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OHL Erie Otters

Erie Otters Announce 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League Schedule

June 27, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - On Tuesday morning, the Ontario Hockey League unveiled the full 2023-24 season schedule for all 20 member teams, as the Erie Otters look ahead to a highly-anticipated season in the Fall.

Season 27 in Erie Otters' team-history presents a well-balanced schedule of home game dates, allowing for fans to maximize their time at the EIA throughout the entire seven month season. While sticking with deeply-rooted traditions like the School Day game and holiday affairs of Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, fans will also notice a few new changes to the schedule in 2023-24. These additions include a later start time for Sunday home games of 4:00 P.M., a midweek game in February to celebrate Valentine's Day, and a new opponent in the Brantford Bulldogs - who temporarily relocated from Hamilton at the start of the offseason.

The 2023-24 edition of the Erie Otters starts with plenty of excitement - highly-touted NHL prospect Carey Terrance will return for his third season in Erie, while the dynamic young guns of Malcolm Spence (second season) and first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer will look to showcase the deep skill and ability of the team. Under the tutelage of tenured head coach Stan Butler - who will see his first season/home opener as a member of the Otters - the Otters look to return the post-season.

The countdown officially begins to the 2023-24 season for the Erie Otters, with 94 days separating today and the season opener on September 29 at the Mississauga Steelheads. As was announced on Monday, for the first time since the 2019-20 season the Otters will open the home portion of their schedule in September, as Home Opener 2023 (pres. by Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania) brings the Steelheads to town on Saturday, September 30.

October will Erie battle all four of its divisional foes on the road, starting with Guelph (Oct. 6) and Owen Sound (Oct. 7), then the rival London Knights (Oct. 20), and closing with Kitchener (Oct. 27). The Otters will break up the Western Conference cavalcade with a weekday game in Barrie (Oct. 26). Four home games await the team in October, with three Saturday dates against Windsor (Oct. 14), Sarnia (Oct. 21), and the reigning OHL champion Peterborough Petes (Oct. 28), as well as a Sunday afternoon (Oct. 22) hosting of the Niagara IceDogs.

November starts the autumnal holiday season, and the return of the longest-standing tradition in Erie hockey - the 48th Annual Thanksgiving Game, as the team hosts the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the third year in a row. Alongside the holiday tradition, Erie will also host an additional six home games, and hit the road for four games - all against Western Conference opponents, including the 2024 Memorial Cup hosts in Saginaw, MI (Nov. 2) . November will see Erie's only home dates against Sudbury (Nov. 10) and the Soo.

From silver bells to snowflakes, the holiday season will be in full effect in the month of December. The final month of the year sees Erie play four total road games - three-straight to start the 12th month. The Otters will host three teams for the only time during the season in December - North Bay (Dec. 15), Ottawa (Dec. 16), and newest bunch of Bulldogs in Brantford (Dec. 31) to close out 2023. The battle with Brantford will continue Erie's New Year's Rockin' Eve tradition at 4 P.M. on Sunday, December 31.

2024 begins in the Forest City for Erie's penultimate game at the Budweiser Gardens against the London Knights. In addition to three Saturday games, Erie will also play three weekday games - including its only home date with the Barrie Colts (Jan. 10). Among these weekday home dates is the return of Erie's newly-annual Winter tradition, the third-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game. The January Blues turn to northern flurries as Erie heads to the northernmost portion of the league for a four-in-three with North Bay, Sudbury, and the Soo (Jan. 18-21). To bookend the first month of the year, Erie will host its rivals from London (Jan. 27) for a standalone Saturday home date.

The busiest month of the season is the short month of the year - 13 games in 29 days await the Otters for a full February. The penultimate month of the regular season brings Guelph to town for the annual School Day Game (pres. by UPMC Health Plan & UPMC Hamot) at 11 A.M. on Thursday, Feb. 1. Erie will make its final trips to the Western Conference foes of London, Sarnia, Saginaw, and Guelph, as well as its only trips to Brantford (Family Day, Feb. 19) and Peterborough (Feb. 29). No love lost - Erie will host Niagara (Feb. 14) for the final time on Valentine's Day - an all-new game night for the Otters fans. Fare-thee-well's will also be cast as Erie hosts Oshawa (Feb. 17) and Kingston (Feb. 25) for the only times this season, and its final hosting of Midwest Division foe Guelph (Feb. 24).

Spring blooms in as the Otters finish the Eastern Swing with Kingston (March 1) and Ottawa (March 3). Erie will play host to three of the four Division foes in the final month of the season - Owen Sound (x2, March 9 & 10), London (March 13), and on the final day of the regular season against Kitchener (March 23). Erie has hosted game 68/68 of its regular season every year since the 2015-16 season, and this year keeps the tradition and streak alive. On the next-to-last home game of the season, Erie will host the Memorial Cup prepping Saginaw Spirit (March 16) to spoil the pre-playoff party of the birds. After the aforementioned road swing out east, Erie will only have three road dates to bus out for - Niagara (March 14), and a border hop from Flint (March 20) to Windsor (March 21). As the final horn sounds on the fourth Saturday in March, Erie hopes that it will be the prelude to a post-season run - looking for its first playoff appearance since the 2016-17 season.

Senior Vice President of Business Operations Chad Westerburg spoke with great regard on the excitement from a hockey and community standpoint for the team's 27th Season

"As we approach the new season of Otters hockey, fans should expect new giveaways, fun and exciting promotions, and theme nights. We are pleased with our schedule for this upcoming season as we look to host 19 Saturday home games." said Westerburg, "I encourage all sports fans to show support this season and continue to show why we have the best fans in the league."

The full promotional schedule, including day-specific themes, theme nights, and giveaways will be released in the coming weeks by the organization.

2023-24 SCHEDULE:

September:

29 - at Mississauga

30 - vs. Mississauga

October:

6 - at Guelph

7 - at Owen Sound

12 - at Niagara

14 - vs. Windsor

15 - at Mississauga

20 - at London

21 - vs. Sarnia

22 - vs. Niagara

26 - at Barrie

27 - at Kitchener

28 - vs. Peterborough

November:

2 - at Saginaw

3 - at Flint

5 - at Sarnia

10 - vs. Sudbury

11 - vs. Flint

17 - vs. Saginaw

18 - vs. London

21 - at Kitchener

23 - vs. Soo

25 - vs. Mississauga

29 - vs. Kitchener

December:

2 - at Owen Sound

3 - at Owen Sound

7 - at Niagara

9 - vs. Guelph

15 - vs. North Bay

16 - vs. Ottawa

17-27 - OHL HOLIDAY BREAK

28 - at Guelph

30 - vs. Niagara

31 - vs. Brantford

January

3 - at London

4 - vs. Owen Sound

6 - vs. Windsor

10 - vs. Barrie

12 - at Kitchener

13 - vs. Flint

15 - vs. Sarnia

18 - at North Bay

19 - at Sudbury

21 - at Soo

26 - at Oshawa

27 - vs. London

February

1 - vs. Guelph

2 - at London

3 - vs. Kitchener

8 - at Windsor

9 - at Sarnia

10 - at Saginaw

14 - vs. Niagara

16 - at Guelph

17 - vs. Oshawa

19 - at Brantford

24 - vs. Guelph

25 - vs. Kingston

29 - at Peterborough

March

1 - at Kingston

3 - at Ottawa

9 - vs. Owen Sound

10 - vs. Owen Sound

13 - vs. London

14 - at Niagara

16 - vs. Saginaw

20 - at Flint

21 - at Windsor

23 - vs. Kitchener

QUICK FACTS:

Home Games per Day of Week:

Monday - 1

Tuesday - 0

Wednesday - 4

Thursday - 3

Friday - 3

Saturday - 19

Sunday - 4

Home Games per Month:

September - 1

October - 4

November - 7

December - 5

January - 6

February - 6

March - 5

Home Games (and total) against Teams:

Western Conference - 21 (42):

Guelph - 3 (6)

Kitchener - 3 (6)

London - 3 (6)

Owen Sound - 3 (6)

Flint - 2 (4)

Saginaw - 2 (4)

Sarnia - 2 (4)

Windsor - 2 (4)

Sault Ste. Marie - 1 (2)

Eastern Conference - :

Niagara - 3 (6)

Mississauga - 2 (4)

Barrie - 1 (2)

Brantford - 1 (2)

Kingston - 1 (2)

North Bay - 1 (2)

Oshawa - 1 (2)

Ottawa - 1 (2)

Peterborough - 1 (2)

Sudbury - 1 (2)

Fans will once again be able to keep up with the Otters at home or on the road for all 68 games through OHL Live on CHL TV and the league's largest radio network, the Otters Radio Network.

The Erie Otters are ecstatic to return hockey to downtown Erie for the 27th season, and reignite the best fan base in the OHL in pursuit of a return to the playoffs.

Don't miss a single moment of the new year of Otters Hockey; 2023-24 Full Season Tickets are on sale now for as low as $11.50/game.

Check out the Erie Otters Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 27, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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