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.
By the 1972–73 season, 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 at the Garden City Arena. The Fincups returned to Hamilton the following year, settling at Mountain Arena. 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]
By the 1984–85 season, the team returned once again to Hamilton, this time rebranded as the Steelhawks, with intentions to play in the newly constructed Copps Coliseum. However, due to low attendance, the team relocated to Niagara Falls, Ontario, becoming the Thunder in 1988. In 1996, the franchise relocated to Pennsylvania and established 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 (1997–2001)
In the early 2000s, the Otters moved up in the league standings gaining the help of players such as Brad Boyes and Dan Cleary. 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)
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)
Following their years of decline, the Otters entered a rebuilding phase, emphasizing the drafting and development of young talent.[citation needed] 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. McDavid was also 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)
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 seven points in a single game (four goals, three assists), while Taylor Raddysh tied the former record of six points (two goals, four assists) in the same game.[10]
Possible relocation (2019–present)
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
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]
1996–2016
2016–2019
2019–pres
Arena
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]
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]
