RELEASE: Erie Otters Announce Affiliation Agreement with GOHL’s Fort Erie Meteors

Erie, Pennsylvania — The Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters and Greater Ontario Hockey League’s Fort Erie Meteors have signed an affiliation agreement, general managers Dave Brown (Erie), Nikolas Passero (Fort Erie), and the organizations jointly announced Tuesday.

This partnership for the Otters aligns the OHL club with a partner in player development that is located close to home base in Erie, as well as near a chunk of centrally located OHL opponents. With the affiliation, the Otters will be able to assign affiliated players, draft picks and prospects to play and develop in Fort Erie.

“We are very happy to announce our affiliation with the Fort Erie Meteors,” said Otters Director of Hockey Operations Scott Grieve. “Nik Passero and the entire Meteors staff run an excellent program and they have a track record of graduating several Meteors to the OHL. Fort Erie takes pride in player development, and they blend their development approach into on-ice success. We are thrilled to partner with Fort Erie, and we look forward to working closely with them not only this season but hopefully into the foreseeable future as well. We are excited to work together toward the goal of creating a player pipeline which runs through the Fort Erie Meteors to the Erie Otters.”

The Meteors franchise dates back to 1957 and the start of the Ontario Hockey Association. A hockey-rich community located right across the border and at the doorstep of the Niagara region, Fort Erie is located a mere 103 miles from the Flagship City – providing a proximally-ideal location for Otters prospect development. Otters’ prospects Colton Radford and Alex Masotti are currently playing with the Meteors.

Fort Erie’s hockey operations staff is headlined by head coach and general manager Nikolas Passero who played for the Meteors and has been with the team as head coach since 2020.

“This partnership with the Erie Otters is a tremendous step for our program, our players, and our community,” Passero said. “We’ve worked hard to build something special in Fort Erie, and to now be aligned with such a first-class organization is truly exciting. The Otters share our commitment to player development, and this affiliation will give our athletes a clear path to the next level. We’re proud to represent Fort Erie and look forward to growing together in the years ahead.”

The Erie Otters are ecstatic to enter this affiliation agreement with the Fort Erie Meteors, and welcome the players, coaches, staff, and fans to the Otters Family.

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About the Fort Erie Meteors:

The Fort Erie Meteors are a Junior B hockey club based in Fort Erie, Ontario that competes in the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL). Founded in 1957, the Meteors are a founding member of the GOHL, continuing a tradition of junior hockey in the region.

About the GOHL:

The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOHL) is a Canadian junior hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league takes great pride in developing many players along with team personnel to higher levels of hockey throughout North America and Worldwide.

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 Trevor Kubeja at [email protected].

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