Erie Otters D Adam Pelech underwent surgery Tuesday to remove pins from his surgically repaired wrist, managing partner/GM Sherry Bassin confirmed today.
Bassin said Pelech will be ready for training camp in late August. He also will be able to train at some point this summer. “It’s just a question of healing,” Bassin said.
Pelech has undergone three surgeries on that wrist since fracturing it early in the 2011-12 OHL season – the first to repair the break in the fall of 2011, the second in May 2012 to remove a screw inserted during the first procedure.
In other news, Bassin said the roster for this weekend’s rookie development camp at Mercyhurst Ice Center will be finalized today. He expects 25-28 players with 1996 and 1997 birth years to participate in the camp. Yet Bassin remained tight-lipped on who he has hired to join coach Kris Knoblauch‘s staff. The staff will be unveiled Thursday night during a welcome reception for first-round pick Dylan Strome at Erie Insurance Arena.
Bassin previously has said he could hire two full-time assistants and a part-time goaltending coach.

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters will hold a “Welcome to Erie” reception for 2013 1st-round pick Dylan Strome Thursday night at Erie Insurance Arena. Sherry Bassin, managing partner and general manager, said he has agreed to terms with Strome and 2nd-round pick Jesse Saban. Bassin said Strome should sign in time for this weekend’s rookie development camp at Mercyhurst Ice Center.
Yet Strome won’t be the only guests of honor. Apparently, new members of Kris Knoblauch‘s coaching staff will be introduced at the gathering. No word yet on who they are …
In other news, Bassin continues to rave about D Travis Dermott, a 9th-round pick in 2012, who was the the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s rookie of the year with Newmarket.
Meanwhile, veteran forwards Jake Evans (knee) and Connor Crisp (muscle pull in side) are close to 100 percent healthy, while Joel Wigle continues to recover from sore shoulders that bothered him late in the season.
Defense prospect Riley Robertson (3rd round in 2012) will attend the camp but won’t skate because he’s recovering from a shoulder injury that nagged him all season.
“He’s pretty well 100 percent healthy,” Bassin said of Robertson. “We’re just being cautious. This isn’t a time to get somebody reinjured.”

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid captured the gold medal Sunday, as Canada defeated the four-time defending champion United States 3-2 in the title game of the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. McDavid didn’t record a point for the second straight game, but he still led all players with eight goals and 14 points in seven games and tied for the lead with six assists. He was named the most valuable player and best forward.
McDavid set Canadian records for goals and points in the tournament. Meanwhile, Canada won gold for the first time since 2008.

The Erie Otters will hold a rookie development camp May 3-5 at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The sessions are free and open to the public. The camp roster hasn’t been finalized yet.

Friday, May 3
10-11:20am – Practice (Team Red)
11:30am-1pm – Practice (Team Gold)

Saturday, May 4
11:30am-1pm – Scrimmage (Red vs. Gold; 1996 & 1997-born players only)
1:10-2:30pm – Practice (1993, 1994 and 1995-born players only)
3:30-5pm – Scrimmage (Red vs. Gold; 1996 and 1997-born players only)
5:10-6:30pm – Practice (1993, 1994 and 1995-born players only)
Note: The team will hold dry-land testing May 3 from 2:30-4:30pm at Mercyhurst Athletic Center and Sunday, May 5 from 9-10:30am at Presque Isle Park (if there’s good weather) and MAC (if there’s inclement weather).

The Erie Otters are raising ticket prices by an average of $1.50 per ticket for the 2013-14 OHL season because of increased costs for managing what will be the club’s first season in a newly renovated Erie Insurance Arena, said Jamie Cieszynski, assistant director of operations.
Single-game tickets for premium seats (formerly called platinum seats) will increase to $16 in advance and $19 on game days from $14.50 and $16.50, respectively, this past season. Reserved seats (formerly gold seats) will move to $14 in advance and $17 on game days, compared to $12.50 and $14.50.
Platinum seating will include sections 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20 and the first two rows along the glass on the north and south sides of the arena under the current configuration, although names and numbers for sections and rows will change next season. Reserved seating will consist of all other sections and rows.
The organization has improved the format for student tickets, as well as added special ticket pricing for senior citizens, to offset the overall increase in ticket prices. The $10 kids ticket, which covered children ages 3-12, has been changed to a $10 student ticket for children ages 5-18. All seating areas are available to students. Adults 65 and over will enjoy a discount from the normal single-game ticket prices. Premium seats will cost $14 in advance and $17 on game days. Reserved seats will cost $12 in advance and $15 on game days.
Season-ticket holders also face a price increase. Premium and reserved seats for adults will cost $476 and $425, respectively, compared to $425 and $375 this past season. Senior citizens can purchase their season tickets for $425 (premium seating) and $374 (reserved seating). However, the first 97 fans to pay for season tickets in full will secure their seats for the 2012-13 season’s prices. Other fans that pay for their seats in full by May 1 will receive a $25 discount per seat. Season tickets for students will remain at $306.
The Otters will enter next season off two of the worst years in franchise history, in which they posted a combined 29-92-7-8 record and missed the playoffs both times.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid was held without a point for the first time in six games at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. Yet the Canadians still beat Finland 3-1 in the semifinals today to earn a spot in Sunday’s gold-medal game against the United States, which beat Russia 4-3 in the other semifinal.
Canada will play for the U18 title for the first time since winning in 2008. McDavid, who had hat tricks in his previous two games, still leads all players with eight goals and 14 points. He’s tied for the lead with six assists. He already has set Canadian records for goals and points in this tournament.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid’s second straight hat trick led Canada to a 6-0 quarterfinal win Thursday in the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. Canada (5-0) moves into today’s semifinal matchup against Finland, with the United States and Russia in the other semifinal. Meanwhile, McDavid added to his tournament-leading totals of eight goals, six assists and 14 points after netting a hat trick in a 6-0 win against Sweden in the final preliminary-round game Tuesday. He already has set Canadian records for goals and points in this tournament with as many as two goals left to play.

Erie Otters winger Stephen Harper stood 128th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, which was released Wednesday. Harper, 18, slid 90 spots down the list after being picked 38th in the midterm rankings released in January. He had 18 goals and 38 points in 67 games this season after totaling 24 goals and 35 points in 63 games as a rookie in the 2011-12 OHL season.
Otters winger Nick Betz, 17, doesn’t appear in the final rankings after standing 106th among North American skaters on the midterm list. He had four goals and 12 points in 44 games this season. He missed two months of the season’s opening half recovering from an appendectomy.
Defenseman Seth Jones (Portland, WHL) and goaltender Zachary Fucale (Halifax, QMJHL) top the list among North American skaters and goaltenders, respectively. Sault Ste. Marie defenseman Darnell Nurse and Ottawa center Sean Monahan rank among the top five skaters, while Mississauga’s Spencer Martin ranks fifth among goaltenders. The Finnish-born duo of Aleksander Barkov and Juuse Saros top the list of European skaters and goaltenders, respectively. The NHL Entry Draft is set for June 30 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid leads all players with five goals, six assists and 11 points in four games for unbeaten Canada in the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. McDavid, 16, capped his dominant performance in the preliminary round with a hat trick in a 6-0 win against Sweden Tuesday. Canada also beat Slovakia 4-1 last Thursday, Germany 3-1 Saturday and Switzerland 10-1 Monday to win Group B with a 4-0 record and secure a quarterfinal matchup with Czech Republic Thursday. The Czechs finished fourth in Group A with a 1-3 record. The United States finished third in Group A with a 2-2 record, and will meet Group B runner-up Sweden (3-1) in a quarterfinal.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid will play for his native Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 team at the IIHF U18 World Championship, which runs from Thursday through April 28 in Sochi, Russia. McDavid, 16, the OHL’s rookie of the year who had 25 goals and 66 points in 63 games this season, will be joined by 10 other OHL players on the 23-player roster – goaltender Spencer Martin (Mississauga), defensemen Chris Bigras (Owen Sound) and Roland McKeown (Kingston) and forwards Nick Baptiste (Sudbury), Sam Bennett (Kingston), Jason Dickinson (Guelph), Hunter Garlent (Guelph), Zach Nastasiuk (Owen Sound), Nick Ritchie (Peterborough) and Carter Verhaege (Niagara).
Canada begins the tournament Thursday at 10 a.m. against Slovakia, followed by games against Germany (Saturday at 4 a.m.), Switzerland (Monday at 4 a.m.) and Sweden (Tuesday at 4 a.m.). Medal-round play begins April 25 and is capped by the gold-medal and bronze-medal games April 28.