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

Erie Otters rookie winger Hayden Hodgson figured he would be suspended for his hit that injured Kingston rookie forward Henri Ikonen last Sunday.
Four games, maybe five – but not 10. “I wasn’t really expecting such a harsh punishment,” he said Thursday after spending extra time on the Erie Insurance Arena ice working with coach Kris Knoblauch. “I’m really kind of ticked about how I’ll miss games next year.”
Hodgson, who will miss the final seven games of this season and the first three of the 2013-14 OHL season, said he was finishing a check as Ikonen cycled the puck near the boards. “I got him in the chest,” he said. “I think it was just a little bit late.” Ikonen’s injury, which has been reported as a concussion, led league officials to suspend Hodgson for 10 games. “I just think it could have been a better outcome,” he said.
Otters captain Connor Brown, who is out with a concussion, watched replays of the hit while doing video work during the loss to Kingston. “It looked a tad late,” Brown said. “But if (Ikonen) wasn’t injured, I don’t think it would have been a penalty. I thought it was an OK hit.”
Otters coach Kris Knoblauch said, “From our side, we think it’s too much. Kingston, they lose their player. They think it’s not enough.”
Either way, Hodgson has to accept not playing for the rest of this season.
“When I found out, I was kind of shocked,” he said. “I’m not going to play until next year, which is kind of depressing. I’ve just got to handle it. (I have to) work hard in practice and in the gym and just make the best of it.”

- Victor Fernandes

Plymouth Whalers (34-17-5-4) at Erie Otters (17-36-3-5)
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Erie Insurance Arena
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)
Upcoming schedule: Saturday vs. Windsor, 7 p.m., March 8-9 at Owen Sound, 7:30 p.m.
What to expect: The Otters have lost five straight – two shy of their matching season-worst skid set Jan. 21 to Feb. 3 – and eight of their last 10 games. … They will play without four regulars suspended by the OHL – forwards Dane Fox (14 goals, 30 points in 31 games), Jake Evans (5-11-16) and Hayden Hodgson (8-4-12) and defenseman Adam Pelech (7-30-37). … Hodgson will miss the final seven games of the season and first three games of the 2013-14 season for a hit that injured rookie LW Henri Ikonen, Kingston’s leading scorer, in last Sunday’s loss. … Evans will miss both games this weekend for instigating the second fight in the same stoppage during that game. … Fox completes a two-game suspension tonight for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of a loss to Sarnia Feb. 22. … Pelech completes his five-game suspension this weekend for a 5-minute cross-checking penalty and game misconduct Feb. 18 in London. … The Otters also remain without captain Connor Brown (concussion). He hopes to resume skating next week, and holds out hope he can rejoin the lineup before the season ends March 16 against Guelph. … Otters coach Kris Knoblauch said club officials would like to recall prospects to fill in for those missing players. But those prospects are still in the playoffs with Tier II teams. Knoblauch was unsure if they could arrange call-ups in time for tonight’s game. … Otters C Connor McDavid (24-34-58) and Sarnia RW Nikolay Goldobin (26-32-58) are tied atop the league’s rookie scoring list. Both teams have seven games left. McDavid leads Goldobin by two in assists and trails Goldobin by two in goals. … Plymouth entered Thursday night’s game at Niagara leading the West Division by five points over Sault Ste. Marie and second in the Western Conference. … The Whalers have won eight of their last 10 games. … They began Thursday leading the league with 246 goals scored. The Otters have allowed 277 goals, the second-worst total. … Plymouth can sweep the four-game season series from the Otters with a win. … C Vincent Trocheck, a Pittsburgh native, ranks second in the league with 42 goals, third with 91 points and seventh with 49 assists. He has 18 goals and 41 points in 20 games since being acquired from Saginaw Jan. 10. … Windsor (24-29-1-6) entered Thursday night’s home game against OHL-leading London trailing Saginaw by nine points for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. The Spitfires have seven games left. … They had lost seven of their previous 10 games.
Note: Plymouth’s record doesn’t include Thursday night’s game at Niagara.

* More online: Check out Otters rookie winger Hayden Hodgson’s thoughts on his 10-game suspension on the Shootout hockey blog at GoErie.com/blogs/shootout and Twitter at www.twitter.com/goeriehockey.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters rookie winger Hayden Hodgson has been suspended for 10 games – the final seven games of this season and the first three games of the 2013-14 season – for his five-minute interference penalty and game misconduct Sunday against Kingston at Erie Insurance Arena.
OHL vice president Ted Baker said Hodgson delivered a hit to an unsuspecting, vulnerable player that caused a “significant injury.”
Meanwhile, Otters center Jake Evans will serve a two-game suspension this weekend for instigating the second fight in the same stoppage of play in Sunday’s game. He fought defenseman Dylan DiPerna, who wasn’t suspended. Baker said DiPerna shouldn’t have received a game misconduct because Evans instigated the fight. Kingston defenseman Ryan Hutchinson was issued a two-game suspension for a game misconduct stemming from his actions following a fight with Evans in the same game. Hutchinson kicked an Otters helmet across the ice and threw a chair in the runway while heading to the Frontenacs dressing room.
The Otters already have two other players, defenseman Adam Pelech and forward Dane Fox, serving league-imposed suspensions.
Pelech, who has been suspended twice this season, will serve the final two games of a five-game ban this weekend. He was given a major cross-checking penalty and game misconduct Feb. 18 against London. Fox completes a two-game suspension by missing Friday’s home game against Plymouth. He was given a game misconduct for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of a Feb. 22 game against Sarnia.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters rookie RW Hayden Hodgson has been suspended for 10 games – the final seven games of this season and the opening three games of the 2013-14 season – for his five-minute interference penalty and game misconduct in Sunday’s loss to Kingston at Erie Insurance Arena.
The Otters already have two other players, defenseman Adam Pelech and forward Dane Fox, serving league-imposed suspensions. Pelech, who has been suspended twice this season, will serve the final two games of a five-game suspension this weekend. He was given a five-minute, cross-checking penalty and game misconduct Feb. 18 against London. Fox completes a two-game suspension by missing Friday’s home game against Plymouth. He was given a game misconduct for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of last Friday’s loss in Sarnia.
In related news, Kingston defenseman Ryan Hutchinson was issued a two-game suspension for a game misconduct stemming from a fight against Otters center Jake Evans Sunday. Hutchinson also kicked an Otters helmet across the ice and threw a chair in the runway while heading to the Frontenacs dressing room. Evans hasn’t received any additional penalties for another fight that led to his ejection in that same game.

- Victor Fernandes

Connor Brown and Connor McDavid continued their impressive offensive play Friday night. But that wasn’t enough to keep the Erie Otters from their third straight loss, 6-3, to Western Conference-leading Owen Sound in front of 2,395 at Erie Insurance Arena.
Brown scored two goals, giving five goals in the past three games and a team-leading 12 on the season, and McDavid added a goal and assist for the Otters (4-9-1-2). But Daniel Catenacci and Gemel Smith had two goals and two assists apiece for the Attack (11-2-0-2), while Jordan Binnington stopped 20-of-23 shots for his eighth win in nine tries (8-0-0-1) against the Otters.
The Attack jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, as Holden Cook scored unassisted from in close 1:27 into the opening period. Then Jaden Lindo fired a wrist slot from the right wing past Otters goaltender Oscar Dansk at the 8:08 mark to build a two-goal lead.
However, Brown’s consecutive power-play goals – his 11th and 12th goals of the season, as well as fourth and fifth in the past three games – allowed the Otters to overcome a sluggish start and erase that deficit. Brown flipped a bad-angle shot from the corner off Binnington and inside the left post to move the Otters within 2-1 with 8:44 left in the period.
McDavid’s pinpoint pass to Brown in front tied the score at 2 with 5:59 left in the period. McDavid extended his point streak to 15 straight games. He has points in 15 of his first 16 career games. Yet the more experienced Attack gained momentum through their aggressive, attacking style. Owen Sound outshot the Otters 20-3 in the period, including Smith’s rebound in close with 4:11 left in the period that snapped the 2-2 tie. Dansk (32 saves on 38 shots) made several key saves, including on a shorthanded breakaway moments after the Attack took the lead. Owen Sound also began the third with 1:33 left on a power play. But moments after coming out of the penalty box, McDavid stole the puck at the Otters’ blue line and scored on an end-to-end rush to the the score at 3 at the 1:55 mark.
Yet the Attack responded quickly to take a 4-3 lead, as Catenacci scored on a rebound in front 1:05 after McDavid’s goal. Then Catenacci’s second goal of the night and 10th of the season, scored with 8:28 left, handed the Attack a two-goal lead. The Attack sealed the win on Smith’s second goal of the game with 4:17 left.
* News and notes: Troy Donnay left the game after appearing to block a shot with his right foot. His status for tonight’s game against the Attack is unknown. Adam Pelech was able to play Friday despite a bruised left ankle suffered while blocking shots in consecutive games last weekend. … Otters coach Robbie Ftorek altered his top two lines by moving Luke Cairns to the wing alongside McDavid and Brown on the No. 1 line and putting J.P. Labardo in between Connor Crisp and rookie Hayden Hodgson on the second line.

- 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.

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario – The Erie Otters handed rookie goaltender Oscar Dansk an early three-goal lead Thursday night.
Then Dansk took care of the rest with a stellar 47-save effort in the Otters’ first win of the season, 5-1 against Peterborough in front of 2,344 at Peterborough Memorial Centre. The Otters (1-2-0-0) won despite being outshot 48-30.
Stephen Harper and Connor McDavid, the Otters’ last two first-round picks in the OHL Priority Selection, sparked Erie’s surge to a 3-0 lead. McDavid set up both of Harper’s goals in a span of four minutes midway through the period, and then Jake Evans scored his first goal of the season with 6:46 left in the period. McDavid has a goal and four points in his first three games.
That was more than enough offensive support for Dansk. He rebounded from a rocky debut last weekend, as he allowed 11 goals in losses at Niagara and London. But against the Petes (1-2-0-0), he overcame a barrage of shots – 16 in the second and 29 through two periods – to keep his shutout intact. The Petes recorded 15 of the first 16 shots in the second and had four straight power plays, including a pair of two-man advantages that lasted nearly two minutes. Peterborough finished 0-for-8 on the power play. In contrast, the Otters were 1-for-3.
Yet while Dansk kept the Petes off the scoreboard, the Otters built a 4-0 lead with 15 seconds left in the period on Nick Betz‘s second goal of the season. Dansk’s bid for his first OHL shutout ended on Trevor Murphy’s goal 2:53 into the third.
But Dansk finished with 18 saves on 19 shots in the period. Travis Wood capped the scoring with his first goal of the season in the final minute. Rookie Hayden Hodgson had an assist for his first OHL point, while Nathan Glass added the last of his two assists. Evans added an assist to his goal for the Otters, which travel to Kingston today for a 7 p.m. game.

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)

Hayden Hodgson had a great summer playing baseball, headlined by two no-hitters. Yet that success, and the potential that comes with being a left-handed pitcher that throws nearly 90 mph, couldn’t keep him from choosing to focus on hockey.
Hodgson made it official Wednesday, as he joined fellow 2012 high-round picks Justin Felker (second round), Kyle Pettit (second) and Riley Robertson (third) in agreeing to terms with the Erie Otters.
“You want to follow your dream and do what you want,” said Hodgson, a third-round pick. “That’s important to me, and that’s important to my family. I leaned towards the sport that I really enjoy the most – hockey. The opportunity and the options at this level really swung me over.”
* Changing his mind?: In April, Millcreek Township native Nate Miller said he would pursue a career as an OHL goaltender. Since then, the Otters have added highly touted CHL pick Oscar Dansk and newly acquired Keinan Brown to their depth in net. Now Miller isn’t as sure about a future in the OHL.
“I don’t want to play as a backup (in the OHL) and ruin my college eligibility,” said Miller, who will play for the Toledo Cherokee in the North American Tier III Hockey League this coming season. “If I were to play her, I’d want a good chance to play and not sit on the bench.”
Miller, who hopes to earn a college scholarship in the future, isn’t surprised about the Otters’ moves in goal. “I expected it to happen,” he said. “But I wanted to prepare myself anyway in case I got the opportunity.”
* Numbers game: Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, wishes he could have kept Robertson and fellow 2012 picks Darren Raddysh (fifth round), Gregory Allen (sixth) and Bryan Sienerth (13th).
But the league rule limiting teams to four under-agers (five with a goalie) prompted Bassin to cut all four prospects today. Felker, Pettit and Hodgson likely will join No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid on the roster this season.
“If players aren’t going to play for you this year, get them back to school and to their (Tier II) team,” said Bassin, who described Sienerth, a Millcreek Township, as “outstanding.”
* News and notes: Club officials sent a contract offer for Russian D Artem Kuleshov to his agent, former NHL goaltender MIke Liut, today. No word yet if an agreement was reached. … Former Otters D Paul Cianfrini participated in the afternoon practice today. He spent the 2011-12 season with Toledo (ECHL), and had re-signed with the Walleye. But he recently signed with Rapid City (CHL) after the possible NHL lockout cost him a spot in Toledo. Prospects from Chicago and Detroit would fill those spots in Toledo if a lockout occurs.

- Victor Fernandes