Season Games Won Lost Tie OTL SL PTS PCT% GF GA GD Standing Playoffs
1996–97 66 23 36 7 - - 53 0.402 240 260 -20 5th Central Lost in Quarterfinals
1997–98 66 33 28 5 - - 71 0.538 261 252 +9 4th West Lost in Quarterfinals
1998–99 68 31 33 4 - - 66 0.485 271 297 -26 3rd Midwest Lost in Quarterfinals
1999–00 68 33 28 4 3 - 73 0.515 224 229 -5 1st Midwest Lost in Semifinals
2000–01 68 45 11 10 2 - 102 0.735 264 171 +93 1st Midwest Lost in Conference Finals
2001–02 68 41 22 4 1 - 87 0.632 246 218 +28 1st Midwest Won OHL Championship, Lost Memorial Cup
2002–03 68 24 35 6 3 - 57 0.397 181 248 -67 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2003–04 68 29 26 6 7 - 71 0.471 221 212 +9 5th Midwest Lost in Semifinals
2004–05 68 31 26 6 5 - 73 0.500 186 207 -21 4th Midwest Lost in Quarterfinals
2005–06 68 26 35 - 4 3 59 0.434 219 266 -47 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2006–07 68 15 50 - 1 2 33 0.243 209 378 -169 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2007–08 68 18 46 - 2 2 40 0.294 206 343 -137 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2008–09 68 34 29 - 3 2 73 0.537 208 254 -46 3rd Midwest Lost in Quarterfinals
2009–10 68 33 28 - 5 2 73 0.537 257 259 -2 4th Midwest Lost in Quarterfinals
2010–11 68 40 26 - 1 1 82 0.603 281 229 +52 3rd Midwest Lost in Quarterfinals
2011–12 68 10 52 - 3 3 26 0.191 169 338 -169 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2012–13 68 19 40 - 4 5 47 0.346 206 312 -106 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2013–14 68 52 14 - 2 0 106 0.779 312 170 +142 2nd Midwest Lost in Conference Finals
2014–15 68 50 14 - 2 2 104 0.765 331 212 +119 1st Midwest Lost OHL Championship
2015–16 68 52 15 - 1 0 105 0.772 269 183 +86 1st Midwest Lost in Conference Finals
2016–17 68 50 15 - 2 1 103 0.757 319 182 +137 1st Midwest Won OHL Championship, Lost Memorial Cup
2017–18 68 23 35 - 7 3 56 0.412 220 270 -50 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2018–19 68 26 38 - 3 1 56 0.412 230 300 -70 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2019–20 63 26 26 - 4 7 63 0.500 229 236 -7 5th Midwest Playoffs Cancelled
2020–21 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 Season Cancelled Playoffs Cancelled
2021–22 68 27 37 - 2 2 58 0.426 223 267 -44 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs
2022–23 68 21 40 - 2 5 494 0.360 207 287 -80 5th Midwest Missed Playoffs

 

Playoffs[]

List of playoffs results:

Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals OHL Championship
Season Result Opponent Final Result Opponent Final Result Opponent Final Result Opponent Final
1996-97 > Lost Guelph Storm 4-1
1997-98 > Lost London Knights 4-3
1998-99 > Lost Guelph Storm 4-1
1999-00 > Won Brampton Battalion 4-2 > Lost Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-3
2000-01 > Won London Knights 4-1 > Won Brampton Battalion 4-1 > Lost Plymouth Whalers 4-1
2001-02 > Won Sarnia Sting 4-1 > Won London Knights 4-2 > Won Windsor Spitfires 4-1 > Won Barrie Colts 4-1
2002-03 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2003-04 > Won Sarnia Sting 4-1 > Lost London Knights 4-0
2004-05 > Lost Kitchener Rangers 4-2
2005-06 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2006-07 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2007-08 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2008-09 > Lost London Knights 4-1
2009-10 > Lost Windsor Spitfires 4-0
2010-11 > Lost Windsor Spitfires 4-3
2011-12 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2012-13 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2013-14 > Won Saginaw Spirit 4-1 > Won Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-0 > Lost Guelph Storm 4-1
2014-15 > Won Sarnia Sting 4-1 > Won London Knights 4-0 > Won Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-2 > Lost Oshawa Generals 4-1
2015-16 > Won Saginaw Spirit 4-0 > Won Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-1 > Lost London Knights 4-0
2016-17 > Won Sarnia Sting 4-0 > Won London Knights 4-3 > Won Owen Sound Attack 4-2 > Won Mississauga Steelheads 4-1
2017-18 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2018-19 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2019-20 Cancelled.
2020-21 Cancelled.
2021-22 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.
2022-23 Out of playoffs. Did not qualify.

 

Memorial Cup[]

List of Memorial Cup results:

Round Robin Game 1 Round Robin Game 2 Round Robin Game 3 Semi-Final Final
Year Result Opponent Score Result Opponent Score Result Opponent Score Result Opponent Score Result Opponent Score
2002 Lost Kootenay Ice 3-0 Won Victoriaville Tigres 5-1 Won Guelph Storm 4-0 Lost Victoriaville Tigres 5-4 OT
2017 Won Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 Won Saint John Sea Dogs 12-5 Lost Windsor Spitfires 4-2 Won Saint John Sea Dogs 6-3 Lost Windsor Spitfires 4-3

References[]


External links[]

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Erie Otters. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).


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