Sting home opener Wednesday kicks off another season

Journal Staff The Sarnia Sting were ready to begin another season of Ontario Hockey League action Wednesday night in game against the archrival London Knights.

Journal Staff

The Sarnia Sting were ready to begin another season of Ontario Hockey League action Wednesday night in game against the archrival London Knights.

The home opener at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena was first of six meetings between the two teams, which includes a home-and-home tilt that’s become a New Year’s tradition.

The Sting are looking to defend their first West Division title since 2004. The club had a franchise record 42 wins and 91 points last season, a feat that was overshadowed by a first-round playoff loss to the Sault Ste. Marie in seven games.

“We had some pretty big expectations heading into the playoffs and felt we had a strong group, but it didn’t go the way we expected and that was disappointing,” general manager Nick Sinclair told ontariohockeyleague.com.

The Sting begin the season with three homegrown players on the starting roster: Defenceman Franco Sproviero, right winger Brock Perry and goalie Justin Fazio, who is expect to be the main man in net.

Fazio, 19, went 24-13-3-1 with a 2.68 goals-against-average and a .902 save percentage in 41 games last season.

Sarnia also has two of the league’s premier forwards but it’s not known when or if Pavel Zacha or Travis Konecny will be returned by their NHL teams, the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers respectively.