Erie

The franchise now known as the Erie Otters originated as the Windsor Spitfires in 1946. The team remained in Windsor until 1953, when the franchise was relocated to Hamilton, and rebranded as the Tiger Cubs. During this period, the team played its home games at the Barton Street Arena. In 1960, the franchise underwent another transformation, adopting the name Hamilton Red Wings following a partial acquisition by the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). This change marked a significant affiliation between the junior team and its NHL counterpart.^[]

By the 1972–73 season, the franchise underwent another significant transition under the new ownership of Ron Cupido and the Finochio brothers, rebranding as the Hamilton Fincups. The team remained based in Hamilton until 1976, when the closure and subsequent condemnation of the Hamilton Forum necessitated a relocation. For the 1976–77 season, the Fincups played at the Garden City Arena in St. Catharines. The franchise returned to Hamilton the following season, establishing itself at Mountain Arena. However, ongoing challenges, including low attendance figures and the absence of a new, modern facility, prompted yet another relocation. For the 1978–79 season, the team moved to Brantford, where it was renamed the Alexanders. These transitions reflect the franchise's ongoing struggle to secure long-term stability in its home markets.^[]

By the 1984–85 season, the franchise returned to Hamilton under the new moniker Steelhawks, with plans to establish itself in the newly constructed Copps Coliseum. Despite the promise of the new venue, the team continued to face challenges with low attendance, prompting another relocation for the 1988 season. The franchise moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario, where it was rebranded as the Thunder. In the 1996 season, the team underwent its final relocation, crossing the border into Pennsylvania to become the Erie Otters.

The Otters achieved significant success at the turn of the millennium, securing the Holody Trophy as Midwest Division champions in 1999, the first of three consecutive division titles. This period of dominance culminated in the team capturing the J. Ross Robertson Cup as Ontario Hockey League champions during the 2001–02 season. Head coach Dave MacQueen was subsequently recognized for his contributions, receiving the OHL Coach of the Year award for the 2001–02 season. Additionally, general manager Sherwood Bassin was honored with both the OHL Executive of the Year and CHL Executive of the Year awards in recognition of his pivotal role in assembling and managing the championship-winning team.

In the early 2000s, the Otters moved up in the league standings gaining the help of players such as Brad Boyes and Dan Cleary. In 2001, the Otters secured a playoff berth, advancing to the Western Conference final, where they were ultimately defeated by the Plymouth Whalers.^[]

During the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, the Otters finished at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. However, the team saw the emergence of future NHL star Ryan O'Reilly, who was selected first overall in the 2007 OHL draft, receiving the prestigious Jack Ferguson Award. In his rookie season (2007–08), O'Reilly demonstrated considerable promise, recording 52 points in 61 games. He was subsequently named the Otters' Rookie of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player, in addition to being Erie's nominee for the Bobby Smith Trophy, recognizing his achievements both on and off the ice.

Following their years of decline, the Otters entered a rebuilding phase, emphasizing the drafting and development of young talent.^[] This strategy proved successful when they selected Connor McDavid first overall in the 2012 OHL priority selection. McDavid quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional player, garnering attention for his extraordinary skill and on-ice vision. Under his leadership, the Otters returned to championship contention, achieving a remarkable record of 50 wins during the 2014–15 season, a franchise best. McDavid was also granted "exceptional player" status by Hockey Canada, enabling him to join the Otters at the age of fifteen. He led the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals 2015, where they were ultimately defeated by the Oshawa Generals.

On March 18, 2017, the Otters made history by becoming the first team in Canadian Hockey League (CHL) history to achieve four consecutive 50-win seasons from 2013 to 2017. Before this achievement, they had shared the record for three consecutive 50-win seasons with several teams, including the Kelowna Rockets (2012–15), Edmonton Oil Kings (2011–14), Saint John Sea Dogs (2009–12), and Kamloops Blazers (1989–92).

During the Memorial Cup, on May 22, 2017, the Otters set a new record for the most goals scored by a single team in a single game, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs with a score of 12–5. This victory surpassed the previous record of 11 goals set by the Quebec Remparts in 1974 (11–3) and the Regina Pats in 1980 (11–2). Individual achievements included Dylan Strome, who recorded a remarkable seven points in a single game (four goals, three assists), while Taylor Raddysh tied the former record of six points (two goals, four assists) in the same game.

Following several years of speculation regarding a potential relocation to Hamilton, the Otters formalized a ten-year lease agreement with Erie Insurance Arena in September 2019.

On January 17, 2022, the Otters marked a significant milestone by hosting their inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK) game. This event featured Alex Randall, a student from the University of Pittsburgh, who made history as the first African-American play-by-play announcer in the histories of the Ontario and Canadian hockey leagues. This initiative continued in 2023 with Trey Matthews, a Pennsylvania native and student at Arizona State University, serving as the announcer for the MLK Jr. Day game.