Ryan O'Reilly became the most decorated member of the Erie Otters in a single season
by capturing six individual awards at the team's annual Summer Awards Banquet held
this afternoon at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel.
The 18 year-old forward was named the Otters Most Valuable Player, Player-of
the-Year, Bassin Award Winner for Dedication, Most Determined Player, Leading Scorer
and Locastro-Bonini Three Star Award winner after a second season in which he became
the most visible member of the club. O'Reilly represented the Otters at the
Canada-Russia Series, OHL All-Star Classic and CHL Top Prospects Game as he elevated
himself into one of the top prospects in the OHL for the NHL Entry Draft being held
at the end of June. In doing so the Varna, Ontario native enjoyed his most
productive offensive season finishing his second campaign with 66 points in 68
games. He added another five assists in five post-season games.
O'Reilly shared the Otters Leading Scorer award with Justin Hodgman, who closed out
his OHL career with 24 goals and 42 assists for 66 points in 66 games.
Luke Gazdic made his mark on the event as well as he captured the Steve Nimigon
Humanitarian Award for an unprecedented third straight season. The veteran forward
accumulated more than 90 hours of community service in 2008-2009.
Other award winners from the Otters 14th Summer Awards Banquet included David
Shields (Most Improved Player), Paul Cianfrini (Best Defenseman), Andrew Yogan (Most
Sportsmanlike Player), Brett Cook (Sertz Family Scholastic Player-of-the-Year), Mike
Cazzola (Rookie-of-the-Year) and Zack Torquato (Outstanding Playoff Performer).2009-10 Season Tickets are available at the same price as last season. Reserve your seat for all 34 Otters home games and receive a number of outstanding Season Ticket Holder Benefits including personalized Season Ticket Books, free tickets to Otters pre-season games played at the Tullio Arena, unused ticket redemption opportunities, merchandise discounts and more!
The seventh annual Erie Otters Champions for Education Golf Tournament presented by UPMC Health Plan will be held Monday, August 24th at Whispering Woods Golf Club. The noon shotgun tournament offers golfers an opportunity to play a round with a member of the Otters (current or alumni) on one of Erie's most challenging and picturesque 18-hole courses. The benefactor of the Tournament is the Erie Otters Education Fund, which supports The Brad Boyes Scholarship, awarded annually to a local male high school athlete who excels on and off the playing field. The Fund also assists in the educational needs of former members of the Otters following their OHL careers and numerous local charities. Registration for the tourney is $150 per player and includes golf with cart, lunch, snacks and beverages on the course, dinner following golf, prizes and much, much more. Space is limited so register today by calling the Otters Office at 814-455-7779.
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