Otters sign their 2024 CHL Import first-round netminder to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement
The Erie Otters finished 11th overall in the OHL last year with a record of 33-28-5-2. They lost to the Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, but the team aims to improve on their 73 points in 2024-25.
GM Dave Brown went out and added firepower to his forward corps earlier this week by acquiring Gabriel Frasca from the Kingston Frontenacs.
However, the organization needed to address its position in between the pipes since Ben Gaudreau has aged out of the league.
Help is on the way, coming all the way from Sweden.
Tuesday morning the team announced they had officially signed goaltender Noah Erliden to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Erie used their first-round pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft to select the 5-foot-11, 183-pound Swedish netminder. Now, the team has Erliden, Jacob Gibbons, and Charlie Burns as their three goalies who will battle it out for playing time in the crease.
Dave Brown had glowing remarks to say about his new goaltender:
“Noah is a top-tier goalie, and we are extremely excited to add him to our organization.” said Brown, “Noah boasts extensive international experience handling high-pressure situations, and ranks among the elite goalies, as demonstrated by his achievements at global events."
Erliden, 18, has gone through two NHL drafts without hearing his name called, but his performance in his draft year warranted a selection.
In 2022-23, he was Sweden's top 2005-born goaltender, representing them as their starting netminder on the international stage at three different tournaments. And helped backstop his country to three medals that year.
He started at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he posted a 3-1 record, a 2.53 goals-against average, and a .915 save percentage, on the way to a silver medal finish. Then, he was the starter for Sweden at the World Jr. A Challenge, posting a 2-2 record, a 2.89 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage, while capturing a bronze medal.
Noah saved his best for last.
At the IIHF U18 Men's World Championship, he was voted the tournament's best goaltender and a top three player on Team Sweden. Erliden posted a 5-1 record and an incredible 1.49 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. Sweden fell short in the gold medal game, but another silver medal was added to his accolades.
If the Swedish netminder were not 5-foot-11, there would be a 90% chance that he would have been drafted by an NHL team. It's a sad reality for smaller goalies, as NHL teams tend to overlook goalies who are shorter than 6-foot-2.
But Erliden has the opportunity to seize the starting role in Erie for the upcoming season and assist the organization in improving from their first-round exit.
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