[{"id":298616,"date":"2026-06-17T14:03:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=298616"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:03:56","slug":"otters-hire-kyle-makaric-as-assistant-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/otters-hire-kyle-makaric-as-assistant-coach","title":{"rendered":"Otters hire Kyle Makaric as Assistant Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erie, Pennsylvania – <\/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 Dave Brown and Head Coach Kris Mallette announced today the addition of Kyle Makaric to 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 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. I\u00a0look 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

In his lone season behind the bench in Saginaw, Makaric led the Spirit to a top-5 power play in the OHL and coached some of the best forwards in the league, being behind one of the best offenses in the OHL.<\/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 Dave Brown 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,” Brown 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 Kris Mallette 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,” Mallette 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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Erie, Pennsylvania – There’s a new face behind the Otters bench, and it’s one with plenty of familiarity to the OHL. General Manager Dave Brown and Head Coach Kris Mallette announced today the addition of Kyle Makaric to to the Otters’ coaching staff as an Assistant Coach. The 37-year-old native of LaSalle, ON comes to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":298618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3393,"name":"Kyle Makaric","slug":"kyle-makaric","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3393,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"390"},{"term_id":104,"name":"Erie Otters","slug":"erie-otters","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":104,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1384,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1828"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3809,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2978"}],"class_list":["post-298616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-kyle-makaric","tag-erie-otters","tag-ohl-news","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/06\/17140324\/Makaric-Web.jpg",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\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":298613,"date":"2026-06-16T15:28:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=298613"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:28:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:28:07","slug":"ohl-alumnus-corey-locke-receives-2026-omha-excellence-in-development-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/ohl-alumnus-corey-locke-receives-2026-omha-excellence-in-development-award","title":{"rendered":"OHL Alumnus Corey Locke Receives 2026 OMHA Excellence in Development Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Ottawa 67’s star and one of the most accomplished players in Ontario Hockey League history, Corey Locke, has been recognized with the 2026 OMHA Excellence in Development Award.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently serving as Executive Director of the Burlington Eagles Elite program and as a development coach with the Guelph Storm, Locke has become a respected leader in player development, guiding young athletes on and off the ice while drawing on a hockey career that spanned more than two decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’ve been working with Corey for over five years now, and I don’t think we could have brought a better guy into the organization to run and lead our development,” said Burlington Eagles Director of Hockey Justin Howard.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I think it’s what makes Corey the way he is. It’s that connection with each individual and each individual’s family. They put trust in him to bring them along, and as an organization, we put the trust in him to help those players develop.”<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most dominant offensive players the OHL has ever seen, Locke spent three seasons with the Ottawa 67’s from 2001-04. During the 2002-03 campaign, he produced an astounding 151 points (63-88-151) in just 66 regular-season games. Over 186 career regular-season contests, he amassed 312 points (132-180-312), cementing his place among the league’s all-time greats.<\/span><\/p>\n

His remarkable junior career earned him numerous accolades, including two Eddie Powers Memorial Trophies as the OHL’s leading scorer, two Red Tilson Trophies as OHL Most Outstanding Player, two OHL goal-scoring titles, an OHL assists title, CHL Top Scorer honours and CHL Player of the Year recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following his junior career, Locke was selected 113th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Draft. He appeared in nine NHL games, recording one assist, before establishing himself as one of the premier players in the American Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n

Locke captured the Calder Cup twice during his professional career, first with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007 and later with the Binghamton Senators in 2011. He remains the Bulldogs’ franchise leader in career goals, assists and points.<\/span><\/p>\n

His finest professional season came in 2010-11 when he led the AHL with 86 points (21-65-86) while helping Binghamton capture the Calder Cup championship. Locke’s outstanding campaign earned him both the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s leading scorer.<\/span><\/p>\n

After concluding his playing career in Europe, Locke transitioned into coaching and player development, where he has continued to make a lasting impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

“When you see Corey at the rink, the players just kind of swarm around him, and he is so approachable,” said Burlington Eagles Vice President Jean Longfield. “He’s joking with them and having fun with them. He really relates to them, and they sense that. He’s really got a magical touch.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The OMHA Excellence in Development Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to fostering growth and development in the game, making Locke a more-than-fitting recipient. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Ottawa 67’s star and one of the most accomplished players in Ontario Hockey League history, Corey Locke, has been recognized with the 2026 OMHA Excellence in Development Award. Currently serving as Executive Director of the Burlington Eagles Elite program and as a development coach with the Guelph Storm, Locke has become a respected leader…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":298614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":250,"name":"alumni","slug":"alumni","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":253,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1010,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1056"},{"term_id":2017,"name":"Corey Locke","slug":"corey-locke","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2032,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1587"},{"term_id":88,"name":"Guelph Storm","slug":"guelph-storm","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":88,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1525,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1959"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3809,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2978"},{"term_id":90,"name":"Ottawa 67's","slug":"ottawa-67s","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1626,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3021"}],"class_list":["post-298613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-alumni","tag-corey-locke","tag-guelph-storm","tag-ohl-news","tag-ottawa-67s","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/06\/16145144\/Locke-Web.jpg",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\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":298610,"date":"2026-06-16T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=298610"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:05:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:05:02","slug":"ohl-unveils-2026-27-regular-season-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/ohl-unveils-2026-27-regular-season-schedule","title":{"rendered":"OHL Unveils 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today released its complete 2026-27 regular-season schedule, a 684-game slate that sees all 20 member clubs play 68 games apiece. The season opens Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, and runs through Sunday, March 21, 2027, ahead of the OHL Playoffs and the road to the J. Ross Robertson Cup.<\/p>\n

The schedule again features interleague play with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), with eight crossover games arranged in four home-and-home series.<\/p>\n

The campaign drops the puck Thursday, Sept. 17, when the Peterborough Petes host the Kingston Frontenacs in the league\u2019s first game of the season (7:05 p.m.). One night later, on Friday, Sept. 18, the Kitchener Rangers raise their J. Ross Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup championship banners before hosting the Owen Sound Attack in their home opener (7 p.m.).<\/p>\n

The OHL\u2019s second annual Rivalry Week runs Oct. 21-25, sending all 20 clubs head-to-head with their fiercest rival in a home-and-home set. Ten of the league\u2019s most storied rivalries will play out twice across the five-day stretch \u2014 once on each club\u2019s home ice \u2014 with bragging rights and early standings positioning on the line.<\/p>\n

Two franchises celebrate landmark anniversaries in 2026-27. The Erie Otters celebrate their 30th season in the OHL, while the Saginaw Spirit comemmorate 25 years.<\/p>\n

The 2026-27 schedule includes nine school-day games \u2014 weekday morning starts getting underway before noon \u2014 giving thousands of students across OHL markets the chance to take in a game as part of a class trip.<\/p>\n

The season points toward the 2027 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota, hosted by the Guelph Storm beginning May 20, 2027. The event coincides with the City of Guelph\u2019s bicentennial, setting the stage for a landmark celebration of junior hockey in the community.<\/p>\n

All OHL games stream live on FloHockey. Lock in a full season of OHL action: 12 months for the price of three<\/a> \u2014 a saving of more than 75 percent compared with the monthly plan. Offer valid through July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n