A hockey competition like no other: the Hunters split the gap between London and Sarnia

Content of the article

This London-Sarnia hockey series isn’t just about city proximity.

Content of the article

It’s about shared benches, weight rooms, family meals and mutual respect. Hunters Lambton County roots are wrapped around this historic OHL Western Conference final like a net around a goal post.

Our kids were the same age, so Mark and I always coached minor AAA hockey in Sarnia, Sting president Bill Abercrombie said of the Knights GM. Her son Garett and my son Matt were the same age. Dales boy Tucker was with us all the way to London. We changed the head coach every year.

We have been good friends for a long time.

London assistant coach Rick Steadman, nephew of Dale and Marks, also played his minor hockey in Sarnia with the Lambton Lightning before the organization transitioned to the Jr. Sting. Brad Staubitz, the Stings assistant head coach, was his teammate.

Content of the article

Content of the article

In the summer, Brad and I used to go to the Ironworks gym together, the 38-year-old from Oil Springs said. We practiced with (Sting coach) Alan Letang. He was older than us, but he always helped us. He has been good to us since we were children.

Long before the Knights were bought, the Hunters were supporters of the Sting. Steadman and Dylan Hunter grew up following the team’s fortunes while their uncle Mark was behind the bench.

We were at the (new) rink when it first opened and we were always behind Sting,” Steadman said. We went to the old rink (now Pat Stapleton Arena) and it was our first time watching OHL hockey. I remember people four and five deep and hanging over the glass in the old barn. There’s a real community atmosphere, they want to see their team succeed and they want to watch good hockey.

Content of the article

However, black and gold is no longer part of the Hunter shade. Almost everyone went green 23 years ago.

Basically, they were knights through and through, Steadman said. The only one we haven’t traded for is my brother Adams’ wife, Dana. His father (Rob Hislop) is Sting’s doctor. So there are still connections there.

The Sting faithful’s pride and excitement doesn’t stop at reaching the third round for the first time. After seeing a regular Memorial Cup and 12-time Midwest Division winner from London over the last two decades, they are confident they now stand shoulder to shoulder with the most consistent team in junior hockey.

“This is nothing I’ve ever seen before,” said Sting assistant GM Mark Glavin, who joined the club shortly after the Hunters bought the Knights. It felt different after the trade deadline and the city has been involved. The game we played against London at the end of the year felt like a play-off game. Opening against Guelph (in Round 1), our building has never been louder.

Content of the article

We’ve had incredible individual talent here in the past with (Steven) Stamkos, (Alex) Galchenyuk, (Travis) Konecny ​​and (Jakob) Chychrun. You go through our coaches: Shawn Camp and Dave MacQueen had won championships elsewhere, and we hired Joe Canale after he was a world junior coach. We could never break through before, but it certainly hasn’t been for lack of trying.

Ottawa Senator Chychrun has already contacted a team that wants to attend one of the games between London and Sarnia.

Playoff meetings between these two are rare, but of course there were still some interesting milestones in the contest.

With now-London assistant coach Dylan Hunter in the OHL draft, Hunters feared that Sarnia would select him before his chance. Hockey Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli, co-owner of the Sting, stepped in to talk them out of the pick.

Content of the article

Four years ago, London was in goaltending and looking to pick up a veteran off waivers from the Western League, Dylan Myskiw. Sting grabbed him first and forced the Knights to make the deal.

And of course, there was another wrinkle in the OHL draft last weekend. Now both teams have one of the sons of Sting Hall of Famer Jon Sims.

We were all just trying to learn the same things, Abercrombie said. I know there’s a lot of competition in London, but to me the Knights and Sting are kind of like the Hatfields and McCoys. Dale and Mark are both from our area, played here, have all their relatives and everything here. They are the hardest working guys in the business and we try to do that much.

They have always been top class in this league. The proof is how many people they develop for the NHL. It’s second to none and the hockey has been pretty good for London since they’ve been there.

Content of the article

This is going to be an engaging read.

You can’t get a better net matchup than Brett Brochu vs. Ben Gaudreau, both Canadian junior caliber.

Logan Mailloux and Ethan Del Mastro are two of the best defensemen in junior hockey. London coach Dale Hunter is a skilled tactician and Letang helped him at the 2020 World Junior Championships in Ostrava.

Both teams have incredible depth. Skilled Sarnia can boast a bit more scoring, but the speedy Knights defend better than most.

This is a dream come true and the icing on the cake to face London,” said Abercrombie. When I’m not cheering for us, I’m cheering for the Knights. I know deep down the Hunters are glad we got here too.

Well, try to beat each other on the ice. And regardless, always be friends.

[email protected]

Twitter.com/RyanatLFPress