Faceoff Factor

Otter Tracking: Dealing with the (ex-)Devil

C.J. "Stoosh" Jiuliante | Amateur Hockey (Juniors/NCAA)

Oct 29, 05:06 PM | Hype this story!

I’m in the process of prepping a whole bunch of stuff for the Otter Tracking series, and what happens?

The Otters bring in a new coach.

The Erie Times-News is reporting via their website at www.goerie.com that the Erie Otters have hired former New Jersey Devils coach Robbie Ftorek. Ftorek was brought in to assume head coaching duties from former NHL goaltender and NHL ’94 legend Peter Sidorkiewicz, after the Otters’ losing streak was extended to nine thanks to a 5-3 loss at Owen Sound on Saturday night.

The Otters – rebuilding after a disastrous 15-win, 33-point season last year – are 3-12 through fifteen games and dropped both games of a weekend doubleheader against the Owen Sound Attack. The wins by Owen Sound allowed the Attack to leapfrog the Otters in the standings. The Otters are now mired in the OHL basement with six points, trailing Owen Sound by one and Sudbury by two.

It’s been tough sledding for a rebuilding Erie team this year. After starting the season 3-3, they’ve been outscored 55-17 in their last nine games. They’ve battled injuries and health issues to some key players. Star forward Nick Palmieri – a third-round pick of the Devils this past summer – has recently missed time with mononucleosis after spending part of the early season in camp with the Devils. But there were also serious issues with discipline both on and off the ice. Several players were taking retaliatory penalties late in some games as a result of some chippy play – penalties that resulted in a handful of multi-game suspensions, some to very key players. Otters play has also been marred by disjointed strategy and the lack of a clear-cut system (think the 2005-06 Pens during the last couple of weeks of Ed Olczyk’s tenure as head coach). It became fairly apparent that while Sidorkiewicz may not have lost the team, he was strategically overmatched and he may have been too much of a players’ coach.

Ftorek, who made his name as a successful developmental coach in the New Jersey farm system with Albany of the AHL, should help bring some needed structure and organization to a young but talented team. Sidorkiewicz and assistant coach Mike Stapleton were both asked by Ftorek to stay on as assistants.

Ftorek will debut as Otters head coach Friday night, November 2 in Kitchener. He’ll make his home debut the following night against the Plymouth Whalers.

Pittsburgh fans may remember Ftorek as the Devils coach during the 1998-99, when his top-seeded Devils lost a seven-game opening round series to the Penguins, then coached by Kevin Constantine.