Connor McDavid, widely regarded as the greatest player who competed for the Erie Otters, will have his No. 97 jersey retired in a Jan. 10 ceremony.

The Erie Otters turned inevitability into imminence on Saturday.

That’s when the Ontario Hockey League franchise announced its intention to retire Connor McDavid’s No. 97 sweater early next Jan. 10. The greatest player in team history (2012-15), who’s about to start his 10th season as the star center for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, will be on hand for the ceremony at Erie Insurance Arena.

Other festivities are planned for the event, which will take place in conjunction with Erie’s 7 p.m. game against the Saginaw Spirit.

Connor McDavid poses inside the Erie Otters’ locker room on March 20, 2014. McDavid, who played for the Ontario Hockey League franchise from 2012-15, will have his No. 97 jersey retired next Jan. 10. McDavid, who’s about to start his 10th NHL season with the Edmonton Oilers, will arrive one day after the Oilers are scheduled to play a road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I chose to wear number 97 when I was 7 years old because that’s the year I was born,” McDavid said in an Otters news release. “At that time, I had no idea picking that number would become such a big part of me. Never, not in my wildest dreams, did I think it would hang in the rafters forever.

“I want to thank the entire Otters organization for this incredible honor.”

That Erie officials made the announcement Saturday, 97 days before the ceremony, was no coincidence.

“Retiring Connor’s number 97 is the highest honor we can bestow,” general manager Dave Brown said in a team news release. “There’s no one more deserving. His impact on our organization, our league, our sport, and the city of Erie is immeasurable. Connor not only elevated the team with his skill and leadership on the ice, but he also uplifted the Erie community and our fan base.

“Retiring his number is a fitting tribute, not only to him as a player but also as a person who embodied the values of hard work, dedication, and excellence. His legacy will now be permanently enshrined in Erie Otters history.”

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid will have his No. 97 jersey retired by the Erie Otters next Jan. 10. McDavid helped the Oilers reach last season’s Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers. He was voted the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player for the entire playoffs, even though Edmonton lost the series.

McDavid will be the third former Otter whose had his jersey retired. His No. 97 will hang from EIA’s rafters with Vince Scott’s No. 18, retired in 2010, and Brad Boyes’ No 16, retired in 2014.

Scott, who played for the Otters from 2003-07, died in an automobile accident a month after his final OHL appearance.

Boyes was the star of Erie’s 2001-02 team that won the first of its two Robertson Cup titles as league champions. He then skated for seven NHL teams between 2003-16.