EC3 WEEKEND PREVIEW: Last Chance Before The Dance
Erie, Pennsylvania – It’s the final week of the regular hockey before the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, and the Erie Otters are ready to leave the regular season with a bang.
The Otters will be on the road Wednesday and Thursday, playing the Flint Firebirds and the Windsor Spitfires, before returning home on Saturday for the final game of the regular season against the Kitchener Rangers.
FREE TUITION IS IN BLOOM
The new class of EC3 was welcomed with free Tuition in October – but now is the time to look ahead to the Spring Session!
With flexible online and in-person educational opportunities all across Erie County, EC3 is working to educate around your schedule. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Is an associate’s degree or certificate worth it?” — the answer is a resounding “yes!” Whether your goal is to increase your employable skills in the short term or build toward a more advanced degree in the long term, an associate’s degree or certificates can serve as a stepping stone both academically and professionally.
It’s not too early to apply! For more information on Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania – including their free Spring Tuition – head to EC3PA.org.
LAST TIME OUT
On Wednesday, the Otters fell to the London Knights in a 5-1 decision. Thursday, on the road and ready to turn their luck around, the Otters brought home a dominant 7-4 victory over the Niagara IceDogs.
At home once again on Saturday against the Saginaw Spirit, the Otters battled for a 5-4 win over the top team in the West Division. Saturday’s win was just a bit sweeter for bench boss Stan Butler – who picked up his 800th career win in the Canadian Hockey League. After over 25 years in the OHL and WHL, the legendary coach joins a small fraternity in the 800 Club. Congratulations, Coach Butler!
AROUND THE ARENA
For the best fans a team could ask for, Saturday night will be Fan Appreciation Night (pres. by Plyler Entry Systems)! Enjoy giveaways all night long and the first 1500 fans to walk in will receive a FREE 2023-24 Team Photo Poster (pres. by Plyler Entry Systems)!
It is also our First Responders Night! First responders, bring your badge or work ID to the box office to receive one FREE ticket to the game.
Prior to puck drop, the Otters will honor its four overage players – Brett Bressette, Owain Johnston, Ben Gaudreau, and Ethan Fraser.
WHO TO WATCH
Sam Alfano, the Big Rig himself, has five points in his last two games. On the road against the Niagara IceDogs, Alfano earned himself First Star honors with two goals and two assists, including the game-winner. Against the Saginaw Spirit, Alfano had an assist in the third period to give the Otters the lead.
Pano Fimis has two goals and four assists under his belt in the last three games. Against the Niagara IceDogs, Fimis put up an impressive five-point night with one goal and four assists in Erie’s 7-4 victory. At home against the Spirit, Fimis scored to give the Otters the lead that they ran away with for the win.
KNOW THE FOE
The Flint Firebirds just recently clinched their playoff spot after beating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-3. They fell 6-5 to the Sarnia Sting before beating the Windsor Spitfires 7-4. Players to watch for the Firebirds include Oliver Peer, with four goals and two assists in his last three games, and Jimmy Lombardi, who picked up one goal and three assists between Sarnia and Windsor.
The Windsor Spitfires are currently on a twelve-game losing streak after back-to-back 7-4 losses to both the London Knights and the Flint Firebirds. Players to watch for the Spitfires include Valentin Zhugin, with two goals and one assist in his last two games, and goaltender Joey Costanzo, with a 37-save night against the London Knights.
The Kitchener Rangers, one spot above the Otters in the Midwest Division, lost two of their last three games. Players to watch for the Rangers include Luca Romano, currently on a four-game point streak with eight points, and Luke Ellinas, with two goals and two assists in his last two games.
HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & FOLLOW ALONG
WATCH:
“OHL Live” is the Ontario Hockey League’s broadcast home on CHL TV! OHL Live delivers a high-quality viewing experience while providing access to more than 700 OHL games streamed across a range of platforms including:
- PC and/or Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers
- iOS / Android mobile devices.
- Amazon Fire
- Apple TV
- Roku platforms
For less than $2/game, OHL Live provides live game action all season long, plus free-to-access video-on-demand content and a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. For more information, head to watch.chl.ca/ohl!
LISTEN:
Listen to Otters Hockey all across Lake Erie on the league’s largest radio network! The Otters Radio Network gives fans the most-accessible and highest-quality way to experience every moment of Otters’ game night – from pregame to postgame.
Every game can feel like a home game as a fan with the Otters Radio Network. With live-game broadcasts of all 68 Regular Season games, fans can always hear the action as it happens. Thanks to the Broadcast Home for Otters Hockey, iHeart Media Erie, fans can listen to every game LIVE on the iHeart App from ANYWHERE in the world! From Pennsylvania to Transylvania and everywhere in between, you’ll always be in range to hear Otters Hockey.
The Otters Radio Network is larger than ever before on terrestrial & digital radio – from Southeast Michigan to Southwest New York!
- iHeart Media (Erie, PA) is the Flagship Station for the Otters on WJET 1400 AM, and home to Otters Hockey in Pennsylvania. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 96.7 FM/1400 AM in Erie and surrounding communities of NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on the iHeart App.
- Media One Radio Group – Ohio (Ashtabula, OH) is home to Otters Hockey in Ohio on ESPN 970 WFUN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 970 AM in Ashtabula and surrounding communities of Northeast Ohio and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WFUN’s website.
- Media One Radio Group – New York (Jamestown, NY) is home to Otters Hockey in New York State on Legends 1340 WKSN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 1340 AM in Jamestown and surrounding communities of Southwest New York and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WKSN’s website.
- ESPN Radio Michigan Regional Sports Network (Flint, MI) is home to Otters Hockey in Michigan. Games can be livestreamed worldwide on MRSN’s website.
Fans can also listen to the game on any of the Otters’ four radio-homes on the Listen Live page. The Otters Hockey Pregame Show starts 20 minutes prior to puck drop, hosted by the Voice of the Otters, Shawn Bednard.
Make sure to tune in weekdays from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Fox Sports 1330, Happi 92.7 FM, WERG 90.5 FM, 106.3 FM WCTL, Kinzua County 104.3 FM (Warren, PA), Channel 98.9 FM & Sunny 105.7 FM (Corry, PA), FOX Sports Radio Oil City 1120 & 104.1 FM (Oil City), ESPN 970 WFUN (Ashtabula, OH), WKSN 1340 AM & WQFX 103.1 (Jamestown, NY), and ESPN Radio MRSN (Flint, MI) to hear the ‘Otters Daily Update’, giving you all the insight on your Otters.
FOLLOW ALONG
If you want to follow along in-real-time to the weekend’s games, make sure you’re following the Otters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From live tweets of the action, scoring updates, photos, and highlights, Otters’ social media is the best way to keep up with the team wherever they are.
UP NEXT
You’ve waited long enough – it’s playoff hockey up ahead, Otters Nation!
Dates and times for games are still to-be determined, but when the Otters come home for the seven-game series, it will be the first home playoff game for Erie in seven years!
With a potential meeting with the London Knights (#1), Saginaw Spirit (#2), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (#3), or Kitchener Rangers (#4), Erie will be ready to give whomever they face a true test and put ’em on upset watch.
Stay Informed:
Keep up-to-date with the latest Erie Otters news by visiting OttersHockey.com, or follow along on social media with the Otters Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About the Erie Otters:
The Erie Otters are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the Otters have a rich history of excellence both on and off the ice. The team is committed to creating memorable experiences for its fans and contributing to the growth and well-being of the Erie community.
For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Shawn Bednard at [email protected].
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