Sarnia Blast
Encyclopedia
The Sarnia Legionnaires are a Canadian
junior ice hockey
team based in Sarnia
, Ontario
, Canada
. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
.
Over the next quarter century the Bees had some good teams but the club seldom lived up to the legend of the Sarnia Legionnaires.
After dominating the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League during the 1970-71 season, the Bees elected to jump to the Legionnaires' old league, the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
, but the adventure was not overly successful and the Bees returned to the WOJHL the next season. Their experience in Junior A seemingly fueled the Bees during the 1972-73 season as they won the WOJHL championship and went on to defeated the Metro Junior B Hockey League's Toronto Nationals
4-games-to-2 to win Sarnia's first Sutherland Cup
since the Sarnia Legionnaires did it in 1968.
In 1983, the Bees were again WOJBHL champions and pushed all the way to the Sutherland Cup
finals. In the final, they met the Metro Junior B Hockey League's St. Michael's Buzzers
. After a long battle, the Buzzers finished off the Bees in game 7 to deny the franchise of its second Sutherland Cup.
In 1995, the Ontario Hockey League
accepted the expansion of a new team known as the Sarnia Sting
. To stay out of the shadow of the OHL team, the Bees changed their name to the Steeplejacks. After another couple name changes, the Sarnia franchise became the Sarnia Blast in 2001. The team is a long standing member of the Western Junior "B" league (WOHL).
In 2002, the Blast won the WOHL championship and qualified for the Sutherland Cup
final. In the final they met the Mid-Western Junior B Hockey League's Elmira Sugar Kings
. The series went the distance, but the Blast prevailed in game 7 of the series and brought the Sutherland Cup back to Sarnia for the seventh time and the first time in 29 years.
In 2008, the ownership of the Sarnia Blast was transferred to a consortium of local individuals. In memory of the fabled Sarnia Legionnaires of old, the new owners and the local Royal Canadian Legion
allowed for the current team to resurrect the name. The new owners said they will put pictures of the original Legionnaires in their dressing room, hoping that will inspire today's young players.
In their first year back under the Legionnaire name after a 38-year absence, the club finished first in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. In the playoffs, they won the conference championship by eliminating the St. Thomas Stars 4-1 in games, taking out the Strathroy Rockets 4-3 in games and ousting the London Nationals 4-2 in games to win the Weir Cup.
Tyler Cicchini led the way, scoring 18 goals in 22 post season games. That was one more than the record of 17 playoff goals Don Gordon of the original Legionnaires set in the spring of 1968.
The team set a league record in the 2009 playoffs when it scored three goals in 14 seconds in a game against Strathroy.
Sarnia Jr. 'B' hockey teams named the Legionnaires have now won six Western Ontario championships in 17 years of action, along with four Sutherland Cups.
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1111117
Sutherland Cup
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
junior ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Sarnia
Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada...
.
History
The Sarnia Bees joined the ranks of the current Western Junior "B" league in 1969. The Bees were an upstart team in direct competition with the historic Sarnia Legionnaires of the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League. By mid-season, the Bees had stolen away most of the Legionnaires fan base and the team was forced to fold.Over the next quarter century the Bees had some good teams but the club seldom lived up to the legend of the Sarnia Legionnaires.
After dominating the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League during the 1970-71 season, the Bees elected to jump to the Legionnaires' old league, the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
----The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1977....
, but the adventure was not overly successful and the Bees returned to the WOJHL the next season. Their experience in Junior A seemingly fueled the Bees during the 1972-73 season as they won the WOJHL championship and went on to defeated the Metro Junior B Hockey League's Toronto Nationals
Toronto Nationals
The Hamilton Nationals are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the 2009 season from Toronto, Ontario as the Toronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history...
4-games-to-2 to win Sarnia's first Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
since the Sarnia Legionnaires did it in 1968.
In 1983, the Bees were again WOJBHL champions and pushed all the way to the Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
finals. In the final, they met the Metro Junior B Hockey League's St. Michael's Buzzers
St. Michael's Buzzers
The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Canadian Hockey League.-History:...
. After a long battle, the Buzzers finished off the Bees in game 7 to deny the franchise of its second Sutherland Cup.
In 1995, the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
accepted the expansion of a new team known as the Sarnia Sting
Sarnia Sting
The Sarnia Sting are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of the RBC Centre, formerly the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
. To stay out of the shadow of the OHL team, the Bees changed their name to the Steeplejacks. After another couple name changes, the Sarnia franchise became the Sarnia Blast in 2001. The team is a long standing member of the Western Junior "B" league (WOHL).
In 2002, the Blast won the WOHL championship and qualified for the Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
final. In the final they met the Mid-Western Junior B Hockey League's Elmira Sugar Kings
Elmira Sugar Kings
The Elmira Sugar Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...
. The series went the distance, but the Blast prevailed in game 7 of the series and brought the Sutherland Cup back to Sarnia for the seventh time and the first time in 29 years.
In 2008, the ownership of the Sarnia Blast was transferred to a consortium of local individuals. In memory of the fabled Sarnia Legionnaires of old, the new owners and the local Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
allowed for the current team to resurrect the name. The new owners said they will put pictures of the original Legionnaires in their dressing room, hoping that will inspire today's young players.
In their first year back under the Legionnaire name after a 38-year absence, the club finished first in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. In the playoffs, they won the conference championship by eliminating the St. Thomas Stars 4-1 in games, taking out the Strathroy Rockets 4-3 in games and ousting the London Nationals 4-2 in games to win the Weir Cup.
Tyler Cicchini led the way, scoring 18 goals in 22 post season games. That was one more than the record of 17 playoff goals Don Gordon of the original Legionnaires set in the spring of 1968.
The team set a league record in the 2009 playoffs when it scored three goals in 14 seconds in a game against Strathroy.
Sarnia Jr. 'B' hockey teams named the Legionnaires have now won six Western Ontario championships in 17 years of action, along with four Sutherland Cups.
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1111117
Season-by-Season results
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs |
| 1969-70 | 36 | 19 | 12 | 5 | ||||||
| 199 | 158 | 43 | 2nd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1970-71 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 2 | ||||||
| 263 | 143 | 66 | 1st WOJHL | |||||||
| 1971-72 | 56 | 15 | 31 | 10 | ||||||
| 158 | 200 | 40 | 8th SOJAHL | |||||||
| 1972-73 | 41 | 34 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| 289 | 144 | 72 | 1st WOJHL | Won League, Won SC Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship... |
||||||
| 1973-74 | 40 | 31 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
| 275 | 144 | 65 | 1st WOJHL | Won League | ||||||
| 1974-75 | 40 | 22 | 13 | 5 | ||||||
| 202 | 161 | 49 | 1st WOJHL | |||||||
| 1975-76 | 40 | 26 | 10 | 4 | ||||||
| 272 | 183 | 56 | 2nd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1976-77 | 40 | 19 | 13 | 8 | ||||||
| 208 | 158 | 46 | 2nd WOJHL | Won League | ||||||
| 1977-78 | 40 | 18 | 17 | 5 | ||||||
| 213 | 208 | 41 | 3rd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1978-79 | 42 | 20 | 18 | 4 | ||||||
| 242 | 266 | 44 | 4th WOJHL | |||||||
| 1979-80 | 42 | 25 | 12 | 5 | ||||||
| 246 | 163 | 55 | 3rd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1980-81 | 42 | 26 | 10 | 6 | ||||||
| 236 | 170 | 58 | 2nd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1981-82 | 42 | 36 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| 290 | 138 | 74 | 1st WOJHL | Won League | ||||||
| 1982-83 | 42 | 22 | 14 | 6 | ||||||
| 204 | 172 | 50 | 3rd WOJHL | Lost Final | ||||||
| 1983-84 | 48 | 32 | 10 | 6 | ||||||
| 262 | 172 | 70 | 2nd WOJHL | Lost Final | ||||||
| 1984-85 | 48 | 30 | 15 | 3 | ||||||
| 266 | 211 | 63 | 3rd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1985-86 | 42 | 25 | 16 | 1 | ||||||
| 257 | 196 | 51 | 3rd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1986-87 | 42 | 26 | 11 | 5 | ||||||
| 268 | 192 | 57 | 3rd WOJHL | |||||||
| 1987-88 | 42 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 215 | 158 | 54 | 3rd WOJHL | Won League |
| 1988-89 | 42 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 312 | 150 | 68 | 1st WOJHL | Won League |
| 1989-90 | 39 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 292 | 147 | 70 | 1st WOJHL | Lost Final |
| 1990-91 | 48 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 255 | 185 | 67 | 3rd WOJHL | Lost Final |
| 1991-92 | 50 | 27 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 233 | 221 | 59 | 3rd WOJHL West | |
| 1992-93 | 52 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 77 | 1st WOJHL West | Won League | ||||||||
| 1993-94 | 51 | 30 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 295 | 242 | 62 | 2nd WOJHL West | |
| 1994-95 | 52 | 22 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 236 | 237 | 47 | 3rd WOJHL West | |
| 1995-96 | 52 | 22 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 229 | 231 | 51 | 4th WOJHL West | |
| 1996-97 | 52 | 11 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 175 | 281 | 27 | 5th WOJHL West | |
| 1997-98 | 52 | 18 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 171 | 233 | 42 | 5th WOJHL West | |
| 1998-99 | 52 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 241 | 175 | 71 | 3rd WOJHL West | |
| 1999-00 | 54 | 37 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 228 | 161 | 78 | 2nd GOHL | |
| 2000-01 | 54 | 34 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 220 | 172 | 70 | 4th GOHL | |
| 2001-02 | 54 | 36 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 274 | 190 | 75 | 3rd WOJHL | Won League, Won SC Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship... |
| 2002-03 | 48 | 34 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 250 | 161 | 70 | 2nd WOJHL | Lost Final |
| 2003-04 | 48 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 215 | 151 | 70 | 1st WOJHL | |
| 2004-05 | 48 | 28 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 193 | 150 | 63 | 3rd WOJHL | |
| 2005-06 | 48 | 23 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 171 | 181 | 49 | 6th WOJHL | |
| 2006-07 | 48 | 31 | 12 | |||||||
| 5 | 225 | 180 | 67 | 2nd WOJHL | Lost Final | |||||
| 2007-08 | 48 | 26 | 19 | |||||||
| 3 | 158 | 149 | 55 | 5th GOJHL-W | ||||||
| 2008-09 | 52 | 37 | 11 | |||||||
| 4 | 228 | 158 | 78 | 1st GOJHL-W | Won West, Lost Semi-final RR | |||||
| 2009-10 | 50 | 21 | 23 | |||||||
| 6 | 174 | 176 | 48 | 6th GOJHL-W | Lost Conf. QF | |||||
| 2010-11 | 51 | 24 | 24 | |||||||
| 3 | 198 | 208 | 51 | 7th GOJHL-W | Lost Conf. QF |
Sutherland CupSutherland CupThe Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
Appearances
- 1973: Sarnia Bees defeated Toronto NationalsToronto NationalsThe Hamilton Nationals are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the 2009 season from Toronto, Ontario as the Toronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history...
4-games-to-2 - 1982: St. Michael's BuzzersSt. Michael's BuzzersThe St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Canadian Hockey League.-History:...
defeated Sarnia Bees 4-games-to-3 - 2002: Sarnia Blast defeated Elmira Sugar KingsElmira Sugar KingsThe Elmira Sugar Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...
4-games-to-3
Notable alumni
- Frank BeatonFrank BeatonAlexander Francis "Seldom" Beaton is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 25 games in the National Hockey League and 153 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Cincinnati Stingers, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Birmingham Bulls.-References:...
- Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (ice hockey)Jerome Patrick Butler is a retired a Canadian ice hockey winger who spent 11 seasons in the National Hockey League...
- Dino CiccarelliDino Ciccarelli.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
- Mike CrombeenMike CrombeenMichael Joseph Crombeen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. His son B. J. currently plays with the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
- Michael Dark
- Scott GarlandScott Garland (ice hockey)Scott Stephen Garland was a professional ice hockey centre who played three seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings....
- Tony McKegneyTony McKegneyAnthony Syiid McKegney is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91.-Career:...
- Robbie MooreRobbie MooreRobert David "Robbie" Moore is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. He played his college hockey at the University of Michigan and the University of Western Ontario. Author John U...
- Mike Murray
- Bob NeelyBob NeelyRobert Barry Neely is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 283 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted number one overall in the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft by the Chicago Cougars, and 10th overall by the Maple Leafs in the NHL Amateur Draft....
- Rumun NdurRumun NdurRumun Ndur is a Nigerian-born Canadian professional ice hockey player.- Career :He has played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Rangers, and the Atlanta Thrashers. Ndur is also the first Nigerian-born player ever to play in the NHL...
- Kraig NienhuisKraig NienhuisKraig Nienhuis was a professional ice hockey player who played 87 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Boston Bruins. He played houseleague hockey until the age of nineteen.- References :...
- Bill Lochead
- Tim Bernhardt