Connor McDavid, Erie Otters Put On A Show In Buffalo

Future potential first-overall NHL draft pick Connor McDavid and his Erie Otters teammates came to Buffalo on Wednesday night ready to play. The Otters faced the Niagara IceDogs in the first OHL regular-season game in Buffalo, and they came out on top, 8-4.

While many eyes were (rightfully) on Connor McDavid, Wednesday’s game was overall a great showing by the team from Erie, PA. The game gave Buffalo Sabres fans a chance to get a taste of the Ontario Hockey League and junior hockey in general, perhaps the first time for many fans who were in attendance.

But it wasn’t just the #97 show, even though that may have been the draw for many people who came to the game (that much was clearly evidenced by the fact that whenever McDavid’s name was announced, whether as part of the starting lineup or as having notched an assist or goal, the crowd went wild).

Twelve different players from the Erie Otters had at least a point in the win, with Connor McDavid leading the way with a four-point night. McDavid now leads the Otters with 29 points, which includes a league-high 20 assists. He is also a plus-19 on the season.

But there were other noticeable players on the ice, too.

Future 2016 NHL draft prospect Alex DeBrincat had three points on the night, including a pair of goals. He now leads the OHL with 13 goals in 10 games, six of which were scored with the man advantage (also a league-leading statistic.) DeBrincat has at least a point in eight of 10 games this season.

There’s also center Dylan Strome, who has 25 points in ten games this season. Strome, like McDavid, has at least a point in every game this year so far. He had a pair of assists in the win over Niagara in Buffalo.

Or how about Erie Otters defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, property of the Los Angeles Kings, who had the first two-goal game of his Ontario Hockey League career last night in Buffalo? Patrick Murphy, another defenseman who hails from Hamilton, Ontario, also had a two-point night, scoring once and adding an assist on one of MacDermid’s goals.

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I’ll even throw in right winger Nick Betz, who had three assists last night and now has 11 points in five games this season, as well as center Shaun Bily, who scored the first goal of his OHL career in Buffalo on Wednesday night. My point is this: while McDavid was likely the draw for many to attend Wednesday’s game, the Otters team as a whole put on a great show.

With all of that, the Erie Otters, led by captain Connor McDavid, are now 9-0-0-1 on the season.

For the Niagara IceDogs, center Jordan Maletta had a pair of goals, with NHL draft prospect Graham Knott and Cody Payne scoring the other two. After starter Brent Moran allowed six goals on 25 shots, Buffalo native Stephen Dhillon came in relief and allowed a pair on 13 shots faced.

As someone who’s been watching the Otters for several years, I was more than pleased with the showing on Wednesday night. It certainly felt like an authentic home game, complete with the team’s promotional videos and mascot Shooter running around on the ice. Of course, the 8-4 victory certainly helped make it an even better night.

Nearly 12,000 people were in attendance at the Otters/IceDogs game, and I hope this game acts as a catalyst for some to take a deeper interest in junior hockey. Many of these players will go on to play college hockey and some will end up in the NHL or AHL. A few may even end up in Buffalo, and paying more attention to the junior leagues is a great way to get a closer look at some of the prospects before they make it to a bigger stage.