The Sarnia Legionnaires are moving forward after a tough 2025-26 season where they finished without a win in 50 games.
The Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) team has appointed Tate Philips as the new general manager and director of hockey operations, along with Ryan Foster as the head coach.
President Theo Bet shared the news in a release.
Foster succeeds Mike Bondy, while Philips takes over from John Periard as GM.
In March, the GOHL mandated that Periard sell the Legionnaires back to their original ownership group, which includes Bet, Paul Hurtubise, Cliff Smith, and Terry Lilley.
This decision was made because the league believed Periard was “unable to fulfill his obligations to finalize and purchase the team.”
Bet had previously mentioned to Sarnia News Today that the group still hoped to find another buyer for the club.
Foster spent last season coaching the Elgin Bombers 16U team after an impressive 11-year coaching career in Austria and Germany.
The 51-year-old Brampton native played for the University of Guelph and also had experiences in Austria, Sweden, and with Canada’s national men’s team.
On another note, Philips co-founded Total Player 1, a player development and management service.
This past season he was General Manager of the Cobourg Cougars and has over a decade of experience coaching AAA hockey in the GTHL with teams like Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Toronto Marlboros, and Don Mills Flyers.
The Legionnaires also revealed a partnership with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League.
In a statement, Sting Owner and President Mark Guy noted that this collaboration has been anticipated for some time by those in Sarnia.
“Hockey working together in an infrastructure to produce and move kids on in the hockey pathway is something we strongly believe in,” said Guy. “We look forward to working with the Sarnia Legionnaires of the GOHL and developing prospects together. We can’t wait to get started.”
Philips shared his enthusiasm about this opportunity too.
“We plan to develop and move players on to the next level. We are honoured and privileged to work in affiliation with and in support of the Sarnia Sting and their prospects,” said Philips. “We are excited to work with the U18 program and midget-level players to create a true development pyramid-from U18 to Junior GOHL and ultimately to OHL-all within the city of Sarnia. Stay tuned; exciting things are ahead.”
The Sarnia Legionnaires will host their spring training camp on June 6 and 7 at Mooretown Sports Complex, welcoming players including goaltenders vying for spots on next year’s roster for the 2026-2027 GOHL season.
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