NW PA AHEC WEEKEND PREVIEW: Regular Season Send Off
Erie, Pennsylvania – Before the heart-pounding excitement of playoff hockey comes to Erie, the Otters have three final games to finish out the regular season.
On Thursday, the Otters hit the road for the very last time in the 2024-25 regular season, where they’ll take on the Guelph Storm after defeating them on home ice on Sunday. On the final Saturday game of the regular season, Erie will go to battle against the Ottawa 67’s, who they haven’t seen since early January after a 4-1 win. Finally, the regular season will come to a glorious end on Sunday against none other than the London Knights.
AHEC YEAH!
NWPA AHEC’s Weekend Preview brings the latest news, promotions, and what YOU need to know before YOU go in further the new year.
Northwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center is a non-profit organization committed to helping communities in Northwest Pennsylvania meet their primary health care needs and enhance the quality of health in our region especially the rural and underserved communities.
‘AHEC’ maintains partnerships with community, government, and educational agencies and institutions that will connect students to careers, professionals to communities and communities to better health.
Head to nwpaahec.org to learn more or to apply!
LAST TIME OUT
Erie fought hard, both on the road and at home, to add two wins to the tally last week.
Against the Windsor Spitfires on the road, the Otters fell in a tough 7-5 contest before facing the Sarnia Sting the very next day. After pulling out a 6-5 win over the Sting, the Otters returned home to play the Niagara IceDogs, where they lost 5-2.
Finally, the Otters concluded their week with a thrilling 6-4 win over the Guelph Storm.
AROUND THE ARENA
Warmer weather may still be a ways away, but Saturday is the most tropical night of the year at the EIA – Tiki Luau Night! The first 1500 fans to enter the arena will receive a FREE Otters Hawaiian Shirt, courtesy of Rebich Investments. Check out the concourse for the last Rubber Ducky Balloon Designs specialty balloon and light display, and live parrots!
On Sunday, to commemorate the final regular season game, we also want to celebrate YOU, Otters Nation! For Fan Appreciation Night, the first 1500 fans to enter will receive a FREE 2024-25 Team Poster, and the first 500 kids to enter will be given a FREE Soft Drink and Popcorn thanks to Plyler Entry Systems. Head over to the Flagship City Food Hall for a special post-game party at ippa Pizza Napoletana, with exclusive food and drink specials for the best fans in hockey!
WHO TO WATCH
Both Pano Fimis and Sam Alfano are having a season for the record books!
On Saturday night, Fimis scored back-to-back goals to reach 31 goals on the season, as well as broke the single-season record for most faceoff wins – a whopping 946! At the conclusion of Sunday’s victory, Fimis had earned himself eight total points on the week in the form of four goals and four assists.
Another Erie overager, Alfano reached a milestone goal as well on Sunday night by earning his 40th goal on the season! Alfano’s goal, a game-winner against the Guelph Storm early in the third period, capped off a nine-point week.
KNOW THE FOE
The Guelph Storm have snapped their nine-game losing streak after defeating the Flint Firebirds 2-1 on Tuesday night. Players to watch for the Storm include Wil McFadden, with three assists and one game-winning goal against the Firebirds, and Jake Karabela, who scored twice against the Otters.
The Ottawa 67’s dropped two of their last three games, with a 7-1 loss to the Kingston Frontenacs, a 3-2 win over the Oshawa Generals, and a 3-2 OT loss against the Frontenacs. Players to watch for the 67’s include Luca Pinelli, with two goals and two assists in his last three games, and Filip Ekberg, who scored one goal and three assists through last week.
The London Knights Players to watch for the Knights include Sam Dickenson, who just broke the single season franchise record for most points by a defensemen, and Landon Sim, with three goals and two assists in London’s last three 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!
Fans in Northeast and Southwest Ohio have the opportunity to watch tape-delayed Erie Otters home broadcasts as a part of the team’s new partnership with Rock Entertainment Sports Network. Check the programming schedule on your local Gray Media station for more information.
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 Otters broadcast team of Shawn Bednard, Trevor Kubeja, and Tim Quinn.
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
Regular season has come to an end – but wait! There’s more! The playoffs are officially here, and while playoff seeding is still being decided, it’s looking like a Windsor/Erie match-up.
