Photo: Erie Otters Hockey
The Erie Otters will begin preparing for the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League season with a five-game preseason schedule that features divisional matchups, a showcase event, and two neutral-site contests.
The OHL released its preseason schedule for all 20 member clubs on Tuesday, with Erie’s exhibition slate spanning from late August through mid-September.
The Otters open preseason play with back-to-back games against the London Knights. The teams will meet Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. at Canada Life Place in London before facing off again Saturday, Aug. 29, at 4 p.m. at East Lambton Community Centre in Watford, Ontario. The second contest marks the first of two neutral-site games on Erie’s exhibition schedule.
Erie then heads to Kitchener for a Labor Day weekend showcase featuring two opponents from familiar territory. The Otters will face the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 4 p.m. before taking on the host Kitchener Rangers on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m., with both games scheduled for Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The preseason concludes Friday, Sept. 11, when the Otters meet the Niagara IceDogs at 7 p.m. at the Fort Erie Recreation Complex. The neutral-site matchup, hosted in the home community of the Fort Erie Meteors, serves as Erie’s final tune-up before the regular season begins.
The preseason schedule also offers an early preview of several key opponents the Otters will see during the regular season, including Midwest Division rivals London and Kitchener. Erie is scheduled to host the Knights three times during the first half of the regular season and will welcome the Rangers for its home opener on Sept. 26 following an earlier home-and-home series.