Erie Otters
| Erie Otters | |
|---|---|
| City | Erie, Pennsylvania |
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Midwest |
| Founded | 1996–97 |
| Home arena | Erie Insurance Arena |
| Colors | Navy, gold, gray, white |
| Owner(s) | Jim Waters |
| General manager | Dave Brown |
| Head coach | Stan Butler |
| Media | Erie Times-News Erie News Now |
| Website | ottershockey |
| Franchise history | |
| 1946–1953 | Windsor Spitfires |
| 1953–1960 | Hamilton Tiger Cubs |
| 1960–1974 | Hamilton Red Wings |
| 1974–1978 | Hamilton/St. Catharines Fincups |
| 1978–1984 | Brantford Alexanders |
| 1984–1988 | Hamilton Steelhawks |
| 1988–1996 | Niagara Falls Thunder |
| 1996–present | Erie Otters |
| Current uniform | |
The Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Midwest division of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of only three American teams in the league. The team's name refers to the North American river otter common to Lake Erie. The Otters play at Erie Insurance Arena in downtown Erie, next door to UPMC Park and the Warner Theatre.
The Otters have twice captured the prestigious J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in the 2001–02 and 2016–17 seasons, and won the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference champions in the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons. They won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy for first place in the league standings during the 2000–01, 2015–16, and 2016–17 seasons. The Otters earned the Holody Trophy as Midwest Division champions in multiple seasons.