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.

Erie Otters
CityErie, Pennsylvania
LeagueOntario Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionMidwest
Founded1996 (1996)–97
Home arenaErie Insurance Arena
ColorsNavy blue, gold, white
     
Owner(s)Jim Waters
General managerDave Brown
Head coachChris Hartsburg
Websiteottershockey.com
Franchise history
1946–1953Windsor Spitfires
1953–1960Hamilton Tiger Cubs
1960–1974Hamilton Red Wings
1974–1978Hamilton/St. Catharines Fincups
1978–1984Brantford Alexanders
1984–1988Hamilton Steelhawks
1988–1996Niagara Falls Thunder
1996–presentErie Otters

History

The Erie Otters were previously located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where they were called the Niagara Falls Thunder. They moved to Erie Insurance Arena in downtown Erie in time for the 1996–97 season. After three seasons of mediocrity in Erie, they won the Midwest Division's Holody Trophy in 1999. It was their first of three consecutive Midwest Division championships, culminating in a J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 2001–02 season. Additionally, 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 Erie Otters became the second U.S. team to win the OHL Championship, following the Detroit Junior Red Wings in the 1994–95 OHL season.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) officially partnered with the Erie Otters in 2012 as their official medical provider.[3]

On March 18, 2017, the Erie Otters became the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to record four consecutive 50-win seasons in a row (2013–17).[4] The Otters had previously shared the record of three consecutive 50-win seasons with the Kelowna Rockets (2012–15), Edmonton Oil Kings (2011–14), Saint John Sea Dogs (2009–12) and the Kamloops Blazers (1989–92).

On May 22, 2017, the Erie 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). The game also set the record for most goals by both teams with a total of 17 goals, surpassing the record of 16 goals when the Kitchener Rangers defeated the Kamloop Jr. Oilers with a final score of 9–7 (1984). Dylan Strome set an individual record of 7 points in a single game (4 goals, 3 assists) surpassing the previous record of 6 points in a single game held by Joe Contini (1976), Guy Rouleau (1986), and Mike Mathers (1992). Taylor Raddysh also tied the previous record of 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the same game.[5]

Connor McDavid era

Connor McDavid played for the Erie Otters from the 2012–13 OHL season to the 2014–15 OHL season.

McDavid had been named "Player of the Year" for the 2011–12 season in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, following a record of 79 goals and 130 assists while playing as a 14/15 year old on a midget-level team. Hockey Canada, the governing body for amateur hockey in 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. He was only the third player to receive that status, after John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad.[6]

The Otters chose the 15-year-old as their first overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection Draft, and he joined the team for the 2012–13 season. McDavid garnered much attention, and was rated highly as he approached draft eligibility during his 2014–15 season with the Otters. He led the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup championship finals, where the Otters fell to the Oshawa Generals.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau subsequently named McDavid the top North American prospect for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, where the Edmonton Oilers selected him first overall.[7][8]

Uniforms and logos

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 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.[9] 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.[10]

On May 20, 2019, the Otters reintroduced the Otter logo, with some minor tweaks, as their new primary logo, as well as a new shoulder patch with new home and away jerseys.

Arena

The Erie Otters play their home games at Erie Insurance Arena, which opened in 1983 and currently seats 6,716 spectators. It is a centerpiece of the Erie Civic Center Complex, which also includes the UPMC Park baseball stadium, home to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

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
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 Present 199 75 99 0 14 11 175 .438 - - - .000 - - - .000

* indicates replacement mid-season.

Award winners
SeasonCoachAward WonAward For
2000-01 Dave MacQueen Matt Leyden Trophy Coach of the Year
2015-16 Kris Knoblauch Matt Leyden Trophy Coach of the Year

Players

Award winners
SeasonPlayer(s)Award WonAward For
1999-00 Brad Boyes CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award
Bobby Smith TrophyOHL Scholastic Player of the Year
2000-01 Brad Boyes Red Tilson TrophyMost Outstanding Player
William Hanley TrophyMost Sportsmanlike Player
Joey SullivanDan Snyder Memorial TrophyHumanitarian of the Year
2001-02 Brad Boyes CHL Sportsman of the Year Award
Red Tilson TrophyMost Outstanding Player
William Hanley TrophyMost Sportsmanlike Player
Wayne Gretzky 99 AwardOHL Playoffs MVP
Cory PeckerLeo Lalonde Memorial TrophyOverage Player of the Year
2003-04 Chris CampoliCHL Humanitarian of the Year
Dan Snyder Memorial TrophyHumanitarian of the Year
2006-07Derrick BagshawRoger Neilson Memorial AwardTop Academic University Player
Ryan O'ReillyJack Ferguson AwardFirst Overall Draft Pick
2011-12Connor McDavidJack Ferguson AwardFirst 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 TrophyOHL Leading Scorer
Jim Mahon Memorial TrophyTop Scoring Right Winger
Red Tilson TrophyMost Outstanding Player
CHL Top Scorer Award Highest Scoring Player in CHL
Dane FoxLeo Lalonde Memorial TrophyOverage Player of the Year
Connor McDavid William Hanley TrophyMost Sportsmanlike Player
Bobby Smith TrophyScholastic Player of the Year
Oscar Dansk & Devin WilliamsDave Pinkney TrophyLowest 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

NHL first round draft picks

Connor McDavid became the only player in team history to be drafted first overall after being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26, 2015.

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

Regular season

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

SeasonGamesWonLostTieOTLSLPTSPCT%GFGAGDStandingPlayoffs
1996–976623367--530.402240260-205th CentralLost in Quarterfinals
1997–986633285--710.538261252+94th WestLost in Quarterfinals
1998–996831334--660.485271297-263rd MidwestLost in Quarterfinals
1999–0068332843-730.515224229-51st MidwestLost in Semifinals
2000–01684511102-1020.735264171+931st MidwestLost in Conference Finals
2001–0268412241-870.632246218+281st MidwestWon OHL Championship, Lost Memorial Cup
2002–0368243563-570.397181248-675th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2003–0468292667-710.471221212+95th MidwestLost in Semifinals
2004–0568312665-730.500186207-214th MidwestLost in Quarterfinals
2005–06682635-43590.434219266-475th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2006–07681550-12330.243209378-1695th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2007–08681846-22400.294206343-1375th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2008–09683429-32730.537208254-463rd MidwestLost in Quarterfinals
2009–10683328-52730.537257259-24th MidwestLost in Quarterfinals
2010–11684026-11820.603281229+523rd MidwestLost in Quarterfinals
2011–12681052-33260.191169338-1695th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2012–13681940-45470.346206312-1065th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2013–14685214-201060.779312170+1422nd MidwestLost in Conference Finals
2014–15685014-221040.765331212+1191st MidwestLost OHL Championship
2015–16685215-101050.772269183+861st MidwestLost in Conference Finals
2016–17685015-211030.757319182+1371st MidwestWon OHL Championship, Lost Memorial Cup
2017–18682335-73560.412220270-505th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2018–19682638-31560.412230300-705th MidwestMissed Playoffs
2019–20632626-47630.500229236-75th MidwestPlayoffs Cancelled

 

Playoffs
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.

 

Memorial Cup
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
  1. "OHL Awards". Ontario Hockey League. Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  2. "CHL Awards". chl.ca. Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  3. "LECOM becomes official medical provider..." Otters Hockey.com. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  4. "Otters make CHL history, claim second straight Hamilton Spectator Trophy – Ontario Hockey League". ontariohockeyleague.com. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  5. "Otters rewrite the record books in 12-5 win – Mastercard Memorial Cup". mastercardmemorialcup.ca. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  6. "Connor McDavid granted exceptional status, now eligible for OHL draft". National Post. March 21, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22.
  7. NHL Central Scouting's 2015 final rankings, National Hockey League, April 8, 2015
  8. Strang, Katie. "Highly touted prospect Connor McDavid goes No. 1 overall to Oilers". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. Creamer, Chris. "New Otters Jersey Evokes Memories of the Blades". SportsLogos.net Blog. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  10. "Otters Unveil New Color Scheme and Jersey". OttersHockey.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.