[{"id":41714,"date":"2026-06-17T13:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T17:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/?p=41714"},"modified":"2026-06-17T13:22:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T17:22:38","slug":"release-erie-otters-welcome-kyle-makaric-as-assistant-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/article\/release-erie-otters-welcome-kyle-makaric-as-assistant-coach","title":{"rendered":"RELEASE: Erie Otters Welcome Kyle Makaric as Assistant Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Erie, Pennsylvania —\u00a0<\/strong>There’s a new face behind the Otters bench, and it’s one with plenty of familiarity to the OHL.<\/p>\n

General Manager\u00a0Dave Brown\u00a0<\/strong>and Head Coach\u00a0Kris Mallette\u00a0<\/strong>announced today the addition of\u00a0Kyle Makaric\u00a0<\/strong>to the Otters’ coaching staff as an Assistant Coach.<\/p>\n

The 37-year-old native of LaSalle, ON comes to Erie following last season where he was an Assistant Coach with the Saginaw Spirit.<\/p>\n

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Erie Otters organization,” Makaric <\/strong>said. “After speaking with Dave, Kris, Jeremy, and Ken, it became clear why the organization is held in such high regard throughout the hockey community.<\/p>\n

I look forward to working alongside the players and staff each day, both on and off the ice, helping our athletes develop, compete, and achieve their goals. I am excited to get to work and contribute in any way I can to help our team achieve success.”<\/p>\n

Makaric brings an extensive list of experience with him to the Flagship City, including two CCHL Championships as Head Coach of the Ottawa Jr. Senators, including being named the Coach of the Year in the league in 2023. During his time in Ottawa, he led the Jr. Senators through a period of incredible success culminating in the pair of championships.<\/p>\n

Other stops along the way for the Otters’ new assistant include four years with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires AAA Program, multiple stints with the University of Windsor, the Chatham Maroons, and Leamington Flyers. He also coached with Canada East at the World Junior ‘A’ Championship and with BioSteel Sports Academy.<\/p>\n

General Manager\u00a0Dave Brown\u00a0<\/strong>spoke with excitement about the arrival of Makaric and what he will bring to the organization.<\/p>\n

“Kyle represents a promising young mind in hockey with prior experience as a head coach at the Tier II level, where he was responsible for coaching and assembling elite teams,”\u00a0Brown\u00a0<\/strong>said. “The combination of Kyle’s understanding of the OHL and his background in USports made him highly appealing. Kyle exemplifies innovation and maintains an openness to novel ideas that motivate players to engage in learning and persist in their developmental journey with enthusiasm.”<\/p>\n

Otters’ Head Coach\u00a0Kris Mallette\u00a0<\/strong>spoke on the addition of Makaric to his staff and why he was the right pick for the group.<\/p>\n

“Kyle will bring a strong work ethic and hockey knowledge that will immediately strengthen our bench and maximize our players’ potential,”\u00a0Mallette\u00a0<\/strong>said. “We are excited to add another person who shares the same team-first culture mentality both on and off the ice. Kyle’s communication and overall skill set will be a valuable addition to our existing group.”<\/p>\n

Makaric will take charge of the Otters’ forwards and power play as he is set to begin his second season in the OHL and first with Erie.<\/p>\n

The Erie Otters are thrilled to welcome Kyle Makaric to the Flagship City and are looking forward to seeing what he will bring the organization in the fall.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
About the Erie Otters:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Trevor Kubeja at\u00a0<\/i>trevorkubeja@ottershockey.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stay Informed:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
Keep up-to-date with the latest Erie Otters news by visiting OttersHockey.com, or follow along on social media with the Otters\u00a0<\/i>Facebook<\/i><\/a>,\u00a0<\/i>Twitter<\/i><\/a>, or\u00a0<\/i>Instagram<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
###<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Erie, Pennsylvania —\u00a0There’s a new face behind the Otters bench, and it’s one with plenty of familiarity to the OHL. General Manager\u00a0Dave Brown\u00a0and Head Coach\u00a0Kris Mallette\u00a0announced today the addition of\u00a0Kyle Makaric\u00a0to the Otters’ coaching staff as an Assistant Coach. The 37-year-old native of LaSalle, ON comes to Erie following last season where he was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":569,"featured_media":41715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[367],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-41714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-367","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2026\/06\/17101956\/26_Welcome_Makaric.png",1080,1350,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/569"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":41716,"date":"2026-06-17T10:45:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/?p=41716"},"modified":"2026-06-17T10:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:32:31","slug":"release-erie-otters-acquire-three-picks-in-swap-with-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/article\/release-erie-otters-acquire-three-picks-in-swap-with-storm","title":{"rendered":"RELEASE: Erie Otters Acquire Three Picks in Swap with Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Erie, Pennsylvania —\u00a0<\/strong>With the OHL Priority Selection in the books, the window has been re-opened for deals to be made between clubs in the OHL.<\/p>\n

The Erie Otters struck a deal today involving picks for the upcoming CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

General Manager\u00a0Dave Brown\u00a0<\/strong>announced today the Otters have acquired the #19 overall pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft alongside Brantford’s second round Priority Selection pick in 2027 and Flint’s fifth round Priority Selection pick in 2028 from the Guelph Storm in exchange for the #4 overall pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

With this move, the Otters continue to build an impressive draft catalogue with eyes toward an exciting future.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
About the Erie Otters:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Trevor Kubeja at\u00a0<\/i>trevorkubeja@ottershockey.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stay Informed:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
Keep up-to-date with the latest Erie Otters news by visiting OttersHockey.com, or follow along on social media with the Otters\u00a0<\/i>Facebook<\/i><\/a>,\u00a0<\/i>Twitter<\/i><\/a>, or\u00a0<\/i>Instagram<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
###<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Erie, Pennsylvania —\u00a0With the OHL Priority Selection in the books, the window has been re-opened for deals to be made between clubs in the OHL. The Erie Otters struck a deal today involving picks for the upcoming CHL Import Draft. General Manager\u00a0Dave Brown\u00a0announced today the Otters have acquired the #19 overall pick in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":569,"featured_media":41717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[367],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-41716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-367","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2026\/06\/17103154\/26_Trade_16x9.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/569"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":41663,"date":"2026-06-16T14:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/?p=41663"},"modified":"2026-06-16T11:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:46:20","slug":"erie-otters-release-2026-27-regular-season-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-otters\/article\/erie-otters-release-2026-27-regular-season-schedule","title":{"rendered":"Erie Otters Release 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Erie, Pennsylvania — <\/strong>On Tuesday afternoon, the Ontario Hockey League unveiled the full 2026-27 season schedule for all 20 member teams, as the Erie Otters look ahead to another highly anticipated season.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s a landmark year as the Erie Otters celebrate their 30th season in team-history which presents a well-balanced schedule of home game dates, allowing for fans to maximize their time at the EIA throughout the entire seven-month season. While sticking with traditions like the School Day game and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and the third-straight season featuring a game on Thanksgiving Eve.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The 2026-27 edition of the Erie Otters starts with plenty of excitement with returning players like\u00a0Michael Dec\u00a0<\/strong>and Captain Tristen Trevino<\/strong> alongside exciting young players like 2025 picks Jake Murray <\/strong>and Tyler Cooper<\/strong>. Also top NHL prospect Lucas Ambrosio <\/strong>will be back in the navy and gold for the Otters’ 30th season.\u00a0Under the tutelage of head coach Kris Mallette<\/b>, who will begin his second full season with the Otters as the club looks to make its return to the OHL postseason.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The countdown officially begins to the 2026-27 season for the Erie Otters, with 94 days separating today and the season opener on September 18 as the Otters visit the Guelph Storm and the Sleeman Centre, the home of the 2027 Memorial Cup. Erie will hit the road for a home-and-home against the Kitchener Rangers on September 25 before heading home for the Home Opener (pres. by Rebich Investments) to conclude the weekend against the reigning Memorial Cup Champions, extending Erie’s new tradition of September home openers. Another new tradition fans will notice this season is a new Saturday start time of 6 P.M., allowing for everyone to maximize their time downtown and at the rink.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
October starts with the Eastern Swing as the Otters take on thePeterborough Petes at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on October 1, the Ottawa 67’s at TD Place on October 3 and the Kingston Frontenacs at Slush Puppie Place on October 4. Erie will then make their first trip to Canada Life Place in London on October 9 before returning home to take on the Ottawa 67’s on Saturday October 10 and the Barrie Colts on Sunday October 11 to conclude the first three-in-three weekend of the season. The Otters will stay home the following weekend with the Soo Greyhounds making their lone visit to town on Friday October 16 and the London Knights visiting for the first time on Saturday October 17. As announced Wednesday, OHL Rivalry Week will see the Otters battle their geographic rivals, the Niagara IceDogs in a home-and-home Friday October 23 in St. Catharines and Saturday October 24 in Erie. The weekend will wrap-up with the Otters making a Sunday trip to Brampton on October 25. Erie will then head west for a pair of games in Windsor (29th) and Sarnia (30th) concluding the month. October is the team’s busiest month of the season with 13 games. No shortage of highly-anticipated opponents in the spookiest month of the year!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
November begins with the Otters staying out west and heading to Sault Ste. Marie for the one and only time to take on the Greyhounds on November 4. The way home will see a duo of stops in Michigan with a battle with the Firebirds (6th) and Spirit (7th). Erie returns home following this trip with a mid-week clash with the Kitchener Rangers at home on Thursday November 12. Another home-and-home with the IceDogs is to follow as Erie will host their geographic rivals on Saturday November 14 before heading to the Meridian Centre for a Sunday afternoon tilt on November 15. Erie begins a three-game homestand the following weekend with the Saginaw Spirit coming to town on Friday November 20, Keenan Reynolds and the Owen Sound Attack make their first of three visits to the Flagship City on Saturday November 21 and the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday November 25 against the rival London Knights. Erie then hits the road, going to Guelph on Black Friday (27th) before returning home on Saturday November 28 to take on the Windsor Spitfires concluding the month.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
While the Otters will be home for Christmas, the team will be on the road for the first three games of the final month of 2026. While not quite the North Pole, the northern swing begins the last month of the year with Thursday December 3’s game at North Bay, a visit to Sudbury (4th) and Oshawa (6th) to conclude the trip. Erie then returns for a four-game homestand heading into the holiday break with games against the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday December 12, the London Knights on Sunday December 13, the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday December 18 and the final game before the break taking place on Saturday December 19 against the Sarnia Sting. After the stockings are taken down and ol’ Saint Nick has returned to the North Pole, Erie will push toward 2026 with a pair of games against the Brantford Bulldogs on the road (29th) and at home for the annual New Years’ Eve clash on Thursday December 31.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Happy New Year! The 2026 portion of the season begins with the annual back-to-back weekend in Owen Sound on January 2 and 3. Erie then heads home for a mid-week home battle with the Brampton Steelheads on Wednesday January 6 before heading to Kitchener (8th) and back home on Saturday January 9 to take on the Niagara IceDogs. Erie stays home the following weekend with visits from the Flint Firebirds on Friday January 15 and the Oshawa Generals on Saturday January 16. Then it’s off to London for a Friday night battle in the Forest City against the Knights (22nd) and then the first home game of the season against the Guelph Storm on Saturday January 23. Erie then hits the road for a trio of games to conclude the month beginning at Brantford (27th) and then heading to Michigan for games against Flint (29th) and Saginaw (30th). The first month of 2026 sees plenty of weekend action against many highly-anticipated opponents.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The penultimate month of the regular season features the team’s most home games in a month with seven. A month full of home cooking for the Otters begins on the road as Erie heads to St. Catharines to take on the IceDogs (4th). Erie then returns home for four-straight beginning with the home back-to-back against Owen Sound on Saturday February 6th and 7th. The Otters will then host the Flint Firebirds on Friday February 12th and the Guelph Storm on Saturday February 13th. Erie then returns the favor by heading to the Sleeman Centre for a family day matinee with the Storm. After, it’s another three-in-three weekend beginning in London (19th) before the Otters head home on Saturday February 20 against the Peterborough Petes and Sunday February 21 against the Windsor Spitfires. Erie then hits the road for a pair of midweek games in Owen Sound (24th) and Barrie (25th) before they head back to the EIA to conclude the month against the Sarnia Sting on Saturday February 27.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The final month of the regular season begins with a quick trip to Kitchener to take on the Rangers. Erie then heads hope to wrap-up what is their final three-in-three of the season with games against the North Bay Battalion on Saturday March 6 and Sudbury Wolves on Sunday March 7. Erie stays home the following weekend with visits from the Kitchener Rangers on Saturday March 13 and Guelph Storm on Sunday March 14. The final week of the regular season begins with two midweek games in Sarnia (17th) and Windsor (18th). The regular season comes to an end on Saturday March 20 against the Brantford Bulldogs. From there, it’ll be determined if the Otters are in the playoffs, who their opponent will be, and when they’ll bring playoff hockey back to downtown Erie once again!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Director of Business Operations\/ Fan Experience\u00a0Darcie Chabola\u00a0<\/b>spoke with great regard on the excitement from a hockey and community standpoint for the team\u2019s 30th Season.<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cWe’re hoping our fans are as excited as we are for the 26-27 season!,” Chabola\u00a0<\/b>said. “This schedule release is just the beginning of the fun. We’ve added some new, creative minds to the staff, mixed with some long-time veterans that have been working hard on the promo schedule to ensure all 34 home games are entertaining from the moment fans walk through the front doors until the last buzzer sounds. There won’t be a game on this schedule you’ll want to miss!”<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The full promotional schedule, including day-specific themes, theme nights, and giveaways will be released in the coming weeks by the organization.<\/div>\n
2026-27 SCHEDULE:<\/b><\/div>\n
September:<\/div>\n