Erie Otters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Erie Otters | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| City: | Erie, Pennsylvania | |
| League: | Ontario Hockey League | |
| Conference: | Western | |
| Division: | Midwest | |
| Founded: | 1996-1997 | |
| Home Arena: | Louis J. Tullio Arena | |
| Colours: | navy blue, red, yellow and gold | |
| Head Coach: | Peter Sidorkiewicz | |
| General Manager: | Sherwood Bassin | |
| Affiliate(s): | Huntsville-Muskoka Otters | |
The Erie Otters are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1996 to present. They play out of the Louis J. Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.
Franchise Identities:
- Hamilton Tiger Cubs 1953 to 1960
- Hamilton Red Wings 1960 to 1974
- Hamilton Fincups 1974 to 1976
- St. Catharines Fincups 1976 to 1977
- Hamilton Fincups 1977 to 1978
- Brantford Alexanders 1978 to 1984
- Hamilton Steelhawks 1984 to 1988
- Niagara Falls Thunder 1988 to 1996
- Erie Otters 1996 to present
Contents |
[edit] History
The Niagara Falls Thunder were relocated in 1996 from Niagara Falls, Ontario, becoming the Erie Otters. The team took its name from the otter, a common water creature to the south shore of Lake Erie.
The Otters' ownership partners are Ron Sertz, Jeff Fatica and Ray Irwin. Sherwood Bassin is the general manager and a managing partner of the team. Walt Wingfield is the head scout of the Otters.
The first three years in Erie were building years for the Otters, with the team eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each year. In the fourth year, all the hard work paid off with their first Midwest Division championship.
For the Otters it would be their first of three consecutive Midwest Division championships, culminating in an OHL Championship in 2001-2002. Dave MacQueen won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2000-01 as the OHL Coach of the Year. Sherwood Bassin was awarded OHL Executive of the Year in 2001-02 for his role as general manager in building a championship team.
The Otters have fallen on hard times since then, not finishing higher than 4th in their division. The Erie Otters recently celebrated their 10th anniversary in the 2005-2006 season.
[edit] 2001-2002 OHL Champions
In the 2001-2002 season, the Erie Otters became only the second OHL team based in the United States of America, to win the OHL Championship. The first were the 1995 champions Detroit Junior Red Wings (now the Plymouth Whalers).
After a disappointing loss to the Plymouth Whalers the previous year in the conference finals, the Otters used their experience and work ethic to push themselves through the playoffs. Otters players had a puck holder hung on the wall of the dressing room with sixteen slots to fill for the sixteen wins needed for the title. Erie earned that 16th puck defeating the Barrie Colts in game 5 of the 2002 finals.
The Otters bid to host the 2002 Memorial Cup, but the Guelph Storm were chosen instead as hosts. The Otters earned a berth in the tournament as OHL Champions. The Otters ultimately finished in third place.
Two-time OHL MVP Brad Boyes led the Otters as captain. Team members for the 2002 championship were:
- T.J. Aceti, Chris Berti, Brad Bonello, Brad Boyes, Chris Campoli, Carlo Colaiacovo, Noel Coultice, Sean Courtney, Brandon Cullen, Scott Dobben, Jeff Doyle, Chris Eade, David Herring, Alex Karaulchuk, Mical Kokavec, Brian Lee, Thomas Lee, Chris Martin, Mike McKeown, Adam Munro, Cory Pecker, Mike Rice, Dave MacQueen (coach), Sherwood Bassin (GM)
[edit] Championships
- J. Ross Robertson Cup (OHL Champions)
2001-2002 - Wayne Gretzky Trophy (Western Conference Champions)
2001-2002 - Hamilton Spectator Trophy (1st place regular season)
2000-2001 (102 points) - Holody Trophy (Midwest Division Champions)
1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002
[edit] Coaches
Dave MacQueen won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2000-01 as the OHL Coach of the Year.
Multiple years in parentheses
- 1996-1997 Chris Johnstone, Dale Dunbar
- 1997-1998 Dale Dunbar (2)
- 1998-1999 Paul Theriault
- 1999-2006 Dave MacQueen (7)
- 2006- Peter Sidorkiewicz
[edit] Players
Since the franchise relocated to Erie prior to the 1996-1997 season, a total of 21 players have been selected at the National Hockey League Entry Draft including a five-year stretch from 1997-2001 in which seven members of the team were selected in the first round (1997 Jason Ward, 11th, Montreal; 1998 Michael Rupp, ninth, New York Islanders; 1999 Tim Connolly, fifth, New York Islanders; 2000 Nikita Alexeev, eighth, Tampa Bay and Brad Boyes, 24th, Toronto; 2001 Carlo Colaiacovo, 17th, Toronto and Adam Munro, 29th, Chicago).
[edit] Award Winners
- 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)
- 2000-01 - 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 (Playoffs MVP)
- 2001-02 - Cory Pecker, Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy (Overage Player of the Year)
- 2003-04 - Chris Campoli, CHL Humanitarian of the Year, Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy (OHL Humanitarian of the Year)
[edit] NHL Alumni
|
|
[edit] Yearly Results
[edit] Regular Season
Legend: T = Tie (2004-05 & previous), SL = Shoot Out Loss (2005-06 & onward)
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | T/SL | OTL | Points | Pct % | Goals For |
Goals Against |
Standing | |
| 1996-97 | 66 | 23 | 36 | 7 | - | 53 | 0.402 | 240 | 260 | 5th Central | |
| 1997-98 | 66 | 33 | 28 | 5 | - | 71 | 0.538 | 261 | 252 | 4th Central | |
| 1998-99 | 68 | 31 | 33 | 4 | - | 66 | 0.485 | 271 | 297 | 3rd Midwest | |
| 1999-00 | 68 | 33 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 73 | 0.515 | 224 | 229 | 1st Midwest | |
| 2000-01 | 68 | 45 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 102 | 0.735 | 264 | 171 | 1st Midwest | |
| 2001-02 | 68 | 41 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 87 | 0.632 | 246 | 218 | 1st Midwest | |
| 2002-03 | 68 | 24 | 35 | 6 | 3 | 57 | 0.397 | 181 | 248 | 5th Midwest | |
| 2003-04 | 68 | 29 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 71 | 0.471 | 221 | 212 | 5th Midwest | |
| 2004-05 | 68 | 31 | 26 | 6 | 5 | 73 | 0.500 | 186 | 207 | 4th Midwest | |
| 2005-06 | 68 | 26 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 59 | 0.434 | 219 | 266 | 5th Midwest | |
| 2006-07 | See 2006-07 OHL season for up-to-date standings. | ||||||||||
[edit] Playoffs
- 1996-97 Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
- 1997-98 Lost to London Knights 4 games to 3 in division quarter-finals.
- 1998-99 Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
- 1999-00 Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to S.S. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals. - 2000-01 Defeated London Knights 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 1 in conference finals. - 2001-02 Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated London Knights 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Lost to Victoriaville Tigres 5-4 (OT) in the Memorial Cup semi-finals. - 2002-03 Out of playoffs.
- 2003-04 Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to London Knights 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. - 2004-05 Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
- 2005-06 Out of playoffs.
[edit] Uniforms & Logos
third jersey
The team mascot of the Erie Otters is an anthropomorphic otter named Shooter, who wears a home jersey. The Otters home uniforms are white background, and the road uniforms are navy blue background. Both have red, yellow & gold trim. The logo is an angry otter with a hockey stick.
For the 2005-2006 season (the team's 10th/Diamond Anniversary), the Otters unveiled a third jersey as part of the "All About Erie" campaign. The jersey has a red background with navy blue, white and gold trim. The third logo has "Erie" in big letters across the chest with "Otters" written beneath it.
[edit] Arena
The Erie Otters play home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena (also the home of the AIFA's Erie Freeze) located in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. The arena was built in 1983 and seats 5,500 spectators. The Tullio arena is one of the loudest in the league and works well for home ice advantage. The arena is part of the Erie Civic Center Complex which includes Jerry Uht Park, a baseball stadium, home to the AA Erie SeaWolves.
- Louis J. Tullio Arena The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
[edit] External links
- www.ottershockey.com Erie Otters official site
- www.erieevents.com Erie Event Centre official site
- Ontario Hockey League Official web site
- Canadian Hockey League Official web site
