Peter Sidorkiewicz survived three head coaching changes with the Erie Otters, including his own.
But after 14 seasons, his tenure with the OHL club is over. Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, has chosen not to renew Sidorkiewicz’s contract, which expires at the end of this season, because “they’re looking at going in another direction,” Sidorkiewicz said Friday.
Sidorkiewicz, 49, joined the Otters in 1999 to serve as assistant and goaltending coach under then-coach Dave MacQueen. He replaced MacQueen as coach before the 2006-07 season, but was demoted to assistant under coach Robbie Ftorek after posting an 18-62-1-2 record during one-plus seasons.
Sidorkiewicz, a former NHL goaltender, again chose to remain on staff after Kris Knoblauch was hired to replace Ftorek this past November.
Yet Sidorkiewicz said, “I’m not part of the plan” for the 2013-14 season. “I think they want to get a couple of younger coaches.
Dave Brown, Otters assistant manager of hockey operations, said the staff likely will include two full-time assistants and a part-time goaltending coach, although club officials wouldn’t rule out hiring one of the new assistants to also work with the goaltenders.
Bassin declined to comment on if Sidorkiewicz’s performance factored into the decision. The Otters topped 300 goals allowed – 650 in all – the past two seasons, and their goaltenders – Ramis Sadikov and Devin Williams in 2011-12, as well as Oscar Dansk and Williams this season – struggled mightily.
“I have nothing negative to say about it. We’re looking at different things that could be done,” said Bassin, who added that Knoblauch wants input into the staff. Sidorkiewicz said he worked well with Knoblauch. But with a new coach, Sidorkiewicz said, “you always know (a change is) possible.”
Sidorkiewicz will turn his attention to finding a new job. “It’s like a kick in the gut,” he said of leaving the Otters. “But I have to get off the floor. I have to find a new job.” Bassin said he plans to help Sidorkiewicz find a job at a higher level. “I’m going to do my best to call a lot of people because he would be a wonderful addition to their staff,” Bassin said. “I think the world of him. I’m going to do my best to get him to the next level.”
In other news, the Otters have chosen not to retain Mike Hildenbrand, who spent the past three seasons as equipment manager. Paul Roper, who served as play-by-play broadcaster and media relations manager for the past four seasons, won’t also remain with the club.

- Victor Fernandes

LONDON, Ontario – The London Knights made sure the Erie Otters had no chance to win Monday afternoon.
The Knights scored twice in the opening four minutes of a three-goal first period, and added five more in the third, on the way to beating the Otters 8-1 in front of 9,046 fans at Budweiser Gardens. The defeat moved the Otters (17-33-3-5) closer to official OHL playoff elimination.
Any combination of Otters losses, as well as Saginaw Spirit wins and overtime defeats, totaling three points officially ends Erie’s postseason hopes. That number could shrink to one if the Spirit beat Windsor tonight. Meanwhile, London (41-12-2-2) set out to avenge a 4-3 loss to the Otters Friday night at Erie Insurance Arena.
The Knights took control from the outset, as Bo Horvat scored the opening goal 50 seconds into the game and Josh Anderson followed at the 4:09 maek of the period. J.P. Labardo sliced that lead in half 45 seconds later. The overage forward recorded the first 20-goal season of his five-year OHL career. But London regained a two-goal lead at 3-1 on Max Domi‘s power-play score with 2:30 left in the period.
After a scoreless second period, the Knights capitalized three times on a five-minute power play, including a 5-on-3 chance for two minutes, to spark a five-goal third. The Otters were left short-handed by a series of penalties early in the period , including a major cross-checking infraction and game misconduct against defenseman Adam Pelech. Domi scored his second of three goals at the 3:45 mark, followed by Matt Rupert‘s goal 20 seconds later. Then Nikita Zadorov scored 7:09 into the period to open a 6-1 Knights’ lead.
Domi capped his hat trick, and Alex Broadhurst also scored, to cap the stretch of five unanswered goals in less than seven minutes. Otters goaltender Oscar Dansk allowed the first seven goals on 33 shots before being replaced by Devin Williams, who stopped five of six shots.
Domi finished with four points for the Knights, while Horvat, Zadorov and Matt Rupert had a goal and assist apiece.

KITCHENER, Ontario – The Erie Otters’ postseason hopes continued to slip away Friday night.
Kitchener’s three-goal second period sent the Otters to a 5-1 loss in front of 7,294 fans at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Meanwhile, Saginaw and Windsor won Friday, leaving the Otters 13 points behind the eighth-place Spirit and nine behind No. 9 Windsor in the race for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot heading into today’s 7 p.m. rematch with the Rangers at Erie Insurance Arena.
The Otters (15-25-3-5), which have 20 games left in the regular season, have lost three straight games and six of their last seven. In the latest defeat, the Otters played the Rangers (27-14-1-5) to a scoreless tie. But rookie Justin Bailey‘s goal 46 seconds into the second period, and Tobias Rieder‘s goal 1 minute, 5 seconds later, sparked Kitchener’s run to a 3-0 lead. Ryan Murphy also scored midway through the period.
The Otters hoped to mount a comeback following J.P. Labardo‘s 16th goal of the season 3:02 into the third period. But Matia Marcantuoni scored at the 7:05 mark to regain the Rangers’ three-goal lead. Derek Schoenmakers capped the scoring with 2:29 left.
Devin Williams stopped 41-of-46 shots in a losing effort for the Otters, while Joel Vienneau made 31 saves on 32 shots for the Rangers.
Luke Cairns had an assist for the Otters. Murphy led Kitchener with a goal and two assists, while Ben Thomson had two assists. Otters defenseman Adam Pelech was given an indefinite suspension for his knee-on-knee hit against Saginaw’s Zach Bratina Wednesday. The league hasn’t issued an official ruling.

The Erie Otters rallied from a goal down twice against the Windsor Spitfires Saturday night.
But the Otters didn’t have one more rally in them in the third period, as they lost 3-2 in front of 2,652 fans at Erie Insurance Arena.
Connor McDavid and Jimmy McDowell scored for the Otters (3-7-1-1), while Connor Brown had two assists. Kerby Rychel scored twice for the Spitfires (6-4-0-3), including the winning goal on the power play with 6 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second period.
Windsor scored twice on five power-play chances on the way to outshooting the Otters 39-19. They also neutralized Erie’s top line of McDavid, Brown and J.P. Labardo in the final two periods behind the line of Brady Vail, Ben Johnson and Derek Schoenmakers.
However, defense was optional in the first period, as these teams traded four goals in rapid-fire fashion during a 10-minute stretch.
Schoenmakers scored on the power play off assists from Nick Ebert and Vail at the 6:02 mark to hand the Spitfires the early lead. The Otters responded on the power play three minutes later, as McDowell scored his first goal of the season on assists from Adam Pelech and Brown. Windsor regained the lead at 2-1 on Rychel’s first of two goals – his seventh and eighth of the season – with 8:57 left in the period. Then McDavid tied the score at 2 – and tied Brown for the team lead in goals with six – at the 15:54 mark. McDavid has points in 10 straight games and 10-of-11 overall. He leads all OHL rookies with 14 pointrs in 12 games.
Defenses clamped down in the second period. Windsor held the Otters to four shots on goal in the period and 10 through the first 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the Otters’ penalty kill stymied the Spitfires during a four-minute power play early in the middle period.
But the Spitfires snapped the 2-2 tie on Rychel’s second goal with 7:57 left in the period, once again with assists from former Otters winger Chris Marchese and 2012 first-round pick Josh Ho-Sang. Windsor held the Otters at bay the rest of the way, although Erie had several quality chances in the third period and pressured the Spitfires in the game’s waning moments. Jaroslav Pavelka stopped 17-of-19 shots for the Spitfires. Devin Williams made 36 saves in a losing effort for the Otters.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Youth Hockey Association’s adult league holds its fifth annual “Pink at the Rink” fundraiser Sunday at Ice Center of Erie, 3515 McClelland Avenue. The event, which raises funds and awareness in the battle against breast cancer, features five games starting at 4:30. But first, the Erie Otters will take the ice – at least some of them will, anyway.
Rookie sensation Connor McDavid will join teammates Nick Betz, Jake Evans, Stephen Harper, Hayden Hodgson and Devin Williams in a special “Skate with the Otters” from 3:15-4:15 p.m. There’s also talk of an appearance from Ryan O’Reilly, a former Otters captain and current NHL player, although event organizers haven’t received confirmation on that yet.
Cost to skate is $5, but admission to the games are free. Representatives from Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Tastefully Simple, Scentsy and Crocheted Critters & More by Christina Burns will be in attendance. The event also will include a Chinese auction and merchandise for sale.
“Pink at the Rink” has raised more than $8,500 for the American Cancer Society in the past four years.

Oscar Dansk remains a work in progress, even after his stellar 34-save performance Friday night against Brampton.
“I’m just taking it a day at a time,” the rookie goaltender said before the Erie Otters’ game against London Saturday night at Erie Insurance Arena.
Dansk missed time in the preseason while recovering from a knee injury suffered in the summer while playing for his native Sweden’s national junior team at USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. So Dansk is still working on his timing.
“It’s something I work on every day. You get better and better every day,” said Dansk, who believes he produced a solid overall effort in his first five games of the season. He entered his outing against the Knights with a 2-3-0-0 record, 4.51 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. He surrendered 19 goals on 110 shots in his losses to Niagara, London and Ottawa.
Yet he stopped 81-of-83 shots in wins against Brampton and Peterborough. “It’s up to me to prove myself,” said Dansk, who added that his return to full strength was slowed by “different opinions from different people” regarding his rehabilitation. But he’s ready to play now. And on Saturday, he was ready to face the Knights, who scored seven goals on 39 shots against him in London Sept. 21.
“I’m really pumped,” he said. “We’re looking to rebound.”
Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, isn’t concerned about Dansk’s inconsistent start early this season.
Besides the knee injury and subsequent slow rehabilitation, Bassin said, goaltending coach Peter Sidorkiewicz was unable to work with Dansk and backup Devin Williams on the ice until this past Tuesday. The ongoing renovations at the downtown arena forced the Otters to settle for an abbreviated practice schedule in previous weeks. Yet Ian Clark, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltending coach, is scheduled to arrive in Erie today to work with Dansk, the NHL club’s second-round pick in the draft this past June.
“He’s still not there,” Bassin said of Dansk. “He’s getting there.” Better yet, Bassin said, “the players love playing in front of him.”
* News and notes: Scott Howson, the Blue Jackets’ executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager, attended both games this weekend to watch Dansk play. … The Otters scratched Anthony Cortellessa (flu) and Dane Fox (broken foot). Liam Maaskant, Justin Felker and Mitch Eisenberg were healthy scratches. Maaskant and Eisenberg haven’t dressed for a game this season.

- Victor Fernandes

KINGSTON, Ontario – The Erie Otters’ power play nearly stole a win Friday night. But the defense gave it away.
The Otters opened a two-goal lead in the third behind three straight goals with the man advantage. But Kingston scored twice in the final period, and again 33 seconds into overtime, to hand the Otters a 6-5 loss in front of 2,616 at K-Rock Centre.
Darcy Greenaway scored on the only shot of the five-minute extra period to keep the Otters (1-2-1-0) from earning a second consecutive win on their three-game East Division road trip. Greenaway poked in a rebound when goaltender Devin Williams couldn’t cover the puck after it caromed off the end boards. The Frontenacs (2-0-0-0) forced overtime by erasing a 5-3 deficit on two goals from Billy Jenkins – his second and third of the game – less than three minutes apart midway through the period.
The Otters also rallied from a two-goal deficit earlier in the game. They scored on three straight power plays – Connor Crisp at the 6:49 mark, J.P. Labardo at 16:31 and Luke Cairns with 1:31 left – to take a 4-3 lead. Then Connor Brown scored his second goal of the game 3:26 into the third to hand the Otters a 5-3 lead. But the defense, which allowed at least 40 shots for the second straight night, couldn’t hold onto the lead. Williams allowed all six goals on 46 shots in his season debut.
Adam Pelech (three assists) and Labardo (goal, two assists) led the Otters with three points apiece. Brown and Stephen Harper (two assists) also had multi-point outings. Connor McDavid had an assist – his fifth point in his first four OHL games. The Otters complete the weekend trip against Ottawa today at 2 p.m. at Scotiabank Place, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Ryan Kujawinski and Warren Steele had three assists apiece for the Frontenacs. Colin Furlong earned the win in his OHL debut, as he stopped all five shots he faced in relief of starter Mike Morrison.

LONDON, Ontario – The Erie Otters experienced a flashback to the 2011-12 OHL season.
They resembled the team plagued by mistakes that allowed a league-worst 338 goals – and on the worst possible night, too.
The defending champion London Knights raised the title banner to the Budweiser Gardens rafters before their season opener, and then celebrated with an offensive explosion that handed the Otters a disappointing 8-2 loss Friday in front of 9,046 fans.
The Otters (0-2-0-0) surrendered 54 shots on goal, which was reminiscent of many games a season ago.
Oscar Dansk seemed helpless at times on the way to seven goals against on 39 shots in two periods, including five goals on 21 shots in the decisive second period. Devin Williams made his season debut with 14 saves on 15 shots in the third.
No. 1 pick Connor McDavid recorded his first OHL goal and assist. Connor Brown had two assists, while J.P. Labardo scored his first goal as an Otter. But they were the team’s few bright spots.
Seth Griffith had his fifth career hat trick for the Knights (1-0-0-0), while Adam Restoule scored twice.

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters cut 5 more players from training camp today, leaving the roster at 28 heading into tonight’s preseason opener against Niagara at Morgan Firestone Arena in Ancaster, Ontario.
The latest cuts included 2011 draft picks Sean Darroch and Justin Maiolino, who had brief stints with the Otters last season, and free agents Aidan Muir, Sebastian Stangherlin and Lucas Venuto.
Here’s a list of the remaining players in camp:

Veterans: RW Nick Betz, RW Connor Brown, G Keinan Brown, C Luke Cairns, LW Anthony Cortellessa, C Connor Crisp, D Troy Donnay, C Mitch Eisenberg, C Jake Evans, C Dane Fox (injured), D Nathan Glass, LW Stephen Harper, D Liam Maaskant, LW Mac McDonnell, D Jimmy McDowell, RW Johnny McGuire, RW Sondre Olden (expected to join the team Monday), D Adam Pelech, G Devin Williams, D/LW Travis Wood

Prospects: G Oscar Dansk (signed), D Justin Felker (agreed to terms), RW Hayden Hodgson (agreed to terms), C Blake Jones, D Artem Kuleshov (unsigned, expected to join the team Monday), C Connor McDavid (signed), D Patrick Murphy (signed), C Kyle Pettit (signed)

ANCASTER, Ontario – The Erie Otters have depth on defense for the 2012-13 OHL season.
But veteran Kris Grant won’t be a part of that unit.
Grant, 19, who spent the past two seasons with the team, has requested a trade to a team closer to home in the Kingston, Ontario, area. So club officials told Grant to stay away from training camp to avoid being a distraction.
Sherry Bassin, managing partner and general manager, wasn’t surprised by Grant’s decision. “Last year, I was worried that he wasn’t committed to play,” Bassin said.
* An emergency plan: Bassin acquired goaltender Keinan Brown, 19, from Peterborough for a 10th-round draft pick Tuesday. Brown, who joins the team at camp Wednesday, appeared in two games in an emergency role late last season after Ramis Sadikov and Devin Williams suffered concussions.
Brown had an 0-2-0-0 record, 5.01 goals-against average and .873 save percentage with the Otters. Now Brown headlines Bassin’s emergency plan if Oscar Dansk or Williams are injured during the season.
* McCarthy released: The club waived Tyler McCarthy, and then released the overager after he cleared waivers. Bassin was unsure what McCarthy’s plans are for the coming season.
* On their way: Dansk, the third overall pick in the CHL Import Draft who agreed to terms with the Otters Monday, is scheduled to arrive in Toronto shortly after midnight Friday morning, and then join the team at camp later that day.
Meanwhile, second-year winger Sondre Olden and CHL second-round pick Artem Kuleshov are expected to join the team Monday in Erie.
Olden is training with his native Norway’s senior men’s team, which Bassin said gives him a better chance of possibly earning a spot with the national team.
Kuleshov remains unsigned, but “I don’t foresee that being an issue,” said Dave Brown, assistant manager of hockey operations. The transfer paperwork for the Russian-born defenseman is done, Brown said, but club officials still have immigration documents to complete.

- Victor Fernandes