Otters Welcome Olympian Vanessa Crone as Skating Coach
OHL Erie Otters

Otters Welcome Olympian Vanessa Crone as Skating Coach

Published on August 19, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - In an ever-changing junior hockey landscape, the Erie Otters continue to be at the forefront of player experience and development and the latest addition to the hockey operations staff continues to grow on this mission.

Today General Manager Dave Brown and Director of Hockey Operations Scott Grieve announced that the Otters have brought on Vanessa Crone as the team's Skating Coach.

Crone comes to the Otters following numerous years of working as an elite skating specialist, working with, and developing OHL and NHL talent such as Sam Gagner, Luke Evangelista, Evan Bouchard and Matthew Andonovski.

The Toronto native comes to the Otters from the figure skating world where she competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for Team Canada. She joins fellow Olympian, Goaltending Coach Ryan Zapolski on the Otters staff.

Crone spoke with excitement about joining the club and about the importance of the development process.

"I'm very excited to be apart of this incredible organization," Crone said. "It will be a privilege to contribute to this team's success. I can't wait to get started!"

The addition of Crone marks another important step in keeping the Otters organization as the class of the OHL when it comes to player development. Grieve spoke on what this means for the club and their aspirations.

"As we strive to continue to provide our players with on-ice resources, Vanessa is a tremendous addition to our staff," Grieve said. "Adding a coach with Olympic experience in her field, who also comes highly recommended by OHL and NHL players is a fantastic boost to our player development model.

The Erie Otters are thrilled to welcome Vanessa Crone to the Flagship City and look forward to her work with the players all season long.

Check out the Erie Otters Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Ontario Hockey League Stories from August 19, 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.

OurSports Central