An Erie tradition: Looking back at memorable Otters moments on Thanksgiving

Hockey is an annual Thanksgiving Day tradition in Erie. The Otters took on that tradition when playing their first season in 1996-97.

For the second straight year, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds will visit Erie Insurance Arena on Thanksgiving Night. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday.

Let's take a trip down memory lane to revisit some memorable Thanksgiving Day game moments in Otters history.

Behind the scenes: These people work to help the Erie Otters find success on game day

2021: Erie 5, Sault Ste. Marie 3

The Otters trailed 3-0 midway through the second period before coming back with five unanswered goals. Brendan Hoffmann, credited with the game-winner, finished with two goals and one assist. Elias Cohen provided a shorthanded insurance goal in the third period. Other goal-scorers were Noah Sedore and Connor Lockhart. Spencer Sova made two assists and Nolan Lalonde totaled 26 saves.

Last year: Erie Otters score 5 unanswered goals in Thanksgiving comeback win over Sault Ste. Marie

2019: Kitchener 5, Erie 4 (SO)

Maxim Golod had two goals and Jamie Drysdale added three assists as the Otters fell in a shootout thriller. Sedore and Emmett Sproule also had goals while Chad Yetman made two assists. Cohen had one assist. Goalie Aidan Campbell stopped 26 shots.

2017: Erie 5, Ottawa 4 (SO)

The Otters held a 3-0 lead in the first period before the 67s clawed their way back. The shootout went five scoreless rounds before Golod won the game in the bottom of the sixth. Owen Headrick had two goals while Ivan Lodnia finished with one goal and two assists. Taylor Raddysh added a goal and an assist and goalie Troy Timpano finished with 32 shots in gameplay and six in the shootout.

2017: Otters squander late lead, beat 67's in shootout

2016: Erie 5, Sudbury 2

Dylan Strome made his season debut, finishing with a goal and an assist, after his reassignment from the NHL's Arizona Coyotes. His goal and one by Alex DeBrincat helped the Otters pull away in the third period. Lodnia added one goal and two assists. That Thanksgiving game started a stretch in which Strome had 10 points in three games.

2016: Lodnia headlines Otters' win in Strome's season debut

2015: Erie 3, Kitchener 2

Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist while Kyle Maksimovich and Jakub Mayenschein also had goals. Taylor Raddysh had two assists. Darren Raddysh and Erik Cernak chipped in with one assist apiece and goalie Devin Williams totaled 20 saves.

2014: Erie 5, Mississauga 1

The Otters erupted for three first-period goals and cruised to victory. Five different goal-scorers made the sheet including Strome, Taylor Raddysh, Kurtis MacDermid, Kyle Pettit and Trent Fox. Darren Raddysh made two assists and Daniel Dekoning had 23 saves in net.

2013: Erie 6, Guelph 4

The Otters held a 3-0 lead through two periods before the teams combined for seven goals in the final frame. Dane Fox led Erie with two goals. Strome had a goal and an assist. Kurtis MacDermid also had a goal while Adam Pelech, Travis Dermott and Andre Burakovsky tallied two helpers apiece. Williams had 31 saves.

2012: Belleville 4, Erie 3 (SO)

The Otters answered a 3-0 deficit only to fall short in the shootout. Goals by Connor Crisp, Luke Cairns and Travis Wood helped even the contest at 3-3. Oscar Dansk finished with 28 saves. The shootout tally was 3-2 in favor of the Bulls; the only failed attempt was by Connor McDavid.

2010: Erie 6, Belleville 0

Greg McKegg scored four goals as the Otters treated their fans to a Thanksgiving shutout. Anthony Luciani had a goal and two assists. Phil Varone added three assists, Derek Holden made two assists and goalie Ramis Sadikov totaled 22 stops.

2009: Erie 5, Belleville 3

Trailing 1-0, the Otters scored five consecutive goals and led the rest of the way. Luciani paced the Otters with two goals.

2007: Erie 4, Belleville 3 (OT)

Nick Palmieri scored 64 seconds into overtime. The game-winner was assisted by Robyn Sertic and goalie Jaroslav Janus. Ryan O'Reilly had a goal. Janus made 40 saves.

2004: Erie 3, Mississauga 1

Geoff Platt beat the buzzer in the third period to finish off a hat trick. Sean O'Connor and Rob Hisey made two assists each. Josh Disher had 16 saves in goal.

2002: Erie 6, Belleville 3

A natural hat trick by Mike Rice turned a 3-3 tie into an Otters victory. He scored all three in a span of 8 minutes, 32 seconds. Erie had trailed 3-2 before scoring four in the third, starting with a goal by Carlo Colaiacovo. Then came Rice's outburst. Colaiacovo also had three assists. Brad Bonello had one goal and three assists, as well, and goalie T.J. Aceti handled 18 shots.

2000: Erie 2, Belleville 2 (OT)

The above score is not a typo. Ties once existed. Brad Boyes scored a third-period goal, which served as the equalizer in this "outdated" form of hockey. Boyes also had an assist, Darren McMillan made two assists and Mike Nelson totaled one goal and one assist. Goalie Adam Munro had 31 saves.

1997: Erie 3, Barrie 2

Geoff Peters, Vadim Sharapov and Shane Nash had goals while Patrick Dovigi had 31 saves. Tim Connolly added an assist.

Contact Josh Reilly at jreilly@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreilly.

'Enough is enough': Erie Otters motivated for return to OHL playoffs in 2022-23

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Otters' Thanksgiving game memorable moments, 1996-2022