There are numerous sports teams in Erie, Pennsylvania, all of which are minor league. There are also numerous college sports teams along with high school teams. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 10 high school sports are played in the area, often with close results due to the even distribution of athletic talent. Throughout history, Erie has had various semi-pro and professional sports teams. The city hosts the nationally recognized McDonald's Classic. [1]
Club | League | Sport | Venue | Capacity | Founded | Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erie SeaWolves | EL | Baseball | UPMC Park | 6,000 | 1989 | 1 (2023) |
Erie Otters | OHL | Ice hockey | Erie Insurance Arena | 6,833 | 1996 | 2 (2002, 2017) |
Erie Express | TPFL | Football | Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium | 10,000 | 2012 | 3 (2010, 2021, 2022) |
Erie Commodores FC | NPSL | Men's soccer | Saxon Stadium | 2,300 | 2012 | |
Erie Commodores FC | UWS | Women's soccer | Saxon Stadium | 2,300 | 2021 | |
Erie FC | WPSL | Women's soccer | Gus Anderson Field | 4,274 | 2022 |
The Erie SeaWolves play baseball in the Eastern League, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers. They play at UPMC Park.
The SeaWolves were originally the Single-A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coincidentally, the "Pirates" moniker originated with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys' pursuit of second-baseman and Erie native, Lou Bierbauer, in 1891. Bierbauer started his career with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, later joining the Brooklyn Ward's Wonders of the newfound Players' League for the 1890 season. When the Players' League folded in 1891, most members returned to their former National League or American Association clubs. However, Bierbauer never signed a contract to return to the Athletics, and the Alleghenys were determined to sign him before other teams noticed. Ned Hanlon, manager of the Alleghenys, braved the icy conditions of Presque Isle during a snowstorm to commit Bierbauer. When the Athletics learned about this secret deal, they objected to Bierbauer's signing and demanded his return to their club. An official with the American Association also objected to Bierbauer's contract with the Alleghenys, calling their actions "piratical." Yet, the league ruled in favor of the Alleghenys, and they acquired Bierbauer as a free agent. Soon afterward, both players and their fans referred to the team as the "Pittsburgh Pirates." In 1891, the club officially rebranded as the "Pirates," making light of their critics. [2]
In the past, Erie was home to other minor-league baseball teams, including the Erie Cardinals, Erie Orioles, and Erie Sailors.
The Erie Otters play hockey in the Ontario Hockey League at Erie Insurance Arena.
Connor McDavid, a Canadian center, played for the Erie Otters from 2012 to 2015, before joining the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Otters chose him as their first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection Draft. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau subsequently named McDavid the top North American prospect for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, where the Oilers selected him first overall. [3] [4] The Greater Toronto Hockey League named McDavid "Player of the Year" for the 2011–12 season following a record of 79 goals and 130 assists. Hockey Canada, the governing body for amateur hockey in Canada, granted McDavid "Exceptional Player" status, which permitted him to play in the OHL a year earlier than would otherwise be permissible for a player his age. He was only the third player to receive that status, after John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad. [5]
Before the Otters, the Erie Panthers and Erie Blades were professional hockey teams based in Erie.
The Erie BayHawks played basketball in the NBA G League at Erie Insurance Arena from 2008 to 2021.
The Erie Hurricane played at East High School in the Premier Basketball League from 2013 to 2015.
From 1990 to 1992 the Erie Wave was part of the World Basketball League.
Erie Commodores FC play soccer in the National Premier Soccer League at Saxon Stadium.
Outside of North East, Pennsylvania is Lake Erie Speedway, a 3/8 mile (0.6 km) NASCAR sanctioned race track.
Hammett PA is Eriez Speedway, a 3/8 mile dirt track
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. Founded as part of the American Association in 1881 under the name Pittsburgh Alleghenys, the club joined the National League in 1887 and was a member of the National League East from 1969 through 1993. The Pirates have won five World Series championships, nine National League pennants, nine National League East division titles and made three appearances in the Wild Card Game.
The Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Midwest division of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of only three American teams in the league. The team's name refers to the North American river otter common to Lake Erie. The Otters have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup twice as OHL champions, in 2002 and 2017.
Louis W. Bierbauer was an American professional baseball player. He was a second baseman in Major League Baseball during the late 1880s and 1890s. Over that period of time, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association before joining many other major leaguers in jumping to the Brooklyn Ward's Wonders in the newly formed Players' League for the 1890 season, a league which folded after just one year of play.
The 2001–02 OHL season was the 22nd season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Erie Otters defeated the Barrie Colts for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.
Sports in Pittsburgh have been played dating back to the American Civil War. Baseball, hockey, and the first professional American football game had been played in the city by 1892. Pittsburgh was first known as the "City of Champions" when the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Panthers football team, and Pittsburgh Steelers won multiple championships in the 1970s. Today, the city has three major professional sports franchises, the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins; while the University of Pittsburgh Panthers compete in a Division I Power Five conference, the highest level of collegiate athletics in the United States, in both football and basketball. Local universities Duquesne and Robert Morris also field Division I teams in men's and women's basketball and Division I FCS teams in football. Robert Morris also fields Division I men's and women's ice hockey teams.
Sheldon Keefe is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He has also served as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, guiding the latter to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.
The 2006–07 OHL season was the 27th season of the Ontario Hockey League.
Sports in Pennsylvania includes numerous professional sporting teams, events, and venues located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
The 2011–12 OHL season was the 32nd season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams played 68 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on September 21, 2011 and ended on March 18, 2012. The playoffs began on Thursday March 22, 2012 and concluded on Friday May 11, 2012. The London Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the second time in franchise history. London secured a berth in the 2012 Memorial Cup hosted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.
Connor Andrew McDavid is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario, the Oilers selected him first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. McDavid is often regarded as one of the best players in the world, and his offensive dominance has drawn comparisons to players such as Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.
The 2013–14 OHL season was the 34th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Brampton Battalion relocated to North Bay and became the North Bay Battalion, playing at the North Bay Memorial Gardens. The first two outdoor games in OHL history were held this season, when the Saginaw Spirit, Windsor Spitfires, Plymouth Whalers, and London Knights played at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan as part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival on December 29. On March 11, 2014 Terry Trafford of the Saginaw Spirit, who had been missing for eight days, was found dead in his vehicle at a Wal-Mart in Saginaw, Michigan. His death was ruled a suicide as a result of self-inflicted asphyxiation. Twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 19, 2013 to March 17, 2014. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the third time in franchise history, and the first time since 2004, as they defeated the North Bay Battalion in five games, and represented the OHL at the 2014 Memorial Cup held at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. The London Knights also qualified for the tournament as the host team.
The 2014–15 OHL season was the 35th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 24, 2014 to March 22, 2015. The Niagara IceDogs began play at their new arena, the Meridian Centre. The Ottawa 67's returned to TD Place Arena after a two-year hiatus due to a renovation. Brian Kilrea returned to coach the Ottawa 67's for one game on October 17, becoming the oldest coach in league history.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.
Connor Brown is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Brown was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round, 156th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Brown played for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 2011 until 2014, then for the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Toronto Marlies for the better part of two seasons before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs full-time in the 2016–17 season. He played for two more years with Toronto before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2019. Brown spent three seasons with the Senators where he was an alternate captain. He was traded to the Washington Capitals heading into the 2022–23 NHL season.
The 2015–16 OHL season was the 36th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 2015 to March 2016. The Plymouth Whalers relocated to Flint and became the Flint Firebirds, playing at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center. The Belleville Bulls relocated to Hamilton and became the Hamilton Bulldogs, playing at FirstOntario Centre. The London Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the fourth time in franchise history, as they defeated the Niagara IceDogs in four games in the final round of the playoffs. The Knights qualified for the 2016 Memorial Cup held at the ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta. London defeated the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 3-2 in overtime in the final game, winning the Memorial Cup for the second time in franchise history.
Alexander DeBrincat is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, 39th overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He has previously played for the Blackhawks and the Ottawa Senators.
The 2016–17 OHL season was the 37th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 21, 2016, to March 21, 2017. The playoffs began on March 23, 2017, and ended on May 12. The Erie Otters won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the second time in franchise history, and the first time since 2002, as they defeated the Mississauga Steelheads in five games to represent the OHL at the 2017 Memorial Cup held at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario. The Windsor Spitfires also qualified for the tournament as the host team.
Sherwood Bassin is a Canadian ice hockey executive known primarily for 36 years of involvement in the Ontario Hockey League as a general manager, team owner and coach. Bassin successfully turned franchises around, and his teams won five J. Ross Robertson Cups, and appeared in six Memorial Cup tournaments, winning once. Bassin helped the Canadian National junior team win its first gold medal in 1982, and another in 1985. He was twice named OHL Executive of the Year and CHL Executive of the Year, and briefly worked for the Quebec Nordiques.
Kris Knoblauch is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He had previously been the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).