The Sarnia Sting are a junior ice hockey team based in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. They are one of the 20 teams that make up the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of the Progressive Auto Sales Arena (formerly the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre).
On January 22, 2015, NHL forward David Legwand, who played for the Ottawa Senators at the time, and former NHL defenseman Derian Hatcher entered an agreement to purchase the Sarnia Sting. The transfer of ownership was approved by the OHL Board of Governors and completed on March 4, 2015.
History
The franchise was granted in 1969 as one of the inaugural teams of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. At the time, the team was located in Cornwall, Ontario and known as the Cornwall Royals. During the team's tenure in the QMJHL the Royals won the Memorial Cup in 1972, 1980, and in 1981.
For the 1981–82 season, the team transferred to the Ontario Hockey League. In 1992, the franchise moved again to Newmarket, Ontario to play as the Newmarket Royals.
In 1994, the team was bought by the Ciccarelli brothers and moved to Sarnia, Ontario. Robert Ciccarelli, voted OHL Executive of the Year in 1999–2000,4 was the team's president and governor until January 2015, when the team was sold to its current owners, former NHL defenseman Derian Hatcher and former NHL forward David Legwand.5
In 2018, Dan Carcillo made accusations of hazing during the 2002–03 OHL season.6 League commissioner David Branch responded with sanctions against the Sting.7 The club implemented changes in its routines to avoid further incidents.8 In the 2021 OHL Draft, the Sting became the first OHL team to draft a female player, selecting goalie Taya Currie 267th overall.9
Championships
The Sarnia Sting have yet to win their first J. Ross Robertson Cup and first Memorial Cup. The 2022-23 season was the closest the team came to the OHL Championship, but lost in the Conference Finals to London Knights 4 games to 2. Their first division title came in the 2003–04 season, when the team won the OHL West Division, winning the Bumbacco Trophy, but were later eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Sarnia Sting won their second West Division title in 2016. They beat the Guelph Storm 7–1 to clinch the division. That was their first division title in 12 years. On March 19, 2016, the Sarnia Sting broke a franchise record from 2002–03 capturing 41 wins and 91 points to end the 2015–16 OHL season.
Coaches
- 1994–95 D.Boyd, R.Brown, M.Hunter
- 1995–96 Mark Hunter
- 1996–97 Jos Canale
- 1997–99 Mark Hunter
- 1999–2000 Mark Hunter, Rich Brown
- 2000–01 Rich Brown, Jeff Perry
- 2001–03 Jeff Perry
- 2003–04 Jeff Perry, Greg Walters
- 2004–06 Shawn Camp
- 2006–2010 Dave MacQueen
- 2010–2011 Dave MacQueen, Trevor Letowski
- 2011–2013 Jacques Beaulieu
- 2013–2015 Trevor Letowski
- 2015–2021 Derian Hatcher10
- 2021–present Alan Letang11
Players
Award winners
Bobby Smith TrophyScholastic player of the year.
- 2004–05 Richard Clune
- 2006–07 Steven Stamkos
CHL Rookie of the YearCHL Rookie of the Year.
- 2010–11 Nail Yakupov
Eddie Powers Memorial TrophyOHL Top Point Scorer.
- 1995–96 Aaron Brand
- 1998–99 Peter Sarno
Emms Family AwardOHL Rookie of the Year.
- 2010–11 Nail Yakupov
F.W. "Dinty" Moore TrophyBest rookie goalie GAA.
- 1999–00 Andrew Sim
- 2002–03 Ryan Munce
Ivan Tennant Memorial AwardTop academic high school player.
- 2004–05 Matt Pelech
Jack Ferguson AwardFirst overall draft pick.
- 1994 Jeff Brown
- 2006 Steven Stamkos
- 2010 Alex Galchenyuk
- 2014 Jakob Chychrun
Jim Mahon Memorial TrophyTop scoring Right Winger.
- 2008-09 Justin DiBenedetto
Leo Lalonde Memorial TrophyOverage player of the year.
- 1995–96 Aaron Brand
- 2008–09 Justin DiBenedetto
- 2012–13 Charlie Sarault
OHL Executive of the YearTop executive in the OHL.
- 1999–00 Robert Ciccarelli
Retired numbers
On January 12, 2018, the Sarnia Sting officially retired the first number in franchise history, Steven Stamkos' number 91. There are also banners in honour of Shawn Burr and Kerry Fraser. Banners that were once hung, but have since been taken down, include the ones of Aaron Brand and Peter Sarno who both won OHL scoring titles, Trevor Letowski, who all participated at IIHF World Junior Championships in 1997, and Danny Fritsche who won gold with the United States men's national junior ice hockey team in 2004. The team has also created a Hall of Fame inside the arena. The inaugural induction members include Jon Sim, Trevor Letowski and Rob Ciccarelli.
NHL alumni
- Jamie Arniel
- Reid Boucher
- Eric Boulton
- Sean Brown
- Daniel Carcillo
- Jakob Chychrun
- Richard Clune
- Larry Courville
- Mike Danton
- Andy Delmore
- Patrick DesRochers
- Justin DiBenedetto
- Jamie Fraser
- Dan Fritsche
- Alex Galchenyuk
- Trevor Gillies
- Nikolay Goldobin
- Micheal Haley
- Jeff Heerema
- Mark Katic
- Travis Konecny
- Jordan Kyrou
- Drew Larman
- Alan Letang
- Trevor Letowski
- Matt Martin
- Sean McMorrow
- Connor Murphy
- David Nemirovsky
- Kris Newbury
- Ivan Novoseltsev
- Matt Pelech
- Jacob Perreault
- Michael Pezzetta
- Marek Posmyk
- Dalton Prout
- Adam Ruzicka
- Peter Sarno
- Jon Sim
- Ryan Spooner
- Steven Stamkos
- Joey Tenute
- Mike Van Ryn
- Ryan Wilson
- Nail Yakupov
- Pavel Zacha
- Jeff Zehr
Season results
Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SL = Shoot-out losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Memorial Cup champions | OHL champions | OHL runners-up |
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | SL | Pts | Win % | GF | GA | Standing | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 66 | 24 | 37 | 5 | — | — | 53 | 0.402 | 250 | 292 | 3rd West | Lost first round (Windsor Spitfires) 4–0 |
| 1995–96 | 66 | 39 | 23 | 4 | — | — | 82 | 0.621 | 330 | 276 | 2nd West | Won first round (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) 4–0 Lost quarterfinal (Peterborough Petes) 4–2 |
| 1996–97 | 66 | 35 | 24 | 7 | — | — | 77 | 0.583 | 286 | 251 | 2nd West | Won first round (Windsor Spitfires) 4–1 Lost quarterfinal (Kitchener Rangers) 4–3 |
| 1997–98 | 66 | 32 | 21 | 13 | — | — | 77 | 0.583 | 253 | 227 | 3rd West | Lost first round (Plymouth Whalers) 4–1 |
| 1998–99 | 68 | 37 | 25 | 6 | — | — | 80 | 0.588 | 279 | 216 | 2nd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (London Knights) 4–3 |
| 1999–2000 | 68 | 33 | 27 | 8 | 0 | — | 74 | 0.544 | 211 | 189 | 3rd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Windsor Spitfires) 4–3 |
| 2000–01 | 68 | 28 | 31 | 7 | 2 | — | 65 | 0.478 | 235 | 244 | 3rd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Plymouth Whalers) 4–0 |
| 2001–02 | 68 | 27 | 29 | 5 | 7 | — | 66 | 0.485 | 236 | 260 | 4th West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Erie Otters) 4–1 |
| 2002–03 | 68 | 41 | 19 | 7 | 1 | — | 90 | 0.662 | 234 | 223 | 2nd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Guelph Storm) 4–2 |
| 2003–04 | 68 | 37 | 23 | 4 | 4 | — | 82 | 0.603 | 220 | 210 | 1st West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Erie Otters) 4–1 |
| 2004–05 | 68 | 16 | 41 | 6 | 5 | — | 43 | 0.316 | 156 | 228 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 2005–06 | 68 | 17 | 46 | — | 2 | 3 | 39 | 0.287 | 197 | 295 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 2006–07 | 68 | 34 | 24 | — | 5 | 5 | 78 | 0.574 | 270 | 241 | 4th West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Kitchener Rangers) 4–0 |
| 2007–08 | 68 | 37 | 29 | — | 2 | 0 | 76 | 0.559 | 251 | 229 | 3rd West | Won conference quarterfinal (Windsor Spitfires) 4–1 Lost conference semifinal (Kitchener Rangers) 4–0 |
| 2008–09 | 68 | 35 | 26 | — | 4 | 3 | 77 | 0.566 | 216 | 210 | 4th West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Plymouth Whalers) 4–1 |
| 2009–10 | 68 | 17 | 46 | — | 3 | 2 | 39 | 0.287 | 184 | 295 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 | 68 | 25 | 36 | — | 5 | 2 | 57 | 0.419 | 243 | 321 | 4th West | Did not qualify |
| 2011–12 | 68 | 34 | 27 | — | 2 | 5 | 75 | 0.551 | 243 | 235 | 2nd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Saginaw Spirit) 4–2 |
| 2012–13 | 68 | 35 | 28 | — | 1 | 4 | 75 | 0.551 | 247 | 254 | 3rd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Plymouth Whalers) 4–0 |
| 2013–14 | 68 | 17 | 44 | — | 2 | 5 | 41 | 0.301 | 211 | 341 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | 68 | 29 | 32 | — | 4 | 3 | 65 | 0.478 | 232 | 263 | 3rd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Erie Otters) 4–1 |
| 2015–16 | 68 | 42 | 19 | — | 5 | 2 | 91 | 0.669 | 254 | 192 | 1st West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) 4–3 |
| 2016–17 | 68 | 31 | 30 | — | 6 | 1 | 69 | 0.507 | 257 | 277 | 4th West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Erie Otters) 4–0 |
| 2017–18 | 68 | 46 | 17 | — | 4 | 1 | 97 | 0.713 | 299 | 213 | 2nd West | Won conference quarterfinal (Windsor Spitfires) 4–2 Lost conference semifinal (Kitchener Rangers) 4–2 |
| 2018–19 | 68 | 28 | 33 | — | 5 | 2 | 63 | 0.463 | 271 | 300 | 3rd West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Saginaw Spirit) 4–0 |
| 2019–20 | 62 | 22 | 34 | — | 5 | 1 | 50 | 0.403 | 244 | 299 | 5th West | Playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 68 | 27 | 36 | — | 4 | 1 | 59 | 0.434 | 234 | 279 | 4th West | Lost conference quarterfinal (Windsor Spitfires) 4–2 |
| 2022–23 | 68 | 41 | 18 | — | 5 | 4 | 91 | 0.669 | 298 | 224 | 2nd West | Won conference quarterfinal (Guelph Storm) 4–2 Won conference semifinal (Saginaw Spirit) 4–0 Lost conference final (London Knights) 4–2 |
| 2023–24 | 68 | 25 | 39 | — | 3 | 1 | 54 | 0.397 | 204 | 292 | 4th West | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 68 | 22 | 33 | — | 6 | 7 | 57 | 0.419 | 197 | 286 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
Jerseys and logos
The original Sarnia Sting jersey (worn from 1994/95 - 1998/99) showed a bee playing hockey with its stinger poised. The team's colours were black, white and silver. An alternate jersey (worn from 1997/98 - 1998/99) had a yellow background and a bee holding a stick above the Sarnia name on the chest.
The current jerseys include a white jersey with a bee in the centre and a black jersey with a bee in the centre. The team got new jerseys during the 2019-20 season. During the first half of the season, the team wears the white uniform at home while during the second half of the season they wear the black uniform at home.
During the 2012 offseason the team held a contest to design the team's alternate jersey for the season. The new jersey is yellow with black and white stripes down the arm. The logo is round and includes a picture of the Blue Water Bridge in the background with a bee in the centre. Around the bridges and the bee it is inscribed "Sarnia Sting" on top and "Hockey Club" on the bottom.
Arenas
Relocation from Newmarket, Ontario in 1994 was made on the promise that a new arena would be built in Sarnia. In the meantime the team played their first four seasons at Sarnia Arena located in the downtown area.
- Sarnia Arena - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
In 1998–99 the Sting played their first season at their new home, The Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre (now known as the Progressive Auto Sales Arena). It's a more modern facility with private boxes and many other amenities. The new building also hosted the Ontario Hockey League All Star Game in 1999, and the RE/Max Canada-Russia Challenge in 2004.
- RBC Centre - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
See also
External links
References
Simpson, Barbara (8 August 2016). "Council endorses Progressive deal". Sarnia Observer. Retrieved 10 August 2016. http://www.theobserver.ca/2016/08/08/city-politicians-see-more-value-in-naming-rights-deal-than-just-dollars-and-cents ↩
Bridge, Terry (22 January 2015). "Sarnia Sting sold to new owners". Sarnia Observer. Retrieved 30 November 2016. http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/01/22/sarnia-sting-sold-to-darian-hatcher-and-david-legwand ↩
Ricks, Matt (4 March 2015). "Legwand and Hatcher, New Owners of Sarnia Sting". Retrieved 11 April 2017. http://lastwordonsports.com/2015/03/04/legwand-hatcher-new-owners-sarnia-sting/ ↩
"OHL Recognizes Karmanos and Ciccarelli". Ontario Hockey League. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2016. http://ontariohockeyleague.com/ohl-recognizes-karmanos-and-ciccarelli/ ↩
"Sarnia Sting sold to Derian Hatcher and David Legwand". Sarnia Observer. Postmedia Network. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2016. http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/01/22/sarnia-sting-sold-to-darian-hatcher-and-david-legwand ↩
"Ex-NHLer Carcillo recalls alleged OHL beating with sawed-off goalie stick | CBC Sports". https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/carcillo-hazing-hockey-ohl-1.4920922 ↩
"'We had failed Dan and the other players': OHL commissioner calls abuse allegations 'sickening' | CBC Sports". https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/david-branch-daniel-carcillo-ohl-sarnia-sting-haze-1.4926593 ↩
"Former Cambridge hockey player 'fortunate' to miss hazing in Sarnia". https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/community-story/9060342-former-cambridge-hockey-player-fortunate-to-miss-hazing-in-sarnia/ ↩
"'A dream come true': Taya Currie becomes first female taken in OHL draft". https://www.sportsnet.ca/juniors/article/dream-come-true-taya-currie-becomes-first-female-taken-ohl-draft/ ↩
"Sting Co-Owner Derian Hatcher to Step Down as Head Coach, Remains Committed to Success of the Sting". Sarnia Sting. 1 June 2021. https://sarniasting.com/article/sting-owner-derian-hatcher-to-step-down-as-head-coach-remains-committed-to-success-of-the-sting ↩
"Alan Letang Named Head Coach". OurSports Central. 22 June 2021. https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/alan-letang-named-head-coach/n-5709084 ↩