OHL 20 in 20: Sarnia Sting

Sarnia is still abuzz in the aftermath of the club’s deep playoff run in 2023, and while last year was a rebuilding season, it was one the club and its fans were prepared for. Entering 2024-25, expectations are a little higher across the organization, with a spot in the 2025 OHL Playoffs in the sights of a Sarnia group that still features plenty of youth on the roster. Head coach Alan Letang features a pair of seasoned OHL veterans as assistants in former Sting forward and NHL alumnus Micheal Haley along with Sarnia’s own Dustin Jeffrey providing valuable guidance to a team trying to take the next step on the path to their ultimate goal.

Five Questions Heading Into 2024-25:

1. Who takes on leadership roles?
Last year’s group of Sarnia overagers weren’t the flashiest, but they did provide a leadership presence, most notably outgoing captain Cooper Way who was among the league’s hardest workers who now heads to the U SPORTS University of Toronto program. The Sting have some older forwards who were part of the club’s deep playoff run in 2023 including Zach Filak and Easton Wainwright. Blueliner Mitch Young also took big strides last season, and will be relied on to provide a veteran presence in 2024-25.

2. Is Fischer ready for bigger minutes?
Lukas Fischer entered the OHL at 16 and got a taste of the OHL Playoffs. Two years later he’s filled out considerably and is a second round NHL Draft pick of the St. Louis Blues. Expect to see a lot of big #13 on the Sarnia blueline this season as his physical talents were accompanied by a more developed offensive approach in 2023-24, yielding 34 points (6-28–34) in his sophomore season.

3. Can the ’07 group take the next step on the blueline?
The Sting’s future hangs a great deal on the continued development of 2007-born blueliners James Barr, Hughston Hurt and Casey Bridgewater. Matthew Andersen saw 13 games on the Sting blueline as well in 2023-24. Barr showed promise during an injury shortened 38-game rookie season while Hurt picked up 10 assists in 67 games, showing signs of being a competitor on the defensive side of the puck. Bridgewater, who is a tremendous athlete that finished atop his peers at the 2023 OHL Combine, spent most of last season with the GOJHL’s Stratford Warriors, recording 27 points (6-21–27) in 32 games.

4. How quickly will the ’08 forwards adapt to the OHL game?
The Sting have some real good ones in their 2024 recruitment class, taking Canadian Youth Olympic Games standout Alessandro Di Iorio with the second overall pick before nabbing forwards Beckham Edwards and Chase Gaughan in the third round. Edwards, who was bound for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, signed with the Sting in August as the native of nearby Komoka, Ont. brings a dynamic offensive toolkit to the hive this fall. Pennsylvania product Chase Gaughan comes north to Sarnia looking to build off the offensive instincts he showed with the Palmyra Black Knights AAA program. It always takes some time for young forwards to settle into the OHL, but these three are worth keeping tabs on.

5. How impactful are the Import players?
The Sting shuffled things up in the CHL Import Draft, taking 17-year-old Russian forward Ruslan Karimov with the sixth overall pick, followed by 2006-born Swedish blueliner Jack Bodin in the second round. Karimov brings a blend of skill and power to the ice, and won’t shy away from playing the game physically. Bodin comes in at 6-foot-3 and 210Ibs., making him the biggest body on the Sarnia blueline. He had 12 points (6-6–12) in 46 games competing in Sweden’s top junior circuit last season.