Otters shine in revamped rink debut
By Aaron Bell
The Erie Otters are hoping that the newly renovated Erie Insurance Arena is just what they need to turn the page on a brand new chapter.
The Otters have been in their current home – formerly known as Tullio Arena – ever since moving to Pennsylvania from Niagara Falls in 1996.
But after a two-year, $42-million renovation that included additional seating, concourse areas, luxury suites, store and new dressing and training room facilities, it’s like they’ve found a brand new home.
The Otters set a new franchise attendance record when 5,711 fans filed in to see the new building – and the new-look Otters – in their home opener on Saturday.
The Otters came away with an 8-4 win over the North Bay Battalion – who will open their newly renovated building on Friday – and the fans came away with a new appreciation for the team and their new home.
“It really felt good to have the crowd on your side and to have them going every time we do something positive,” Otters captain Connor Brown told the Erie Times-News after the home opener. “(It) makes the team play better and with a lot more energy.”
Goaltender Oscar Dansk made 16 saves in the opening night win and said that he’s looking forward to giving the Otters’ fans lots to cheer about.
“With support like that, it’s hard not to get pumped up,” he said. “It makes you want to play that much more. It’s so much more fun.”
Otters fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about recently. The team finished in last place in the Western Conference the past two seasons but have an emerging team this year that is led by Connor McDavid, last year’s OHL rookie of the year.
Brown leads the team with six goals and 13 points so far this season while Dane Fox, who is in his third season with the Otters after starting his OHL career with the London Knights, has five goals and 10 points.
McDavid has two goals and seven points so far while Dylan Strome, the Otters second overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April, is already showing his offensive skills with a goal and five points in six games.
“We have the team to draw in some fans this year because we’re going to be winning a lot of games,” Brown said. “We’ve got a real exciting team.”
The Otters are also excited about Austrian-born rookie Andre Burakovsky, a first round pick of the Washington Capitals who already has three goals and eight points in four games.
He has been lining up with Brown and McDavid on the Otters’ explosive first line.
“He was all over the place,” Brown said about Burakovsky after the home opener. “He’s got such a dynamic shot and such great speed. He can be too much to handle in this league.”
The Otters are 3-2-1-0 in their first six games of the season, including a 2-2-1-0 record on the road. They are looking forward to spending some time in their new home.
“It’s a different outlook on the team this year. I’m pretty excited about it.”
