WEEKEND PREVIEW: SCHOOL DAYS, STAR WARS NIGHTS
Erie, Pennsylvania – The first week of the final full month of the Ontario Hockey League is here, as February hockey begins. For the Erie Otters, the three-game weekend ahead presents another opportunity to compile points toward a playoff push.
Erie will play its final two home games before a three week home-hiatus – Thursday’s annual celebration of the School Day Game (pres. by UPMC) against the Guelph Storm, and Sweet Caroline singing Star Wars Night (pres. by the Millcreek Mall) Saturday with the rival London Knights in town one last time. The weekend will close out in a Sunday evening contest against the Oshawa Generals at the Tributes Communities Centre in Oshawa, ON.
LAST TIME OUT
Erie was able to grab four of six points available last weekend, and grab its third-straight home ice victory. The weekend didn’t start off with the pomp and circumstance it would close with, as the final trip to Niagara send Erie home with a 5-1 loss to the IceDogs. The return home would truly be a homecoming for the Otters, as the team would claim back-to-back victories to end the week – beating the Kitchener Rangers 6-4 and getting revenge against Niagara 6-2.
More impressive almost than the victories was the nearly 11,000 fans that entered the Erie Insurance Arena between Saturday and Sunday’s games. Saturday’s crowd of 6563 marked the first sellout at the EIA for the Otters since the 2017 championship season.
Erie sits with a record of 16-24-1-3, and are still chasing Soo Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers for the final playoff spot in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference. The teams directly above Erie stand only four points ahead of the Otters in the standings – a differential that could be erased with a solid weekend and a little help.
WHO TO WATCH
Liam Gilmartin is coming off a four-goal weekend, playing a big factor in both the Saturday and Sunday victories. Gilmartin helped the Otters Saturday night with the game-tying and eventual leading goal. Sunday would see him get things going for the team in navy and gold, as well as recording the insurance goal in the Otter win.
Not to be outdone, Carey Terrance is coming off a three-point Saturday against the Rangers. Terrance scored two and recorded an assist on the night, after returning to the team’s lineup for the first time since the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. With the final months of the season upon us, look for #10 to make his marks as the NHL priority draft crawls closer.
NEW MONTH, NEW FUN
With only four home games in all of February, the weekend ahead presents half of the month’s fun on home ice.
School’s out on Thursday morning, as the Erie Otters host the 9th Annual School Day Game (pres. by UPMC). With thousands and thousands of screaming students filling the stands at the EIA in the early A.M., Erie will look for a divisional win against the Guelph Storm. Students will receive an Education Day Packet to help combine the fun of Otters hockey with education.
It’s a Duel of the Fates on Saturday night! Not so long from now in a hockey rink not so far, far away, the Erie Otters host the evil empire of the London Knights for Star Wars Night (pres. by the Millcreek Mall). The first 1500 fans in attendance will receive a free Erie Otters/Star Wars poster thanks to the Millcreek Mall. With your favorite characters from across the entire saga in the arena, you won’t want to miss it.
KNOW THE FOES
The Guelph Storm come to Erie Thursday morning with a record of 20-20-4-1, good for 45 points and 7th in the OHL Western Conference. This is a big game for Erie, who look to play comeback kids in the final months of the season for the final playoff spots. Points (54) and assists (42) leader Matthew Poitras (Boston) will be one to watch for the Storm. Top goal-scorer Braeden Bowman (17) as well as Max Namestnikov continue to dominate for Guelph. The Storm’s week starts in Erie before playing a home-and-home on Friday and Sunday against the Kitchener Rangers.
An all-too-familiar foe in the London Knights come to the EIA on Saturday for the first battle of 2023. After a slow start the 2022-23 campaign, the Knights have completely turned their season around, sitting at 30-13-1 as a top team in the Western Conference. Its been the George Diaco and Sean McGurn show as of recent for the Knights; both players are tied with 18 goals on the season. McGurn leads the team in points (52) and assist (34). Goaltender Brett Brouchu continues to dominate with a .907 SAV%. London hosts Saginaw on Friday before their trip to Erie, and will the head back home to host the Flint Firebirds on Monday.
The Oshawa Generals are the weekend’s final foe for Erie. The Otters fell to the Generals 4-1 on January 14 at the EIA; with an opportunity to get some revenge against their home crowd, look for Erie to be ready to play. Ryan Gagnier leads the team in all the scoring categories (21G+29A), and look for Calum Ritchie and Stuart Rolofs to also be big factors for the Generals.
Oshawa starts their three-in-three weekend hosting Barrie on Friday, traveling to Peterborough Saturday, and back home for Erie on Sunday.
HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & FOLLOW ALONG
WATCH:
“OHL Live” is the Ontario Hockey League’s broadcast home on CHL TV! OHL Live delivers a high-quality viewing experience while providing access to more than 700 OHL games streamed across a range of platforms including:
- PC and/or Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers
- iOS / Android mobile devices.
- Amazon Fire
- Apple TV
- Roku platforms
For less than $2/game, OHL Live provides live game action all season long, plus free-to-access video-on-demand content and a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. For more information, head to watch.chl.ca/ohl!
LISTEN:
The League’s largest radio network, the Otters Radio Network gives fans the most-accessible and high-quality way to experience every moment of Otters’ game night – from pregame to postgame.
Every game can feel like a home game as a fan with the Otters Radio Network. With live-game broadcasts of all 68 Regular Season games, fans can always hear the action as it happens. Thanks to the Broadcast Home for Otters Hockey, iHeart Media Erie, fans can listen to every game LIVE on the iHeart App from ANYWHERE in the world! From Pennsylvania to Transylvania and everywhere in between, you’ll always be in range to hear Otters Hockey.
The Otters Radio Network is larger than ever before on terrestrial & digital radio – from Southeast Michigan to Southwest New York!
- iHeart Media (Erie, PA) is the Flagship Station for the Otters on WJET 1400 AM, and home to Otters Hockey in Pennsylvania. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 1400 AM in Erie and surrounding communities of NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on the iHeart App.
- Media One Radio Group – Ohio (Ashtabula, OH) is home to Otters Hockey in Ohio on ESPN 970 WFUN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 970 AM in Ashtabula and surrounding communities of Northeast Ohio and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WFUN’s website.
- Media One Radio Group – New York (Jamestown, NY) is home to Otters Hockey in New York State on Kissin’ Oldies 1340 WKSN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 1340 AM in Jamestown and surrounding communities of Southwest New York and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WKSN’s website.
- ESPN Radio Michigan Regional Sports Network (Flint, MI) is home to Otters Hockey in Michigan. Games can be livestreamed worldwide on MRSN’s website.
Fans can also listen to the game on any of the Otters’ four radio-homes on the Listen Live page. The Lavery Brewing Pregame Show starts 20 minutes prior to the Drop The Gloves Puck Drop, hosted by the Voice of the Otters Shawn Bednard.
Make sure to tune in week days from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Fox Sports 1330, Happi 92.7 FM, WERG 90.5 FM, 106.3 FM WCTL, Kinzua County 104.3 FM (Warren, PA), Channel 98.9 FM & Sunny 105.7 FM (Corry, PA), FOX Sports Radio Oil City 1120 & 104.1 FM (Oil City), ESPN 970 WFUN (Ashtabula, OH), WKSN 1340 AM & WQFX 103.1 (Jamestown, NY), and ESPN Radio MRSN (Flint, MI) to hear the ‘Otters Daily Update’, giving you all the insight on your Otters.
FOLLOW ALONG:
If you want to follow along in-real-time to the weekends games, make sure you’re following the Otters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From live tweets of the action, scoring updates, photos, and highlights, Otters’ social media is the best way to keep up with the team wherever they are.
UP NEXT
The long road lies ahead for Erie after Saturday, with eight-straight on the road starting on Sunday’s game in Oshawa. To close out the week ahead, Erie will travel for its makeup game at Saginaw on Wednesday, February 8. The Otters will stay on the road to prepare for the final trip to the Budweiser Gardens on Friday, February 10 in the final game of the season against the London Knights.
