Erie Otters 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part One)

[Kingpin794]

I'd be curious to see what those numbers look like when you take Wed/Thurs games out. Seems like No one draws well on weekdays and isn't a great measure of how well a team is drawing people in. I'd assume everyone get a bump, maybe a bit more so for American teams. And then even more after Christmas for US teams. Also % capacity would be a better measure than bulk numbers but don't think it would switch up the order too much. Most teams are sitting at 65-75% by the looks of it.

Just did a quick check of Saginaw and their Friday/Saturday attendance is about 3650. All other days is about 2660. 1000 fans is a big difference. IIRC after renovations the capacity is closer to 5000 now at the Dow. So that's about 73% capacity vs 53%. Think you'd see something similar for Erie and others.

 

[OttersFan]

Keep Schaefer in your thoughts and prayers. He billets with Emily Matson who passed away.

 

[WorkHardEveryShift]

Erie needs to look into their scouting/recruiting staff. They have 6 rookies that have played a combined 120 games and have 4 combined points, including the first overall pick in the u18 draft this year with 0 pts in 27 games. Epic fail

 

[Kingpin794]

Erie needs to look into their scouting/recruiting staff. They have 6 rookies that have played a combined 120 games and have 4 combined points, including the first overall pick in the u18 draft this year with 0 pts in 27 games. Epic fail

I wouldn't count this year's rookie production on scouting. Stan Butler famously doesn't rely on rookies for much.

 

[NOA]

Erie needs to look into their scouting/recruiting staff. They have 6 rookies that have played a combined 120 games and have 4 combined points, including the first overall pick in the u18 draft this year with 0 pts in 27 games. Epic fail

Wow, haven’t heard this before. I was wondering about the factors that contributed to these down years. You might be on to something here. Great analysis!!!

 

[OHL4Life]

Erie needs to look into their scouting/recruiting staff. They have 6 rookies that have played a combined 120 games and have 4 combined points, including the first overall pick in the u18 draft this year with 0 pts in 27 games. Epic fail

luke evangelista in london had something like 3 points in 60 games as a rookie, not all kids are stars from the puck drop.

 

[sbpointer]

luke evangelista in london had something like 3 points in 60 games as a rookie, not all kids are stars from the puck drop.

0 of which were goals...

 

[7D442]

OHL average attendance this season.
1. London ~ 9,034
2. Kitchener ~ 6,113
3. Guelph ~ 4,644
4. Oshawa ~ 4,502
5. Windsor ~ 4,433
6. Ottawa ~ 3,916
7. Sarnia ~ 3,792
8. Soo ~ 3,643
9. Sudbury ~ 3,608
10. Erie ~ 3,510
11. Niagara ~ 3,479
12. Peterborough ~ 3,369
13. Barrie ~ 3,287
14. Saginaw ~ 3,206
15. Flint ~ 3,192
16. Brantford ~ 3,050
17. Kingston ~ 3,032
18. North Bay ~ 2,676
19. Owen Sound ~ 2,637
20. Missy ~ 2,291

That’s it !! Thank you

 

[WorkHardEveryShift]

luke evangelista in london had something like 3 points in 60 games as a rookie, not all kids are stars from the puck drop.

I get the point, but I'm not holding my breath that any of these rookies will be the next Evangelista

 

[onetimeshot]

Stan Butler's old team in town tonight. Coach Ryan Oulahen (NB) played for Stan's Brampton team from 2002-05. Oulahen was an assistant under Butler starting with the Brampton team in 2010 all the way until 2019 when he took over as head coach midseason in North Bay.

Stan's first Erie WIN was against the Battalion in North Bay on 2/16/23

 

[Guy In Burlington]

Stan Butler's old team in town tonight. Coach Ryan Oulahen (NB) played for Stan's Brampton team from 2002-05. Oulahen was an assistant under Butler starting with the Brampton team in 2010 all the way until 2019 when he took over as head coach midseason in North Bay.

Stan's first Erie WIN was against the Battalion in North Bay on 2/16/23

I saw a lot of Oulahen in Brampton. He was an excellent 200-foot player and I’m not surprised he’s been a successful coach.

Although I don’t think he was an assistant for all that time, I thought he was the head coach in Flint for a bit before going to North Bay. I could be wrong.

I think his playing career ended when as captain in Grand Rapids, he got caught in a rut in the ice and badly broke his leg.

 

[onetimeshot]

I saw a lot of Oulahen in Brampton. He was an excellent 200-foot player and I’m not surprised he’s been a successful coach.

Although I don’t think he was an assistant for all that time, I thought he was the head coach in Flint for a bit before going to North Bay. I could be wrong.

I think his playing career ended when as captain in Grand Rapids, he got caught in a rut in the ice and badly broke his leg.

Yep. Only an assistant with Stan from 2010 to the end of the 2016 season.

Head coach at Flint 2016-19.

 

[dirty12]

Yep. Only an assistant with Stan from 2010 to the end of the 2016 season.

Head coach at Flint 2016-19.

Head coach of Flint for about a half season I thought, then back as assistant for Butler the next season. But apparently 2+ seasons as HC of Flint.

 

[Mata]

As if there was any doubt...way to go Carey!!!

2024 World Juniors: Team USA Roster Announced Led By Gauthier, Hutson - FloHockey

Returnees Cutter Gauthier and Lane Hutson were among the 25 players named to Team USA's final roster for the 2024 WJC.

www.flohockey.tv

 

[onetimeshot]

OHL Power Rankings: Week 12 - Dec. 18, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League

With a dozen Power Rankings entries in the books, we reach the holiday break of the 2023-24 OHL season.

chl.ca

Erie Otters – up one spot to #11 this week

The Erie, Flint, Owen Sound logjam in the middle of the Power Rankings for several consecutive weeks seems to have broken up, with Erie prevailing as the top squad at #11 moving into the holiday break.

The Otters effectively recovered from a 0-3-1-0 start to their season, benefitting from the goaltending of Ben Gaudreau over the course of the past two months. The Otters bested one of the league’s best road teams in the North Bay Battalion on Friday as Ondrej Molnar scored the third period game winner.

Erie came up short against the East Division-leading Ottawa 67’s by a score of 4-2 on Saturday, missing Carey Terrance (United States) and Martin Misiak (Slovakia) who are off preparing for World Junior duty.

 

[OHL4Life]

I get the point, but I'm not holding my breath that any of these rookies will be the next Evangelista

why rush to decide half way through their rookie season?

 

[7D442]

It’s not a rush - but definitely some flat spots in production

I don’t think anyone anywhere could deny that right? I think one was a rookie to the OHL, but based on age alone, not a rookie.

 

[OHL4Life]

It’s not a rush - but definitely some flat spots in production

I don’t think anyone anywhere could deny that right? I think one was a rookie to the OHL, but based on age alone, not a rookie.

guys who produce at high rates as rookies are very rare, expecting 20 points as a rookie d is not really a fair comparison imo.

 

[Mata]

guys who produce at high rates as rookies are very rare, expecting 20 points as a rookie d is not really a fair comparison imo.

 

[OHL4Life]

well i guess they'll have to just cut him now lol.

drysdale is special. if thats the level of comparison then schaefer is going to fail, hes not that type of defenceman. hes more like bertucci, two way minute eater. hes not brant clarke/drysdale imo.

 

[7D442]

guys who produce at high rates as rookies are very rare, expecting 20 points as a rookie d is not really a fair comparison imo.

just to clarify :

I never mentioned a player , never mentioned 20 points , never mentioned a player on D either

So other than those 3 points being wrong - carry on …

 

[Mata]

well i guess they'll have to just cut him now lol.

drysdale is special. if thats the level of comparison then schaefer is going to fail, hes not that type of defenceman. hes more like bertucci, two way minute eater. hes not brant clarke/drysdale imo.

Perhaps it's the hype surrounding Schaefer, I dunno. Many people (scouting reports and writers) were making comparisons, they also did with Sova early on.

You can see Schaefer is clearly a puck moving defender, but maybe with the offense we have and our HC style he doesn't need to put up the points Jamie did.

Regardless, Schaefer has to be pretty damn special to be taken at 1 and I do expect very big things from him. He has shown, at least in my opinion, tremendous growth through about half a season so far.

 

[Guy In Burlington]

A good friend of mine coached Schaefer in Bantam so I saw a lot of him that year and then his Minor Midget year (yes I know you can’t use those terms now). He was eye-popping pretty much every time I saw him. Granted that was against kids his own age, and in the SCTA which isn’t the GTHL. But he’s special.

I think the fact he hasn’t put up Drysdale numbers this year means little. I think he could if that was the way the team played; but it’s not.

I can’t think of a 16 year old defenseman who had big numbers under Butler, and he’s had some decent ones. And that’s fine IMO.

 

[onetimeshot]

I can’t think of a 16 year old defenseman who had big numbers under Butler, and he’s had some decent ones. And that’s fine IMO.

Not a numbers comparison, but Stan coached Jay Harrison at 15. Would that be similar to Schaefer?

 

[Guy In Burlington]

Not a numbers comparison, but Stan coached Jay Harrison at 15. Would that be similar to Schaefer?

Not sure what you’re asking. Harrison didn’t put up much his first year (and yeah he was 15 at season’s start but he turned 16 two months in). But he was a completely different player than Schaefer is. Wasn’t counted on for offense until he was 19.

If you’re asking me if I think Schaefer is going to continue to put up Harrison-like (I.e., low) numbers at 17 and 18, then no I don’t. I think Schaefer will be what Brown and Butler hoped he would be, a solid 50-60 point player.