So Good, So Good – ‘Sweet Caroline’ Home Opener a Success for Otters, Erie Community
October 10, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Erie Otters News Release
Erie Otters enter the ice for their home opener
(Erie Otters, Credit: Jeep DiCioccio/Erie Otters)
Erie, Pennsylvania – A year of preparation, months of anticipation, and a day to be remembered for a lifetime.
The 26thSeason of Erie Otters hockey kicked off with the mantra of ‘bigger & better’, on-and-off the ice for the organization. That mantra was brought to fruition on Saturday, October 8 as the Otters hosted their inaugural Home Opener Fan Fest to precede the ‘Sweet Caroline’ Home Opener against the rival London Knights. With the return of major events in Erie during the offseason such asCelebrateErieand8 Great Tuesdays, the Otters set out to create an event that would stand out as the latest and greatest free-to-attend celebration in NWPA.
The event – the first-of-its-kind for the team – took place on the front lawn of the Erie Insurance Arena from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M., with the promise of something for fans of all ages. An Arts, Beats, and Eats style-event, the Otters welcomed artists of the musical and illustrative variety, a trio of beloved local food trucks, and a mini Vendor Fair for fans to partake in.
Entertainment for the event was headlined by rising Nashville country music stars Alexandra Kay (“Skip This Part”, “I Kinda Don’t”), Hannah Ellis (“Country Can”, “If The World Was Ending”), and Royale Lynn (“If We All Drove Trucks”, “Howdy”) – who all played their first-ever shows in The Flagship City.
As the Erie Otters and Ontario Hockey League work as development entities for the next generation of star hockey players and people, the organization wanted to reflect that with the musical guests that took the stage. As all three artists have showcased high-level talent and careers quickly on-the-rise, they vicariously represent the next generation of country music stardom.
In a true Nashville style showing, the performance from the three artists was set up in a “Writers Round” fashion – in which all performers would be on stage simultaneously. This style of show gave the artists a chance to create a more intimate, relatable atmosphere for and with fans, while showcasing their unique talents alongside one another.
With a chill in the air, and the sun peeking out behind the clouds intermittently, fans would show up a near-handful of hours before the scheduled puck drop to enjoy the live talents.
During the three-hour festival, fans would get to enjoy a number of ancillary commodities to coincide with the show. In the East 9thStreet roundabout would be three local food trucks; WeCorny, The Que Abides, and E-Dogg’s. Representing the unique tastes of the community, fans would enjoy the delicious eats while being able to enjoy adult beverages. Around the perimeter of the lawn would be a handful of Otters’ partners set-up as vendors. This would include Tim Horton’s (who provided free Coffee & Hot Cocoa for fans), merchandisers Drop The Gloves Hockey Co., hair salonGreat Clips, environmental philanthropists International Recycling Group (IRG), and – for the kids – face-painter Tara Doodles and balloon & caricature artists About Faces Entertainment.It is through the support of these fantastic corporate partners that events like this can occur for the Erie community.
Near the middle of the festivities, as the outdoor crowd grew toward its apex, the entire 2022-23 Erie Otters teams would hit the red carpet to introduce themselves to the home fans for the first time. For Rookies and newly-acquired players alike, this would be the first taste of what a strong, passionate hockey community their new home is. Lead by Captain Cameron Morton, the Overage Defenseman would take the stage – alongside the entire team- to thank the fans and challenge them to sing Sweet Caroline as loud as they could (a request that was met happily, by the Erie faithful).
When the Erie Insurance Arena’s doors opened at 6 P.M. to the masses,5209 fanswould take to the seats – the largest Home Opener crowd for the Erie Otters since 2013. The opponent for the night’s festivities would be Erie’s bitter-rival and Midwest Division foe, the London Knights. This would be Erie’s first time welcoming London for the Home Opener since October 2009, and the team and community would take full advantage of the memorable occasion.
With 4500 rally towels (pres. by APec and Creative Imprints) in the hands of the fans, and renditions of the National Anthems performed by the Fan Fest’s headliners, the OHL’s fourth-largest attended home opener of the 2022-23 season would get underway.
What would follow would be a game that no fan – from either sides’ loyalty – would soon forget. Before the first puck was even dropped for the game, the signs of what was to come were present on the ice, as the next chapter of the historic rivalry would prepare to take place.
It would take only 2:08 of game time for a hero to emerge – Sam Alfano, playing in his first-ever game at the EIA. With a loose puck in front of the net, the player acquired via trade in the late offseason would send the 5000+ fans in attendance to their feet, with a sea of gold towels flooding peripheral vision. Overcome with emotion, Alfano would find it hard to express how special the moment was as a Sophomore player.
“I got goosebumps. This is my first experience with the home crowd, and…goosebumps. There was a lot of hype about [the atmosphere of Erie], but you don’t really know until you actually experience it.” said Alfano, “Thinking about the night, I thought ‘how cool would it be to get this win, and fire the crowd up early?’. When we did, it was special and it was amazing.”
With both teams hungry for their first wins of the season, the rivalry’s roots would show through. During the course of the game, three separate fights would occur intertwined with plenty of physical play.
After taking the 1-0 lead, Erie would build it up to 2-0 from Kaleb Smith’s first goal of the season – and later, his first-career game-winning goal. Spencer Sova would add one later in the game to secure an Erie 3-1 victory – their first of the season, and the most memorable for many young players.
The biggest star of the night – who would also be awarded First Star honors – was Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospect and Otters’ Goaltender Nolan Lalonde, who would stop 28/29 shots faced in the major win. His first win since signing his three-year ELC with the Jackets, Lalonde spoke about the group in front of him who propelled the team forward.
“Our group is tight; we all want to play for each other.” said Lalonde, “I think our leaders are incredible, and everyone on our team keeps each other accountable.”
A long-season lies ahead for the Erie Otters, with 63 games to come for the group chasing its first playoff appearance in five seasons. With the memory of nights like Saturday at the forefront of the minds of players young and old, the pursuit of returning to those environments is the goal.
For the Otters’ staff, the inaugural Fan Fest to kick off the 26thSeason of the team represents a re-ignition of the passion of the greatest fans in hockey, and a promise to the community to always up the expectation of fan experiences.
A major catalyst behind the event’s inception, Senior Vice President of Business Operations Chad Westerburg sang high praise to all-involved in the events planning and execution.
“Looking back at Saturday, it’s really hard to put into words. All I can say is it was incredible. From hosting three rising country artists during our fan fest event, to seeing the sidewalks filled with fans, to inside the arena seeing over 5,000 fans in attendance to cheer on our team versus the London Knights, it was something to remember.”said Westerburg, “I can’t thank our Front Office team enough for all their hard work in making the day happen. An even bigger thanks to the best fans in the OHL for showing up on Saturday to support us. To have the largest opening night crowd in 7+ years is something special. I believe Saturday showcases the good things to come on and office the ice for the Erie Otters.”
The vision of the Otters as a true asset to the community is lead from the top-down by Team Owner & Governor Jim Waters, who expressed his thankfulness for the day.
“Many people contributed to the success of our Opening Day / Night on Saturday – two of the biggest contributors being our incredible fans and a top notch performance from the Otters!”said Waters, “My sincere thanks to all!”
Erie returns to home ice for seven of their next 10 games, including a back-to-back pair on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15. With both games boasting giveaway items, specials, and fun promotional nights, there’s no reason for the elation of the Home Opener to subside any time soon.
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