Behind the Jersey – Alessandro Di Iorio
Written by Mateya Steblaj-Wood
Alesandro Di Iorio is finally breaking into his second season with the Sarnia Sting after battling injury for the first two months of the season. In just his few games back so far, the 17-year-old center hasn’t missed a beat, quickly showcasing why he is a highly considered prospect for the 2026 NHL draft.
In 2024, with the second overall selection, the Sarnia Sting acquired Di Iorio in the OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings U16 AAA team. The Vaughan native played for his hometown team since 2021, putting up an impressive tenure with the team. His most notable season being 2023-24 where he scored 47 goals and 31 assists in 65 games.
After signing with the Sting back in 2024, General Manager Dylan Seca said “Alessandro is a player our scouts and staff believe has the ability to be a cornerstone player for this organization. There will be no pressure, he is a player that we know will put the work in, he’s a leader, a great team guy, he’s as complete a player there is in this draft class”.
A cornerstone player is exactly what the 6 ‘1 center proved to be. In his first season with the Sting he put up 38 points in 58 games, showcasing his net-forward talent that solidified his crucial spot on the team. Even as a first-year vet, Di Iorio had enough impact to influence games, either rallying the team for a comeback or to maintain a lead. In his first stretch with the team, Dio earned OHL Rookie of the Week after earning five assists in three games. These are the types of stats that highlight skill while also suggesting the potential for the player.
After a postseason and summer of hard work and training, Di Iorio started the preseason with the Sting in their first two games against the London Knights, where he scored a goal and an assist each. Despite losing both games, hopes were high for the young player’s season until he was injured in the following game against the North Bay Battalions in Midland on September 5. Dio received a hard hit that unfortunately sent him awkwardly into the boards, resulting in a devastating elbow injury that would halt his season.
As the preseason concluded and the Sting headed into the regular season, Dio was receiving treatment and working on his injury. He split his time between his hometown Vaughan, and his second home Sarnia during his recovery period. When asked how he stayed connected with his teammates during his time away, Di Iorio said “Calling them and staying in touch. I was back to watch the games on the weekends, and getting treatment at home during the week”.
After over two months without playing and focusing on recovering, the second year Sting player was finally set to play his first game of the season on November 9 against the North Bay Battalions. Sarnia did not start the season how they were anticipating, and were looking for a win at home to not only improve their home record, but also get the fans involved.
Di Iorio said the preparation for his first game back was all mental, “coming back after an injury like that, I tried not to think about it too much. Trying not to think about getting hit and just playing my game”.
He mentioned that he played “timid” in his first couple of shifts before settling back into his game. After playing cautiously throughout the first period and second, Di Iorio sniped a top shelf goal in the third period to solidify Sarnia’s 5-3 lead, marking his first goal of the season. However, the Battalion would go on to tie the game with two powerplay goals in the final minutes and force overtime.
Despite their exhaustion, the Sting were able to defend North Bay’s first chances on net to get the game back on their side. Edward Beckham fed the puck to Di Iorio who walked through North Bay’s defensemen and scored the game winning goal. The arena erupted with cheers as Dio scored not only two goals in his season debut, but the game winning overtime goal.
Di Iorio has put up five points so far since his return to the team and says he is getting back into the groove of things with his teammates, saying “the first game was just getting a feel for being back, and then that roadtrip really helped with team building and being back with the guys”.
Di Iorio is ranked 27th in the upcoming 2026 NHL draft, although he says it won’t impact his game saying, “I’m not focused on it too much, I know my abilities and my limits. If I play my game, they’ll make their decision, not me”. NHL scouts and teams will undeniably be watching closely as his season progresses but he feels no pressure, “I’ll just play my game and let the rest take care of itself”.
