Sarnia, Ontario is a small metropolis in southern Ontario with a wealthy historical past on the subject of hockey.
It’s house to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) workforce, the Sarnia Sting, a corporation that has produced a number of well-known gamers. Sarnia can also be house to the Larger Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) workforce the Sarnia Legionnaires, previously referred to as the Sarnia Ranson Bees.
On high of these groups, Sarnia is acknowledged for internet hosting the Worldwide Silver Stick match yearly, a minor hockey match the place groups from North America come to compete.Most just lately, Sarnia hosted Hockey Canada’s 2024 Below 17 World Problem, the place Canada White beat Canada Pink within the finals, successful the gold medal.
The Sarnia Sting has produced just a few notable Nationwide Hockey League (NHL) gamers. Jordan Kyrou, who presently performs for the St. Louis Blues, performed for the Sting for his complete OHL profession. Jakob Chychrun was additionally a member of the Sting for 2 years earlier than happening to play with the Arizona Coytes. He presently performs for the Washington Capitals.
Steven Stamkos performed for the Sarnia Sting for 2 years and went on to have a profitable NHL profession, the place he was captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning for ten years. At present, he performs for the Nashville Predators.
Sarnia’s affect on hockey extends past producing gamers, as town has been house to profitable figures off the ice, exhibiting that careers in hockey thrive past the rink.
Jim McKellar is an newbie scout for the Chicago Blackhawks who grew up in Sarnia. He began his hockey profession working with the Sarnia Sting earlier than changing into the Assistant Normal Supervisor of the London Knights OHL workforce for eleven years. From there, he turned an newbie scout for the Blackhawks and has been working with them since 2011.
“The Sarnia Ranson Bees were a very strong organization when I was a kid, and it still is to this day. It’s a good organization and I think there’s a lot of players finding their way into the OHL and finding their way into college hockey,” McKellar mentioned. “Obviously, the Sting are a huge presence in town, but I think the history in Sarnia predates them with the Sarnia Bees and a lot of players moving on and making it to the NHL.”
McKellar additionally famous that there are just a few former NHL gamers that had been born in Sarnia, together with Dino Ciccarelli, who performed within the NHL for nearly twenty years earlier than retiring and changing into the proprietor of the Sarnia Sting from 1994 to 2009.
“The ownership group there does a great job,” McKellar mentioned when requested in regards to the Sting group. “I know they have a great presence in the community. It’s a great organization that has produced a lot of draft picks, and a lot of players that are finding their way. I think the organization has a great footprint on the town.”
His most just lately scouted participant from Sarnia was Ethan Del Mastro, who performed for the Sting for one season and is now within the Chicago Blackhawks group.
Lots of people could not know Sarnia’s historical past, however it may be discovered in every single place while you search for it. The Wilfrid Laurier College males’s hockey workforce has just a few former members of the Sarnia Sting on their roster, together with first-year communications research main Justin O’Donnell, first-year arts main Brendan Anderson, and first-year arts main Ryan Pryce.
Sarnia, Ontario, has established itself as a hub of hockey excellence, with a legacy that spans generations and impacts each gamers and the broader hockey neighborhood. From internet hosting tournaments to producing NHL stars, Sarnia’s contributions to the game are simple. This small southern Ontario metropolis embodies a wealthy custom of hockey, combining a deep respect for its historical past with a dedication to nurturing future expertise.
Sarnia continues to go away an enduring mark on the sport for followers and gamers alike, it’s clear that Sarnia isn’t only a metropolis that loves hockey, it’s a metropolis that helps form its future.
