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

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

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

Ottawa 67′s (7-21-0-3) at Erie Otters (7-17-2-3)
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Erie Insurance Arena
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)
Upcoming schedule: Saturday vs. Guelph, 7 p.m.; Sunday at Brampton, 2 p.m.
What to expect: The Otters enter Kris Knoblauch‘s first home game as coach on a season-high, six-game losing streak. They have lost eight of their past 10 games to fall nine points out of a playoff spot in the OHL’s Western Conference. … The Otters and 67′s have two of the OHL’s three worst records. Peterborough (6-20-3-1) stands last overall in the league. … Otters GM Sherry Bassin holds out hope C Dane Fox (broken left foot) could make his season debut this weekend. … The Otters traded D Nathan Glass to Saginaw Wednesday, which opens up a spot on defense for rookie Justin Felker, a second-round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection who has dressed for only 13-of-29 games and has spent some time at forward. … The Otters are 2-10 in one-goal games and 2-14 in games decided by two goals or fewer. … C Connor McDavid, the league’s two-time rookie of the month, leads the team in goals (17), is tied with RW Connor Brown with 36 points and ranks second to Brown with 19 assists. … The 67′s have lost seven straight and 10 of their past 11 games, including a 9-0 defeat at Niagara Thursday night, which left them ninth in the Eastern Conference and nine points out of a playoff spot. … They look to sweep the two-game season series with the Otters. Ottawa won 8-1 at home Sept. 29. … They ranked a respectable 10th in goals scored (99), but had allowed a league-worst 139 goals. … C Sean Monahan, the 67′s leading scorer (36 points in 24 games) and NHL Central Scouting’s top OHL prospect for the 2013 draft, continues to serve a 10-game suspension. … Guelph (18-9-0-3) has used the league’s highest-scoring offense (118 goals) to move into fifth in the Western Conference. … The Storm have seven players with at least 20 points. … Brampton (14-12-3-2 entering Thursday’s game against London) ranks near the bottom of the league with 85 goals scored, but has one of the stingiest defenses (91 goals against). … The Otters hold their fifth annual “Teddy Bear Toss” Saturday. Fans donating a new or gently used stuffed animal will receive a ticket voucher for a future game. Fans will toss the bears onto the ice after the team’s first goal. The club collected 4,951 stuffed animals for the Salvation Army and other Erie-area charities a season ago.

- Victor Fernandes