It wasn’t a typo when the Erie Otters led Saginaw by five goals at the first intermission of their Ontario Hockey League game.
It also wasn’t a coincidence.
The Otters, in the franchise’s first game since the death of owner Jim Waters, quickly drained the Spirit’s spirit en route to Saturday’s 8-2 win before more than 3,700 fans at Erie Insurance Arena. The hosts never trailed after Sam Alfano, who finished with a hat trick, scored 28 seconds after the initial puck drop.
Action started shortly after players from each team formed a circle at center ice for a moment of silence in honor of Waters, who died Friday. The Toronto native, who purchased the Otters in 2015, was 73.
Taped comments from Erie general manager Dave Brown and Waters himself were heard as part of the ceremony.
Brown spoke with Erie media earlier Saturday.
“I think Jim believed in Erie (as a hockey market) when nobody else did,” Brown said. “We won (the OHL’s Robertson Cup playoffs) in 2017, and one of the things which made that special is he allowed everyone to do their job. I’ve received a lot of text messages from former (players) and coaches (since Friday), and they all said that same thing.
“They were all super thankful for what he gave us.”
Erie acquired Alfano from Peterborough in a 2022 trade. The fifth-year forward fondly spoke about personally hearing from Waters almost immediately upon his arrival.
“It’s been a tough (24 hours) here,” Alfano said. “I thought winning like this (Saturday) would make it easier because we did it for him. But it almost makes it harder because after a game like this you know he’d be the first guy you’d see and with the biggest smile.
“I can’t say enough what he did for us as a team. We’re really going to miss him.”
Alfano was among the Otters who had decals, white ‘JW’ initials within a blue heart, added to the back of their helmets. They expect to compete with them the rest of this season.
It also was announced during the game that fans could bid on the sweaters worn by Erie’s players during a postgame auction. All proceeds were to be donated to Waters’ immediate family.
More:Erie Otters owner Jim Waters dies at age 73
Honors for Waters began hours before Saturday’s game.
A makeshift memorial was set up outside EIA’s main entrance. A handful of Otters’ season ticket holders posed around it while they awaited the arena’s opening.
Among those who posed was Steve Mecklin, 49. The Millcreek Township resident, a season ticket holder since 2008, said he met Waters multiple times.
Mecklin mentioned how Waters would occasionally speak during events organized by Erie’s season ticket holders. He would outbid others during jersey auctions, sometimes well into four figures, but still give the jersey to another bidder.
“The one thing he basically always said,” Mecklin said, “was how proud he was to be an owner. How we were a family and he was glad to be part of that family.”
Waters officially purchased the Otters from Sherwood “Sherry” Bassin on July 17, 2015. Bassin had owned the franchise since its former move from Niagara Falls, Ontario, to northwestern Pennsylvania in 1996.
Bassin, 85, spoke with the Times-News via cell phone less than two hours before Saturday’s game. He said he last spoke with Waters in person roughly a week ago.
Among their conversation topics was a shared enthusiasm for the Jan. 10, 2025, ceremony to retire Connor McDavid’s No. 97 Erie jersey at EIA.
Bassin made it known he’s even more committed to attend the ceremony because of Waters’ absence.
“It’s so hard to accept that he’s gone,” Bassin said. “He was such a wonderful person. The world lost a good person.”
Mercyhurst University men’s hockey coach Rick Gotkin said he didn’t know Waters anywhere close to the extent as those in the OHL world.
Gotkin said their most notable in-person conversation was during the press conference that announced Waters’ purchase of the Otters.
“By all accounts, Jim sounded like a wonderful gentleman,” Gotkin said. “It sounds like we lost a really good (person). Not just in the hockey community, but here in Erie.”
Fernando Aguirre bolstered Gotkin’s opinion. The Erie SeaWolves owner also spoke of Waters’ death in a news release from the reigning Eastern League baseball champions.
Aguirre completed purchase of the SeaWolves in March 2015. Waters assumed ownership of the Otters that July.
“He was kind, generous, respected and made an enduring impact on so many,” Aguirre said. “I’m thankful that our journeys brought us together. On behalf of the Erie SeaWolves, I’d like to extend my sympathies to Jim’s wife, Sheila, his family, friends and the Erie Otters organization.”
More:Former Erie Otters coach Paul Theriault dies at age 73
Saturday’s emotional victory occurred in the Otters’ first home game this month. They improved to 16-9-3-1 in the OHL’s Midwest Division.
Saginaw returned to Michigan at 16-14-1-0 in the league’s West Division. Although the Spirit were eliminated in the semifinals for last season’s Robertson Cup playoffs, they still won the CHL’s four-team Memorial Cup tournament as the host franchise.
Erie welcomes the rival London Knights, the OHL’s reigning titlists, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.

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