Erie Otters Release 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule
OHL Erie Otters

Erie Otters Release 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

Published on June 16, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - On Tuesday afternoon, the Ontario Hockey League unveiled the full 2026-27 season schedule for all 20 member teams, as the Erie Otters look ahead to another highly anticipated season.

It's a landmark year as the Erie Otters celebrate their 30th season in team-history which 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 traditions like the School Day game and New Year's Rockin' Eve, and the third-straight season featuring a game on Thanksgiving Eve.

The 2026-27 edition of the Erie Otters starts with plenty of excitement with returning players like Michael Dec and Captain Tristen Trevino alongside exciting young players like 2025 picks Jake Murray and Tyler Cooper. Also top NHL prospect Lucas Ambrosio will be back in the navy and gold for the Otters' 30th season. Under the tutelage of head coach Kris Mallette, who will begin his second full season with the Otters as the club looks to make its return to the OHL postseason.

The countdown officially begins to the 2026-27 season for the Erie Otters, with 94 days separating today and the season opener on September 18 as the Otters visit the Guelph Storm and the Sleeman Centre, the home of the 2027 Memorial Cup. Erie will hit the road for a home-and-home against the Kitchener Rangers on September 25 before heading home for the Home Opener (pres. by Rebich Investments) to conclude the weekend against the reigning Memorial Cup Champions, extending Erie's new tradition of September home openers. Another new tradition fans will notice this season is a new Saturday start time of 6 P.M., allowing for everyone to maximize their time downtown and at the rink.

October starts with the Eastern Swing as the Otters take on thePeterborough Petes at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on October 1, the Ottawa 67's at TD Place on October 3 and the Kingston Frontenacs at Slush Puppie Place on October 4. Erie will then make their first trip to Canada Life Place in London on October 9 before returning home to take on the Ottawa 67's on Saturday October 10 and the Barrie Colts on Sunday October 11 to conclude the first three-in-three weekend of the season. The Otters will stay home the following weekend with the Soo Greyhounds making their lone visit to town on Friday October 16 and the London Knights visiting for the first time on Saturday October 17. As announced Wednesday, OHL Rivalry Week will see the Otters battle their geographic rivals, the Niagara IceDogs in a home-and-home Friday October 23 in St. Catharines and Saturday October 24 in Erie. The weekend will wrap-up with the Otters making a Sunday trip to Brampton on October 25. Erie will then head west for a pair of games in Windsor (29th) and Sarnia (30th) concluding the month. October is the team's busiest month of the season with 13 games. No shortage of highly-anticipated opponents in the spookiest month of the year!

November begins with the Otters staying out west and heading to Sault Ste. Marie for the one and only time to take on the Greyhounds on November 4. The way home will see a duo of stops in Michigan with a battle with the Firebirds (6th) and Spirit (7th). Erie returns home following this trip with a mid-week clash with the Kitchener Rangers at home on Thursday November 12. Another home-and-home with the IceDogs is to follow as Erie will host their geographic rivals on Saturday November 14 before heading to the Meridian Centre for a Sunday afternoon tilt on November 15. Erie begins a three-game homestand the following weekend with the Saginaw Spirit coming to town on Friday November 20, Keenan Reynolds and the Owen Sound Attack make their first of three visits to the Flagship City on Saturday November 21 and the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday November 25 against the rival London Knights. Erie then hits the road, going to Guelph on Black Friday (27th) before returning home on Saturday November 28 to take on the Windsor Spitfires concluding the month.

While the Otters will be home for Christmas, the team will be on the road for the first three games of the final month of 2026. While not quite the North Pole, the northern swing begins the last month of the year with Thursday December 3's game at North Bay, a visit to Sudbury (4th) and Oshawa (6th) to conclude the trip. Erie then returns for a four-game homestand heading into the holiday break with games against the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday December 12, the London Knights on Sunday December 13, the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday December 18 and the final game before the break taking place on Saturday December 19 against the Sarnia Sting. After the stockings are taken down and ol' Saint Nick has returned to the North Pole, Erie will push toward 2026 with a pair of games against the Brantford Bulldogs on the road (29th) and at home for the annual New Years' Eve clash on Thursday December 31.

Happy New Year! The 2026 portion of the season begins with the annual back-to-back weekend in Owen Sound on January 2 and 3. Erie then heads home for a mid-week home battle with the Brampton Steelheads on Wednesday January 6 before heading to Kitchener (8th) and back home on Saturday January 9 to take on the Niagara IceDogs. Erie stays home the following weekend with visits from the Flint Firebirds on Friday January 15 and the Oshawa Generals on Saturday January 16. Then it's off to London for a Friday night battle in the Forest City against the Knights (22nd) and then the first home game of the season against the Guelph Storm on Saturday January 23. Erie then hits the road for a trio of games to conclude the month beginning at Brantford (27th) and then heading to Michigan for games against Flint (29th) and Saginaw (30th). The first month of 2026 sees plenty of weekend action against many highly-anticipated opponents.

The penultimate month of the regular season features the team's most home games in a month with seven. A month full of home cooking for the Otters begins on the road as Erie heads to St. Catharines to take on the IceDogs (4th). Erie then returns home for four-straight beginning with the home back-to-back against Owen Sound on Saturday February 6th and 7th. The Otters will then host the Flint Firebirds on Friday February 12th and the Guelph Storm on Saturday February 13th. Erie then returns the favor by heading to the Sleeman Centre for a family day matinee with the Storm. After, it's another three-in-three weekend beginning in London (19th) before the Otters head home on Saturday February 20 against the Peterborough Petes and Sunday February 21 against the Windsor Spitfires. Erie then hits the road for a pair of midweek games in Owen Sound (24th) and Barrie (25th) before they head back to the EIA to conclude the month against the Sarnia Sting on Saturday February 27.

The final month of the regular season begins with a quick trip to Kitchener to take on the Rangers. Erie then heads hope to wrap-up what is their final three-in-three of the season with games against the North Bay Battalion on Saturday March 6 and Sudbury Wolves on Sunday March 7. Erie stays home the following weekend with visits from the Kitchener Rangers on Saturday March 13 and Guelph Storm on Sunday March 14. The final week of the regular season begins with two midweek games in Sarnia (17th) and Windsor (18th). The regular season comes to an end on Saturday March 20 against the Brantford Bulldogs. From there, it'll be determined if the Otters are in the playoffs, who their opponent will be, and when they'll bring playoff hockey back to downtown Erie once again!

Director of Business Operations/ Fan Experience Darcie Chabola spoke with great regard on the excitement from a hockey and community standpoint for the team's 30th Season.

"We're hoping our fans are as excited as we are for the 26-27 season!," Chabola said. "This schedule release is just the beginning of the fun. We've added some new, creative minds to the staff, mixed with some long-time veterans that have been working hard on the promo schedule to ensure all 34 home games are entertaining from the moment fans walk through the front doors until the last buzzer sounds. There won't be a game on this schedule you'll want to miss!"

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

2026-27 SCHEDULE:

September:

18 - at Guelph

25 - at. Kitchener

26 - vs. Kitchener

October:

1 - at Peterborough

3 - at Ottawa

4 - at Kingston

9 - at London

10 - vs. Ottawa

11 - vs. Barrie

16 - vs. Soo

17 - vs. London

23 - at. Niagara

24 - vs Niagara

25 - at Brampton

29 - at Windsor

30 - at Sarnia

November:

4 - at Soo

6 - at Flint

7 - at. Saginaw

12 - vs. Kitchener

14 - vs. Niagara

15 - at Niagara

20 - vs. Saginaw

21 - vs. Owen Sound

25 - vs. London

27 - at Guelph

28 - vs. Windsor

December:

3 - at North Bay

4 - at Sudbury

6 - at Oshawa

12 - vs. Saginaw

13 - vs. London

18 - vs. Kingston

19 - vs. Sarnia

29 - at Brantford

31 - vs Brantford

January:

2 - at Owen Sound

3 - at Owen Sound

6 - vs. Brampton

8 - at Kitchener

9 - vs Niagara

15 - vs. Flint

16 - vs. Oshawa

22 - at London

23 - vs. Guelph

27 - at Brantford

29 - at Flint

30 - at Saginaw

February:

4 - at Niagara

6 - vs. Owen Sound

7 - vs. Owen Sound

12 - vs. Flint

13 - vs. Guelph

15 - at Guelph

19 - at London

20 - vs. Peterborough

21 - vs. Windsor

24 - at Owen Sound

25 - at Barrie

27 - vs. Sarnia

March:

5 - at Kitchener

6 - vs. North Bay

7 - vs. Sudbury

13 - vs. Kitchener

14 - vs. Guelph

17 - at Sarnia

18 - at Windsor

20 - vs. Brantford

QUICK FACTS:

Home Games per Day of Week:

Monday - 0

Tuesday - 0

Wednesday - 3

Thursday - 3

Friday - 8

Saturday - 18

Sunday - 2

Home Games per Month:

September - 1

October - 5

November - 6

December - 5

January - 5

February - 7

March - 5

Home Games (and total) against Opponents:

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 - 13 (26)

Niagara - 3 (6)

Brantford - 2 (4)

Barrie - 1 (2)

Brampton - 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 on Flo Hockey and the Otters Broadcast Network.

The Erie Otters are ecstatic to return the top tier of amateur hockey in the world to downtown Erie for the 30th season and reignite the best fan base in the OHL. Don't miss a single moment of this highly-anticipated year of Otters Hockey: 2026-27 Full Season Tickets are on-sale now for as low as $13/game.

Check out the Erie Otters Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 16, 2026


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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