Erie Otters
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Erie Otters | |
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City | Erie, Pennsylvania |
League | Ontario Hockey League |
Conference | Western |
Division | Midwest |
Founded | 1996 –97 |
Home arena | Erie Insurance Arena |
Colors | Navy, gold, gray, white |
Owner(s) | Jim Waters |
General manager | Dave Brown |
Head coach | Stan Butler |
Media | Erie Times-News Erie News Now |
Website | ottershockey |
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 |
Current uniform | |
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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 league. The team's name refers to the North American river otter common to Lake Erie. The Otters play at Erie Insurance Arena in downtown Erie, next door to UPMC Park and the Warner Theatre.
The Otters have achieved significant success over the years. They have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in the 2001–02 and 2016–17 seasons. Additionally, the team secured the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference champions in 2014–15 and 2016–17. Their regular season dominance is highlighted by winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy for first place in 2000–01, 2015–16, and 2016–17. The Otters also claimed the Holody Trophy as Midwest Division champions in multiple seasons, showcasing their sustained excellence across various competitions.
History
[edit]Early years (1996–2000)
[edit]The Erie Otters have one of the most dynamic and geographically diverse histories within the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Their origins trace back to the 1940s in Windsor, where they were initially established as the Spitfires, playing at the historic Windsor Arena. In 1953, the franchise relocated to Hamilton and became known as the Tiger Cubs, with games held at the Barton Street Arena. A significant change occurred in 1960 when the team was renamed the Hamilton Red Wings following a partial acquisition by the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).[citation needed]
By the 1972-73, the team underwent another transformation under new ownership led by Ron Cupido and the Finochio brothers, rebranding as the Hamilton Fincups. The franchise remained in Hamilton until 1976, when the closure and condemnation of the Hamilton Forum forced the team to relocate to St. Catharines, where they played the 1976-77 season season at the Garden City Arena. The Fincups returned to Hamilton the following year, settling at Mountain Arena, though persistent issues with attendance and the lack of a new arena prompted another move—this time to Brantford for the 1978-79 season, where the team was renamed the Alexanders.[citation needed]
Despite this change, the franchise faced challenges in attracting a solid fan base. By the 1984-85, the team returned once again to Hamilton, this time rebranded as the Steelhawks, with intentions to play in the newly constructed Copps Coliseum. However, attendance remained disappointing, and by the 1988-89, the team relocated to Niagara Falls, Ontario, becoming the Thunder. In 1996-97, the franchise finally found stability, relocating to Pennsylvania and establishing its current identity as the Erie Otters.[1]
The Otters won the Holody Trophy as Midwest Division champions in 1999, the first of three consecutive division titles. This success culminated in winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup during the 2001–02 season. Dave MacQueen was named OHL Coach of the Year in the 2001–02 season, while general manager Sherwood Bassin earned both OHL Executive of the Year and CHL Executive of the Year for his work in building the championship team.[2][3]
Qualifying for the playoffs for the first time (2001)
[edit]In the early 2000s, the Otters established a more robust team identity, marked by the emergence of key players such as Brad Boyes and Dan Cleary. These individuals played pivotal roles in enhancing the team's competitive standing. In 2001, the Otters secured a playoff berth, advancing to the Western Conference final, where they were ultimately defeated by the Plymouth Whalers.[citation needed]
The emergence of Ryan O'Reilly (2006–08)
[edit]During the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, the Otters finished at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. However, the team saw the emergence of future NHL star Ryan O'Reilly, who was selected first overall in the 2007 OHL Draft, receiving the prestigious Jack Ferguson Award.[4] In his rookie season (2007–08), O'Reilly demonstrated considerable promise, recording 52 points in 61 games. He was subsequently named the Otters' Rookie of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player, in addition to being Erie's nominee for the Bobby Smith Trophy, recognizing his achievements both on and off the ice.[5]
The rise of Connor McDavid (2012–15)
[edit]Following their years of decline, the Otters entered a significant rebuilding phase, emphasizing the drafting and development of young talent. This strategy proved successful when they selected Connor McDavid first overall in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. McDavid quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional player, garnering attention for his extraordinary skill and on-ice vision. Under his leadership, the Otters returned to championship contention, achieving a remarkable record of 50 wins during the 2014–15 season, a franchise best. Notably, McDavid was granted "exceptional player" status by Hockey Canada, enabling him to join the Otters at the age of fifteen. He led the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals 2015, where they were ultimately defeated by the Oshawa Generals.[6][7][8]
Memorial Cup appearance (2017)
[edit]The Otters' accomplishments culminated in their participation in the 2017 Memorial Cup. Following their victory in the OHL Championship, the team demonstrated a formidable and talented roster, which included Alex DeBrincat.[citation needed]
On March 18, 2017, the Otters made history by becoming the first team in Canadian Hockey League (CHL) history to achieve four consecutive 50-win seasons from 2013 to 2017. Before this achievement, they had shared the record for three consecutive 50-win seasons with several teams, including the Kelowna Rockets (2012–15), Edmonton Oil Kings (2011–14), Saint John Sea Dogs (2009–12), and Kamloops Blazers (1989–92).[9]
During the Memorial Cup, on May 22, 2017, the Otters set a new record for the most goals scored by a single team in a single game, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs with a score of 12–5. This victory surpassed the previous record of 11 goals set by the Quebec Remparts in 1974 (11–3) and the Regina Pats in 1980 (11–2). Individual achievements included Dylan Strome, who recorded a remarkable 7 points in a single game (4 goals, 3 assists), while Taylor Raddysh tied the former record of 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the same game.[10]
Stability and diversity (2019–present)
[edit]Following several years of speculation regarding a potential relocation to Hamilton, the Otters formalized a ten-year lease agreement with Erie Insurance Arena in September 2019.[11]
On January 17, 2022, the Otters marked a significant milestone by hosting their inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK) game. This event featured Alex Randall, a student from the University of Pittsburgh, who made history as the first African-American play-by-play announcer in the histories of the Ontario and Canadian hockey leagues. This initiative continued in 2023 with Trey Matthews, a Pennsylvania native and student at Arizona State University, serving as the announcer for the MLK Jr. Day game. Furthermore, the Otters introduced a specially designed logo and warm-up jersey inspired by Black History Month for this occasion, underscoring the organization's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in hockey.[12][13][14]
Uniforms and logos
[edit]From their inaugural season through the 2016–17 season, the Otters' team colors were navy blue, gold, red, and white. Their primary logo showcased a fierce, anthropomorphic otter holding a hockey stick and wearing gear set within a circular outline. The "Otters" wordmark appeared across the design in red with a gold and navy blue outline. The home uniforms consisted of a navy blue sweater with red and gold accents, while the away uniforms featured a white jersey with navy blue and red trim.[15]
For the 2013–14 season, the Otters unveiled a gold alternate jersey featuring a navy blue shoulder yoke, navy blue and white stripes, and a cursive "Otters" wordmark centered across the chest. The design paid homage to the defunct Erie Blades, who played from 1975 to 1982. In 2016, the Otters adopted the gold alternate jersey for every Saturday home game during the regular season. They introduced gold helmets to complement the uniform, replacing the blue helmets previously worn with the gold jerseys.[16][17]
For the 2017–18 season, the Erie Otters announced that the secondary cursive "Otters" wordmark would become their new primary logo, and the team would permanently adopt a color scheme of gold, navy, and white. As part of this rebranding, the gold alternate jersey became the team's home uniform, while a newly introduced white jersey, designed in the same style as the gold, became the main away uniform.[18]
On May 20, 2019, the Otters refreshed an older logo, incorporating the new navy blue, gold, and gray color scheme into the central emblem. The update also featured a modernized shoulder patch and included the name "Erie" within the Pennsylvania keystone symbol.[19]
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1996–2016
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2016–2019
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2019–pres
Arena
[edit]The Erie Otters play their home games at Erie Insurance Arena, which opened in 1983 and seats more than 6,700 spectators for ice hockey.[20]
Championships
[edit]List of championships:[21]
J. Ross Robertson Cup | Wayne Gretzky Trophy | Hamilton Spectator Trophy | Holody Trophy |
---|---|---|---|
OHL Champions | Western Conference Champions | 1st Place - Regular Season | Midwest Division Champions |
Coaches
[edit]List of coaches:[22]
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 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
B.J Adams | 2021-22* | 2022-23* | 90 | 36 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 78 | .400 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Stan Butler | 2022-23* | 2023-24 | 95 | 40 | 44 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 18 | .421 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 |
* indicates replacement mid-season.
Award winners
[edit]List of award winners:
Season | Coach | Award Won | Award For | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000-01 | Dave MacQueen | Matt Leyden Trophy | Coach of the Year | [2] |
2015-16 | Kris Knoblauch | Matt Leyden Trophy | Coach of the Year | [2] |
General managers
[edit]List of general managers with multiple seasons in parentheses.
- 1998–2015 – Sherwood Bassin (17)
- 2015–present – Dave Brown (8)
Players
[edit]Award winners
[edit]List of award winners:[2]
NHL alumni
[edit]List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni:[23]
- Nikita Alexeev
- Brady Austin
- Nick Baptiste
- Adam Berti
- Michael Blunden
- Brad Boyes
- Chris Breen
- David Broll
- Connor Brown
- Andre Burakovsky
- Chris Campoli
- Erik Cernak
- Anthony Cirelli
- Carlo Colaiacovo
- Tim Connolly
- Oscar Dansk
- Alex DeBrincat
- Travis Dermott
- Jamie Drysdale
- Remi Elie
- Warren Foegele
- Brendan Gaunce
- Luke Gazdic
- Justin Hodgman
- Hayden Hodgson
- Mike Liambas
- Brett MacLean
- Kurtis MacDermid
- Mason Marchment
- Connor McDavid
- Greg McKegg
- Steve Montador
- Adam Munro
- Jordan Nolan
- Ryan O'Marra
- Ryan O'Reilly
- Nick Palmieri
- Jeff Paul
- Adam Pelech
- Anthony Peluso
- Geoff Platt
- Darren Raddysh
- Taylor Raddysh
- Michael Rupp
- Dylan Strome
- Stephen Valiquette
- Phil Varone
- Jason Ward
- Jeff Zehr
NHL first-round draft picks
[edit]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.[24]
List of first round NHL draft picks:[25]
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
[edit]- Brad Boyes (#16)[26]
- Vince Scott (#18)
- Connor McDavid (#97) (pending January 10, 2025)[27]
Season-by-season results
[edit]List of season-by-season results:[28]
Regular season
[edit]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 | 49 | 0.360 | 207 | 287 | -80 | 5th Midwest | Missed Playoffs |
2023–24 | 68 | 33 | 28 | - | 5 | 2 | 73 | 0.537 | 254 | 270 | -16 | 3rd Midwest | Lost in Quarterfinals |
Playoffs
[edit]List of playoffs results:[28]
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. | |||||||||||||||
2023-24 | > | Lost | Kitchener Rangers | 4-2 |
Memorial Cup
[edit]List of Memorial Cup results:[28]
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
[edit]- ^ "Erie Otters". ohlarenaguide.com. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "OHL Awards". Ontario Hockey League. Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- ^ "CHL Awards". chl.ca. Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- ^ "Otters to select Ryan O'Reilly". oursportscentral.com. May 4, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "OHL announces scholastic award winners". Ontario Hockey League. April 28, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Oilers' Connor McDavid becomes fourth fastest to 400 career assists, has 4-point game
- ^ "Connor McDavid granted exceptional status, now eligible for OHL draft". National Post. March 21, 2012. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012.
- ^ "Junior dreams crushed for McDavid in OHL championship". mastercardmemorialcup.ca. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ "Otters make CHL history, claim second straight Hamilton Spectator Trophy – Ontario Hockey League". ontariohockeyleague.com. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- ^ "Otters rewrite the record books in 12-5 win – Mastercard Memorial Cup". mastercardmemorialcup.ca. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ McKrell, Aaron (2021). Soul of Erie: Sports in the City by the Lake. pp. 169–71. ISBN 979-8722060631.
- ^ "Pennsylvania's Alex Randall to Become First Black Play-by-Play Voice in CHL History". Ontario Hockey League. December 14, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Pennsylvanian Trey Matthews to call Otters' second MLK Day Game – Ontario Hockey League".
- ^ "Erie Otters unveil 2023 Black history logo, jersey".
- ^ "Erie Otters Logos History". SportsLogos.net. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Creamer, Chris. "New Otters Jersey Evokes Memories of the Blades". SportsLogos.net Blog. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
- ^ "Otters lose to IceDogs". GoErie.com. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "Otters Unveil New Color Scheme and Jersey". OttersHockey.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Otters Unveil New Jerseys for 2019-2020 Season - Erie News Now | WICU & WSEE in Erie, PA". www.erienewsnow.com. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Erie Insurance Arena". Erie Sports Commission. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ "2023/24 Ontario Hockey League Media Guide" (PDF). CHL Media. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "Erie Otters—Team Staff History". Elite Prospects. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "Erie Otters (OHL) Alumni". Hockey Reference. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Fernandes, Victor. "Otters' McDavid chosen No. 1 in NHL draft". GoErie.com. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "OHL Priority Selection Drafted by Erie Otters". Elite Prospects. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "Erie Otters—Roster, News, Stats & more". Elite Prospects. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ "Erie Otters to retire Connor McDavid's No. 97 jersey in Jan. 10 ceremony". Erie Times-News. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Erie Otters Statistics & History". HockeyDB.com. Retrieved October 17, 2024.