Sarnia Sting

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==
left|thumb|150px|Sting vs. Spitfires - January 2012The 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, 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.
In 2018, Dan Carcillo made accusations of hazing during the 2002–03 OHL season. League commissioner David Branch responded with sanctions against the Sting. The club implemented changes in its routines to avoid further incidents.
In the 2021 OHL Draft, the Sting became the first OHL team to draft a female player, selecting goalie Taya Currie 267th overall.
==Championships==
The Sarnia Sting are in quest of their first J. Ross Robertson Cup and first Memorial Cup. The 1996–97 season was the closest the team came to the OHL Championship, but lost in the quarter-finals to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3. The lone title so far 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 Hatcher
*2021–present Alan Letang
==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 U20 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
*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
==Yearly results==
===Regular season===
Legend: OT = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss
Season 	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	OT	SL	Points	Pct %	GoalsFor	Goals	Standing
1994–95 	66 	24 	37 	5 	- 	- 	53 	0.402	250 	292 	3rd Western
1995–96 	66 	39 	23 	4 	- 	- 	82 	0.621	330 	276 	2nd Western
1996–97 	66 	35 	24 	7 	- 	- 	77 	0.583	286 	251 	2nd Western
1997–98 	66 	32 	21 	13 	- 	- 	77 	0.583	253 	227 	3rd Western
1998–99 	68 	37 	25 	6 	- 	- 	80 	0.588	279 	216 	2nd West
1999–2000	68 	33 	27 	8 	- 	- 	74 	0.544	211 	189 	3rd West
2000–01 	68 	28 	31 	7 	2 	- 	65 	0.463	235 	244 	3rd West
2001–02 	68 	27 	29 	5 	7 	- 	66 	0.434	236 	260 	4th West
2002–03 	68 	41 	19 	7 	1 	- 	90 	0.654	234 	223 	2nd West
2003–04 	68 	37 	23 	4 	4 	- 	82 	0.574	220 	210 	1st West
2004–05 	68 	16 	41 	6 	5 	- 	43 	0.316	156 	228 	5th West
2005–06 	68 	17 	46 	- 	2 	3 	39 	0.287	197 	295 	5th West
2006–07 	68 	34 	24 	- 	5 	5 	78 	0.574	270 	241 	4th West
2007–08 	68 	37 	29 	- 	2 	0 	76 	0.559	251 	229 	3rd West
2008–09 	68 	35 	26 	- 	4 	3 	77 	0.566	216 	210 	4th West
2009–10 	68 	17 	46 	- 	3 	2 	39 	0.287	184 	295 	5th West
2010–11 	68 	25 	36 	- 	5 	2 	57 	0.419	243 	321 	4th West
2011–12 	68 	34 	27 	- 	2 	5 	75 	0.551	243 	235 	2nd West
2012–13 	68 	35 	28 	- 	1 	4 	75 	0.551	247 	254 	3rd West
2013–14 	68 	17 	44 	- 	2 	5 	41 	0.301	211 	341 	5th West
2014–15 	68 	29 	32 	- 	4 	3 	65 	0.478	232 	263 	3rd West
2015–16 	68 	42 	19 	- 	5 	2 	91 	0.669	254 	192 	1st West
2016–17 	68 	31 	30 	- 	6 	1 	69 	0.507	257 	277 	4th West
2017–18 	68 	46 	17 	- 	4 	1 	97 	0.713	299 	213 	2nd West
2018–19 	68 	28 	33 	- 	5 	2 	63 	0.463	271 	300 	3rd West
2019–20 	62 	22 	34 	- 	5 	1 	50 	0.403	244 	299 	5th West
2020–21 	0 	0 	0 	- 	0 	0 	0 	0.000	0 	0 	Season cancelled
2021–22 	68 	27 	36 	- 	4 	1 	59 	0.434	234 	279 	4th West
2022–23 	68 	41 	18 	- 	5 	4 	91 	0.669	298 	224 	2nd West
2023–24 	68 	25 	39 	- 	3 	1 	54 	0.397	204 	292 	4th West
Total 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	2 Division Titles
===Playoffs===
*1994–95 Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in division quarter-finals.
*1995–96 Defeated S.S. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 0 in division quarter-finals. Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals.
*1996–97 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals. Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in quarter-finals.
*1997–98 Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
*1998–99 Lost to London Knights 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*1999–00 Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
*2000–01 Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
*2001–02 Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2002–03 Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*2003–04 Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2004–05 DNQ
*2005–06 DNQ
*2006–07 Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
*2007–08 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
*2008–09 Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2009-10 DNQ
*2010-11 DNQ
*2011–12 Lost to Saginaw Spirit 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*2012–13 Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
*2013-14 DNQ
*2014–15 Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2015–16 Lost to Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
*2016–17 Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
*2017–18 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals. Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals.
*2018–19 Lost to Saginaw Spirit 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
*2019-20 Playoffs Cancelled
*2020-21 Cancelled
*2021-22 Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*2022-23 Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals. Defeated Saginaw Spirit 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. Lost to London Knights 4 games to 2 in conference finals.
*2023–24 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==
*List of ice hockey teams in Ontario
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:Ontario Hockey League teams
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1994
Category:Ontario Hockey League teams
Category:Ontario Hockey League team
Category:Established in 1994
Category:Sarnia Sting