January 11, 2025 by Eric Friesen

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid returned to northwestern Pennsylvania for a special pre-game ceremony on Friday night, establishing himself as the Erie Otters’ permanent No. 97 when his jersey was retired in front of more than 6,700 fans at Erie Insurance Arena.

McDavid joined Brad Boyes (No. 16) and the late Vince Scott (No. 18) as the only players to have their number retired by the franchise. Emotions were high as McDavid, the greatest player to ever don an Otters jersey, received a standing ovation after a video of the highlights from his incredible junior hockey career was shown.

The Newmarket, Ontario native played three seasons with the Otters between 2012-2015, tallying 97 goals and 285 points in 166 career OHL games. Always a team-first guy, McDavid spoke glowingly about his former teammates in Erie, even on a night that was entirely centered around himself.

“It means a lot, obviously, to be recognized for my time here, and the great teams that were here,” McDavid told the media prior to his jersey retirement on Friday. “I think of all the amazing players that were here, [Connor Brown], [Dylan Strome], [Alex DeBrincat], [Adam Pelech], the list goes on and on of great players during that time. We had great teams and went on some really fun runs and I remember this building be rocking. So, it’s just fun to be back here.”

Beyond Exceptional

A generational talent, McDavid played minor midget AAA with the Toronto Marlboros in 2011-12 as an underage player, where he tied for the league-lead in scoring with 27 goals and 77 points in 33 games and won the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) Player of the Year award. McDavid helped the Marlboros reach the 2012 OHL Cup final, setting tournament records in goals (11) and points (19) in seven games and was named most valuable player. In search of better competition, McDavid followed in the footsteps of John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad when he was granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada, which allowed him to enter the OHL a year early. That spring, McDavid was selected by the Otters with the first-overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, earning the Jack Ferguson Award as the OHL’s top draft pick.

While McDavid was expected to reshape the Otters’ fortunes, the 15-year-old wunderkind had his work cut out for him, joining a club that won a league-worst 10 games in the year before he arrived. McDavid led the OHL in rookie assists (41) and finished third in rookie goals (25) and second in rookie points (66) in 63 games in 2012-13. He won the Emms Family Award as OHL rookie of the year and was also named to the 2012-13 OHL First All-Rookie Team. The Otters finished in last place in the Western Conference in McDavid’s rookie campaign, but they nearly doubled their win total from the previous season.

Playing alongside a pair of 20-year-olds in Brown and Dane Fox on the most offensively potent line in the OHL, McDavid ranked second in the league in assists (71) and fourth in points (99) in 56 games in 2013-14. McDavid won the William Hanley Award as OHL most sportsmanlike player, Bobby Smith Trophy as OHL scholastic player of the year and the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award. He was also named to the OHL Second All-Star Team. He was also chosen to represent Team OHL in the 2013 Subway Super Series against the Russian Selects, becoming the youngest Canadian (16 years and 301 days) to ever play in the series. After consecutive seasons near the bottom of the league, the Otters took a massive leap forward in 2013-14, posting their best record in franchise history (52-14-0-2) to finish in second place in the entire OHL standings. McDavid tallied a team-leading 19 points in 14 playoff games and helped the Otters reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 2002.

At age 17, McDavid was named captain of the Otters during training camp in 2014, making him the youngest captain in franchise history. Despite missing 21 games due to a broken hand and playing for Team Canada in the 2015 IIHF World Championship, McDavid finished tied for fourth in the league in goals (44), tied for third in assists (76) and third in points (120) in 47 games in 2014-15. His 2.55 points-per-game average was the highest by a CHL draft-eligible player since Sidney Crosby a decade earlier. McDavid won the Red Tilson Trophy as OHL most outstanding player, Bobby Smith Trophy, CHL Player of the Year Award, CHL Top Draft Prospect Award and CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award. Additionally, McDavid named to the OHL First All-Star Team.

Ranked No. 1 among North American skaters, McDavid captained Team Orr in the 2014-15 CHL Top Prospects Game in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. In his final major junior playoff appearance, McDavid helped the Erie Otters reach the 2015 OHL Championship Series, falling to the Oshawa Generals in five games. Though the Otters didn’t realize their ultimate goal that spring, their captain and projected first-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft had a post-season for the ages. McDavid led the league in goals (21), assists (28) and points (49) in 20 playoff games, capturing the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the most valuable player in the OHL playoffs.