WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) Dylan Strome broke a tie early in the third period and the Erie Otters beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 on Saturday in the Memorial Cup opener for both American teams.
Strome, the Arizona Coyotes’ prospect drafted third overall in 2015, beat goalie Carl Stankowski from the top of the goal crease.
Alex DeBrincat, Jordan Sambrook and Christian Girhiny, into an empty net, also scored, and Troy Timpano made 19 saves for the Ontario Hockey League champion Otters.
Erie frustrated the Western Hockey League champion Thunderbirds with their strong forechecking.
”You got here playing a certain way and you’re not going to change that,” Otters coach Kris Knoblauch said.