in Erie, PA, but this one might just wind up being
the best of the bunch.
Perhaps it’s recency bias (I was just in Edmonton to see the first Battle of Alberta this season, won by the Oilers, 4-0), but dare I say that Edmonton Oilers center, Connor McDavid, might wind up being the best athlete to ever play in Erie, PA?
McDavid played three season for the Ontario Hockey League‘s Erie Otters (from 2012/13 through 2014/15) and, along the way, became the most-decorated OHL player in its history, claiming mulitple individual awards including winning the Bobby Smith Trophy for the OHL’s top scholastic player twice, the same with the Canadian Hockey League’s Scholastic Player of the Year, the William Hanley Trophy for most sportsmanlike player, the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player, the CHL Player of the Year, the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, and the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the playoff’s most outstanding player.
And this was just when he played in Erie!
Since then he’s been a 7-time NHL All-Star, a 6-time Art Ross Trophy (most regular-season points) winner, a 3-time Hart Memorial Trophy (regular-season most valuable player) winner, a 6-time Ted Lindsay Trophy (regular-season most outstanding player voted by fellow players) winner, the Rocket Richard Trophy winner (leading goal-scorer, 2023), and the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP in 2024) winner.
He doesn’t turn 30 until mid-January!
Oh yeah, he’s also scored a point in every Oilers’ game this season, and his 47 points are more than seven teams total goals scored as of end of play Saturday. McDavid has played a role in 63% of Edmonton’s 75 goals!
This is all fine and dandy, but he has two noticeable accomplishments missing from his resume: Stanley Cup Champion (twice a runner-up) and Olympic Gold Medalist (Silver in Milano Cortina).
Great, but who else of note spent time in Erie?
Here are four others I figure measure up, in alphabetical order:
- Fred Biletnikoff – He was born in Erie and attended the city’s Technical Memorial High School before heading to Florida State for college. Along the way, Biletnikoff was a 1964 consensus All-American at FSU where his jersey No. 25 is retired. He went on to play 14 seasons for the Oakland Raiders (in the AFL and NFL) where he won both an AFL Championship (1967) and Super Bowl XI (1977) when he was named the game’s MVP. He was a 1988 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, a 1991 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and the Tallahassee Quarterback Club has used his name since 1994 to honor NCAA Division I’s most outstanding receiver with the Biletnikoff Award.
- Nate Carr – He was born in Erie and attended Erie Tech High School before heading to Iowa State University for college. One of 16 children in the family, is it any wonder five of them, including Nate, went onto become All-American wrestlers. Nate posted a 115-7 career record at Tech that included a AAA State Championship. He won three straight 150-pound NCAA Championships (1981-83) while a Cyclone (117-20-1 record), and then went onto to win gold at the Pan-American Championships (1986), World Cup (1986), and Goodwill Games (1990). He won a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. His accomplishments earned him 2003 induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
- Bob Sanders – He was born in Erie and attended Cathedral Prepatory School before heading to Iowa for college where he played defensive back for the Hawkeyes. While at Iowa he was named All-Big Ten three times and was a second-team All-American as a senior. A second-round selection in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Sanders went on to enjoy an 8-year NFL career that was highlighted by him twice being named a Pro Bowler, winning Super Bowl XLI, and being named the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
- Justin Verlander – Though his time in Erie was brief – just seven starts in 2005 – the right-handed recently retired pitcher was dominant for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves during the 2005 season. Over those seven starts, he allowed 11 hits and one run over 32 and two-thirds innings pitched, posted a 2-0 record with a microscopic 0.28 earned run average. His domination of Erie earned him two spot starts for the Detroit Tigers that season. Of course, Verlander went onto much Major League success during a 21-season career. He started 557 games, winning 266 of those, finished with a 3.33 career ERA, and 3,560 strikeouts. Along the way he won the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year, was a 3-time AL Cy Young Award winner, and AL Most Valuable Player in 2011. He also has three career no-hitters to his credit.
Other notable who are either from Erie or have spent time playing there: Alex DeBrincat (Otters), Kayla McBride (Villa Maria Academy), Aramis Ramirez (SeaWolves), Tarik Skubal (SeaWolves), Mark Stepnoski (Cathedral Prep), and Dylan Strome (Otters).
What say you? Who’s the greatest to ever do it in Erie? Did I miss someone else who should be on the list? Let me know at hilldouglast@gmail.com.
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