Sherry Bassin continues to deny reports of the Erie Otters’ impending move to Ontario. First, it was Hamilton. Now it’s the Chatham-Kent region.
“Absolutely no truth to it,” Bassin, the OHL club’s managing partner and general manager, said in response to a Chatham-Kent Sports Network report Tuesday stating that a deal has been reached to sell the franchise to a “prominent local businessman.”
Bassin previously has denied reports of the franchise’s potential move to Hamilton, including a report that he has spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Otters. “Everytime I turn around, I’m going to five different places,” Bassin said.
According to the Chatham-Kent Sports Network report, an announcement regarding the Otters likely would be made following the Memorial Cup, the CHL’s annual championship tournament, which begins Friday and runs through May 26 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Bassin said he continues to receive inquiries about the Otters. “That’s it,” Bassin said, referring to not moving any closer to selling the franchise. Bassin said franchises can’t be sold and moved without approval from the OHL through a lengthy league-mandated process. “The process is so complicated. It’s so involved,” he said.
David Branch, OHL commissioner and CHL president, wasn’t immediately available for comment Wednesday, since he was traveling to Saskatoon.
Bassin, who moved the franchise to Erie from Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1996, has one year left on a two-year lease agreement with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The Otters are set to play the 2013-14 season in a newly renovated arena.
Chatham-Kent Sports Network reported that a recent meeting between the Otters and “the organization that operates their arena” to work on a new lease had been canceled twice in the span of a week. Bassin said he has had no meetings scheduled with the ECCCA. “We’ll look at that. We’ll see how things go,” Bassin said of pursuing a lease beyond next season, referring to waiting to evaluate the final arena renovations and community response toward the team next season. Casey Wells, ECCCA executive director, didn’t immediately respond to a telephone message Wednesday.

- Victor Fernandes

Here’s the latest speculation surrounding at least one of the newest members of Erie Otters coach Kris Knoblauch‘s staff … Chris Hartsburg, son of former NHL defenseman and current Columbus Blue Jackets associate coach Craig Hartsburg. The younger Hartsburg spent this season as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.
No official confirmation from the Otters. The staff will be announced at tonight’s welcome reception for first-round pick Dylan Strome at Erie Insurance Arena.

- Victor Fernandes

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

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.

Sherry Bassin said Saturday that he hasn’t spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Erie Otters.
“I haven’t even talked to him about it,” said Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, in response to a recent article published by the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, which reported that Andlauer has spoken with Bassin about the Otters.
“Never any discussion,” Bassin said. “Nothing about that.”
Reports began to surface a season ago linking the Otters with a potential move to Hamilton. Then in March 2012, Bassin signed a two-year lease with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The lease expires after the 2013-14 season.

- Victor Fernandes

Sherry Bassin, Erie Otters managing partner and general manager, said recently that “there seems to be a fair amount of people that have shown an interest” in purchasing the OHL franchise. Bassin didn’t reveal specifics about potential buyers, although he added that he has received verbal offers.
Yet the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, has reported that Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, has spoken with Bassin about the Otters and with David Branch, OHL commissioner and CHL president, about his interest in purchasing an OHL franchise. According to the Spectator, Andlauer wouldn’t disclose if he and Bassin have discussed a purchase price.
“There’s no doubt the league knows I’m desirous of having a team,” Andlauer told the Spectator. “It’s definitely on my radar. It’s all a matter of timing.”
Bassin, 73, has said he hasn’t received interest locally about buying the franchise. “I’m coming to a point where I am going to sell the team,” he said.
Reports began to surface a season ago linking the Otters with a potential move to Hamilton, Ontario. Then in March 2012, Bassin signed a two-year lease with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The lease expires after the 2013-14 season.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters (18-37-3-5) at Owen Sound Attack (39-18-1-5)
When: Today and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre – Owen Sound, Ontario
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)
Upcoming schedule: Wednesday vs. London, 7 p.m.
What to expect: The Otters snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-4 comeback win in overtime against Windsor Saturday night at Erie Insurance Arena. … D Spencer Abraham scored the winning goal to complete his second two-goal game and three-point outing of his three-year OHL career. He was one point short of matching his single-game best of four points, set in his second career game with Brampton against Barrie Sept. 30, 2010. … F Dane Fox (16 goals, 17 assists, 33 points in 32 games) had two goals and an assist against the Spitfires in his first game back from a two-game, OHL-imposed suspension. … D Adam Pelech (7-30-37) rejoins the lineup tonight after serving a five-game suspension. … C Jake Evans (5-11-16) served his two-game suspension last weekend. But he hasn’t skated since injuring his knee during practice Feb. 25. … The Otters also are without rookie RW Hayden Hodgson (8-4-12), who’s serving a 10-game suspension that carries over to the first three games of the 2013-14 season. … RW Connor Brown (26-40-66) has skated on his own this week as he recovers from a concussion. Brown, who has been symptom-free the past few days, hopes to play this weekend. … Rookie D Justin Felker (neck) has been shut down for the rest of the season. … The Otters have all but clinched the No. 2 pick in the OHL Priority Selection April 6. Ottawa (16-42-0-5) is on pace to secure the No. 1 pick, while Peterborough (22-34-3-4) has the inside track to the third overall spot. … Otters C Connor McDavid (25-35-60) and Sarnia RW Nikolay Goldobin (27-33-60) are tied atop the league’s rookie scoring list. Both teams have five games left. McDavid, who has played five fewer games than Goldobin, leads his counterpart by two assists and trails him by two in goals. … Owen Sound is in a tight battle with Midwest Division rival Kitchener for third place in the Western Conference. The Attack has 84 points, one more than the Rangers, with five regular-season games left. … The Attack have the league’s best scoring defense (155 goals against) despite being the most penalized team (1,173 minutes). They are third on the penalty kill (84 percent). … C Daniel Catenacci ranks among the top 15 overall with 34 goals, 72 points and 111 penalty minutes. … LW Steven Janes (104), D Kurtis MacDermid (101) and LW Kyle Hope (100) also rank among the top 20 in penalty minutes. … G Jordan Binnington ranks among the leaders in wins (29), goals-against average (2.25), save percentage (.931) and shutouts (6). … The Attack won three of the first four meetings with the Otters.

- Victor Fernandes

Lakeshore Hockey League
First round – Today
at Erie Insurance Arena
No. 4 Southwestern/Maple Grove 5, No. 5 Jamestown 2
Semifinals – Thursday
at Erie Insurance Arena
No. 2 Fairview vs. No. 3 Fort LeBoeuf, 6:30 p.m.
No. 1 Meadville vs. Southwestern/Maple Grove, 8:15 p.m.
Championship game – March 14
at Mercyhurst Ice Center
Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m.

Lindenwood (2-21-1, 2-7-1 CHA) at No. 6 Mercyhurst University (17-4-1, 8-2-0)
When: Today, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Today at Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena – Jamestown, N.Y., Saturday at Erie Insurance Arena
On the air: www.hurstathletics.com (live statistics)*
What to expect: Mercyhurst returns to College Hockey America action after splitting a two-game series at home last weekend against then-No. 2 Boston College. … The games were moved out of Mercyhurst Ice Center because of a water main break in the city Thursday, which forced university officials to close school and send students home through the weekend. … The Lakers have a three-point lead over second-place Syracuse in the conference standings. Robert Morris and Rochester Institute of Technology are four and five points behind, respectively. … The Lakers rose two spots in the USCHO.com Division I poll this week. … They have won six career meetings with Lindenwood by a combined 37-3 score, including a two-game sweep (6-1 and 6-0) Nov. 2-3 in Wentzville, Mo. … The Lakers will play three games in the next five days, capped by Tuesday’s trip to Ithaca, N.Y., to face No. 4 Cornell. … Mercyhurst ranks sixth in the latest Ratings Percentage Index and fifth in the PairWise rankings – two of the criteria the NCAA Division I selection committee uses to determine the eight-team field in the national tournament. … Lindenwood, a second-year D-I program in its first season as a CHA member, are 0-14 against non-conference opponents that includes nationally ranked North Dakota and Wisconsin as well as Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State. … The Lions shocked defending CHA champion RMU 5-2 Jan. 11. Lindenwood also beat Penn State and tied fellow CHA newcomer RIT earlier this season. … Mercyhurst holds its seventh annual “Pink the Rink” event this weekend as part of CHA’s “Skate for a Cure” campaign, which benefits breast cancer awareness. The Lakers will honor survivors during a ceremonial puck drop. They will have auctions for a jersey and American Greetings gift basket, as well as sell pink Mercyhurst hockey hats for $5 apiece. All ticket and 50-50 sales will be donated to a charity. The team also has held a coin drive on campus this week.
* The games won’t be broadcast on America One Sports’ webcast.

- Victor Fernandes