Sarnia Sting 2024 25 Season Thread Part Iii

[robp1219]

to my knowledge - zero cap, considering the entire CHL has a strategic goal to capture as many american players / american markets as reasonably possible IMO.

They should consider renaming the league then lol

 

[Jason M]

Just read Letangs comments after yesterday's game. Basically all the same crap. About how we're young and so on. He sounded like someone who's trying to hang on to there job. He also mentioned how are PP sucked all year and that are D was to soft. He also kinda threw shad at everyone around him. Basically said if they did a better job I'd look good and since they didn't everyone points there finger at me. Well yeah Dickhead your the coach. Once again sounds like he doesn't want to take responsibility for anything.

FIRE LETANG NOW!!!!!

 

[robp1219]

Just read Letangs comments after yesterday's game. Basically all the same crap. About how we're young and so on. He sounded like someone who's trying to hang on to there job. He also mentioned how are PP sucked all year and that are D was to soft. He also kinda threw shad at everyone around him. Basically said if they did a better job I'd look good and since they didn't everyone points there finger at me. We'll yeah Dickhead your the coach. Once again sounds like he doesn't want to take responsibility for anything.

FIRE LETANG NOW!!!!!

Yep get rid of him!! What a loser he is, puts blame on everyone else that he’s in charge of.

 

[stingwagoner]

They haven't Fired Letang yet? Guy is so delusional

 

[davewheeler]

id be cautious about drafting guys to specifically play against 1 team. Windsor is going to look a lot different in 2-3 years.... Buzz have decent size as it is.. go out and get the best player available. I saw someone mention the lottery is this Wednesday.... is that true

 

[StingUpdates]

To me this quote perfectly breaks down why this team seemingly had no identity all year & had such significant consistency issues.

"we just need to find ways to get way better getting inside the game and trying to manufacture some offense a little bit of the old fashioned way. a puck to the net, a rebound, a tip, a screen of the goalie."

Sure maybe that was an issue, but the team played with ZERO creativity, imagination. They were so easy to defend because they were such a bland offensive team.

He forced a young team to play a cycle, grinding, meat & potatoes style. Which means in the areas he wants them to score (down low, net front) they will be out muscled most nights & completely shut down.

This team should've been a transition based team. They had elite speed & players that work well off the rush. Di Iorio, Edwards, Brown, Kostuch, Wainwright, Doucette, Young, Fischer, Manza, Chamberlain, Barr, Bridgewater don't wanna play a grinding, in the mud style. that's not what we drafted them for either.

Even if Letang did a better job with lineup decisions, goalie management, special teams that would still hold the team back that they play a style that doesn't mesh with the roster.

Biggest reason why a change is needed IMO.

 

[StingUpdates]

id be cautious about drafting guys to specifically play against 1 team. Windsor is going to look a lot different in 2-3 years.... Buzz have decent size as it is.. go out and get the best player available. I saw someone mention the lottery is this Wednesday.... is that true

In recent years its been WED before round 1, game 1. So I don't see why they'd change it, but maybe it'll be next week instead.

Yah I never wanna make a pick directly to match someone else. Why its so frustrating watching how Canada hockey has been run as of late lol. But if we can get an elite player with size that would be awesome. Smaller guys always have some sort of limitation

 

[nelli27]

Is there a cap on how many American players you can have on a roster? If not I think there should be, because next year London as it stands now should be a 5,6 team based on their roster after all their talent leaving this year. (You know they will be better because they are the knights). But with these new rules you know the knights will have American top prospects lining up to play for them more than ever. Which I think will give them even more of an advantage at bringing top American prospects over and realistically they could have 1/2 to 3/4 of top American prospects on a team if they wanted to, when majority if not all of the rest of the teams couldn’t do that. Also this is the Canadian hockey league , supposed to be developing Canadian players not Americans. I would put a cap on the amount you can have on a roster. (If there isn’t one already)

I think the new rules will hurt the Knights with respect to the draft. I know this doesn't address your point about U.S. players. What do you think about this?
In previous years, a prospect could always say to an OHL team, "don't pick me, I won't report, I'm going to the BCHL or USHL so that one day I can play college hockey". Then what happened? The player reported to London.
Can that still happen? If a player now says, "don't pick me, I won't report to your (OHL) team?" that GM can respond with "oh, is that so? Why not? It doesn't matter now if you play O, USHL, or BCHL because you can still jump ship and play college hockey if that's what you want?"
I guess what I'm trying to say is now OHL GMs are in a better position to call the player's bluff. Less chance that top prospects will fall to London. Maybe I'm missing something...hope others will chime in here.
Of course, this would mean a better opportunity for Sarnia to get the players they want.

 

[Jason M]

OHL4Life posted on X. That he believes Mark Guy is coming in as President of hockey ops.

 

[StingUpdates]

OHL4Life posted on X. That he believes Mark Guy is coming in as President of hockey ops.

If he was coming in as that with Legwand staying as owner I'd love that! Be a really solid front office with those 2. Talk about connections.

See when they make it official & what all is said.

 

[robp1219]

I think the new rules will hurt the Knights with respect to the draft. I know this doesn't address your point about U.S. players. What do you think about this?
In previous years, a prospect could always say to an OHL team, "don't pick me, I won't report, I'm going to the BCHL or USHL so that one day I can play college hockey". Then what happened? The player reported to London.
Can that still happen? If a player now says, "don't pick me, I won't report to your (OHL) team?" that GM can respond with "oh, is that so? Why not? It doesn't matter now if you play O, USHL, or BCHL because you can still jump ship and play college hockey if that's what you want?"
I guess what I'm trying to say is now OHL GMs are in a better position to call the player's bluff. Less chance that top prospects will fall to London. Maybe I'm missing something...hope others will chime in here.
Of course, this would mean a better opportunity for Sarnia to get the players they want.

Ya I get what you are saying it might hurt them from drafting “certain” American players, but there are a lot of good American players out there, and the ones they do draft it’s almost a 100% guarantee they will report to the knights now compared to before when it was like 60-70% chance they will report. Teams like sarnia, north bay, Peterborough, Sudbury etc. may have like a 40-50% chance at getting guys they want now, compared to before the new rule it was like 15-20% chance. What I am saying is London could use every pick on US players and because of the new rule it’s pretty much a guarantee they will come now. London could ice a roster with 1/2 to 3/4 of Americans. Where most of the league won’t be able to come close to that.

 

[nelli27]

Ya I get what you are saying it might hurt them from drafting “certain” American players, but there are a lot of good American players out there, and the ones they do draft it’s almost a 100% guarantee they will report to the knights now compared to before when it was like 60-70% chance they will report. Teams like sarnia, north bay, Peterborough, Sudbury etc. may have like a 40-50% chance at getting guys they want now, compared to before the new rule it was like 15-20% chance. What I am saying is London could use every pick on US players and because of the new rule it’s pretty much a guarantee they will come now. London could ice a roster with 1/2 to 3/4 of Americans. Where most of the league won’t be able to come close to that.

I see. This is all still so new. And I was just spitballin' cause I don't have a clue.

 

[StingUpdates]

Sounds like the lottery is this Wednesday still.

See if we can get lucky again & move up. With what ppl say it doesn't feel as important this year, but still would be nice to get the guy you want/ranked #1/#2

 

[dirty12]

I see. This is all still so new. And I was just spitballin' cause I don't have a clue.

I think the talent share of the greater player pool might not change much. Players will still ‘fall’ a bit to Guelph, Kitchener, and London; and the mid-west will likely most often still be best.

 

[OMG67]

I think the new rules will hurt the Knights with respect to the draft. I know this doesn't address your point about U.S. players. What do you think about this?
In previous years, a prospect could always say to an OHL team, "don't pick me, I won't report, I'm going to the BCHL or USHL so that one day I can play college hockey". Then what happened? The player reported to London.
Can that still happen? If a player now says, "don't pick me, I won't report to your (OHL) team?" that GM can respond with "oh, is that so? Why not? It doesn't matter now if you play O, USHL, or BCHL because you can still jump ship and play college hockey if that's what you want?"
I guess what I'm trying to say is now OHL GMs are in a better position to call the player's bluff. Less chance that top prospects will fall to London. Maybe I'm missing something...hope others will chime in here.
Of course, this would mean a better opportunity for Sarnia to get the players they want.

IMO, not much changes. Reason? The player still holds the cards. It really doesn’t matter if the player can play NCAA at 20 after their OHL career is over. It matters whether the player is capable of playing when they are 18. IF they are capable of playing when they are 18, then the player can dictate where they play and thus, they can still pick their team.

That comes with a caveat. I don’t think the Knights, as an example, can rig the draft all that much anymore. What they can do, is buy those defected players. And, I think other teams will continue to use defected players as a strategy for rebuilding. We cannot simply assume a defected player won’t play for that specific franchise. We can also assume they want to play for a specific team, yes, but the team picking them is doing so at the behest of the acquiring team with a deal already drummed up. For example, I think James Boyd knew Henry Brzustewicz wanted to go to London. Boyd jsut spent 14 draft picks the deadline previous acquiring Logan Morrison and Patel Mintyukov. He needed to acquire picks. The depth of that draft suggested they weren’t going to get an impact player, so if Brzustewicz was there, they’d take him, trade him, get the two 2nds and a 3rd as well as the comp pick. London gets a player they want, the 67’s get a very good compensation package, and the player plays where he wants. That is a win-win-win.

The flip side to that is simple. Is the drafting team willing to actually call the players bluff? To do that means they need to retain the rights to the player and not trade them as defected. That means they are valuing the player more than 3-5 high draft picks and a pick int he following draft one position later. That is REALLY hard to pass up.

Another issue is gauging the players true intent. Valentini and Malhotra can play in the OHL for the next three years and play NCAA after. No problem. But, they didn’t report this year. Will they report next year? Does anyone really know?

Another issue is the top rated prospects intend on playing NHL hockey. IF they are elite players, they’d aren’t going to play NCAA at 20 (typically). They are going to sign their ELC which makes them ineligible and then carry on in the AHL or NHL at 20. The top players that are trying o drive their own bus are the players with that mindset (unless they are small). And, players that are drafted out of College can play AHL at 19. That is an advantage (that will likely equalize soon).

What you are referring to more are the players in that 2nd to 4th round. A team can take those players and have more leverage and can make a different type of offer to entice them to play. Teams have limited number of Gold School packages so not being able to allocate one to a 3rd round hard to sign pick won’t matter now. They will have other options in the NCAA on full ride scholarships if needed. To me, THAT is the biggest difference. The other big difference is enticing high rated NCAA players at an older age to play for a year and then play NCAA. I think the Knights have Montgomery as a great example. Would he have come to the OHL had the rules been different?

I think there are a lot of ways the NCAA/CHL agreement will help the smaller teams. However, I don’t think shenanigans in round one will change. There is too much at stake for the smaller teams. They need the player to report. They can’t mess around. The pull to trade the defected player is too great IMO.

 

[OMG67]

I think the talent share of the greater player pool might not change much. Players will still ‘fall’ a bit to Guelph, Kitchener, and London; and the mid-west will likely most often still be best.

I think this is pretty accurate. A small handful of teams like the ones you’ve mentioned are more likely to get pen to paper on Americans and tougher to sign guys while also benefiting from being relatively close to the GTA where families don’t feel like their kid is isolated a far way away from them. No parent wants to have to drive East through the GTA to Ottawa to see their kid play vs Guelph or Kitchener less than an hour away. That is a big factor. Similar to the Michigan kids preferring Sarnia and Windsor if not Flint or Saginaw. That may be the difference between them being OHL players or USHL/NCAA players…distance from home.

 

[StingUpdates]

I think this is pretty accurate. A small handful of teams like the ones you’ve mentioned are more likely to get pen to paper on Americans and tougher to sign guys while also benefiting from being relatively close to the GTA where families don’t feel like their kid is isolated a far way away from them. No parent wants to have to drive East through the GTA to Ottawa to see their kid play vs Guelph or Kitchener less than an hour away. That is a big factor. Similar to the Michigan kids preferring Sarnia and Windsor if not Flint or Saginaw. That may be the difference between them being OHL players or USHL/NCAA players…distance from home.

Edwards said that was one of the biggest reasons he chose Sarnia. He planned on going USHL but Sarnia is pretty much his hometown so all his family, friends could see all the games.

I see it changing a little, but not drastically. Maybe more teams call players bluffs because the USHL & BCHL are declining leagues now. BCHL seems to be falling apart. USHL teams wanna join the OHL lol. Maybe more Americans go higher now then teams using 8ths-12th on "flyers" because they'll come but only for 2-3 seasons.

But you'll still have kids saying I wont play for you. Like Wassilyn last yr said he wouldn't play for SAR or PBO but he would play for NIA (helluva choice lmao) and that had nothing to do with NCAA stuff. so it'll still happen.

It'll be interesting to see teams philosophies on Americans (or Canadians) who say they'll come but only for 2-3 seasons. Pass on them? Take them later? Still take them high because you think they are too good? Should be fun.

 

[Jason M]

Wednesday at 7pm is the lottery OHL just announced.

 

[robp1219]

I see. This is all still so new. And I was just spitballin' cause I don't have a clue.

Ya it’s new to me, just my thought on it, we will see how it all plays out.

 

[Fastpace]

Is there a cap on how many American players you can have on a roster? If not I think there should be, because next year London as it stands now should be a 5,6 team based on their roster after all their talent leaving this year. (You know they will be better because they are the knights). But with these new rules you know the knights will have American top prospects lining up to play for them more than ever. Which I think will give them even more of an advantage at bringing top American prospects over and realistically they could have 1/2 to 3/4 of top American prospects on a team if they wanted to, when majority if not all of the rest of the teams couldn’t do that. Also this is the Canadian hockey league , supposed to be developing Canadian players not Americans. I would put a cap on the amount you can have on a roster. (If there isn’t one already)

Knights' undrafted Evan Van Gorp, was a walk on at the 2023 training camp, was smart, fast skater and defensively responsible, easy to teach, has a point every other game average in two seasons. The reason I mention him is that he was cut from the 2023 Sting's camp. While driving home from the Sting, he received a text from the Knights inviting him to their camp, and he made a powerful Knights team that made it to the Memorial Cup Final. The moral here is, you teach, you develop, you train, and you put him in a team system. It really has nothing to do with American players or all top players playing for the Knights, they are developed to play in a successful team system. Just saying ! Cheers !

 

[StingUpdates]

Knights' undrafted Evan Van Gorp, was a walk on at the 2023 training camp, was smart, fast skater and defensively responsible, easy to teach, has a point every other game average in two seasons. The reason I mention him is that he was cut from the 2023 Sting's camp. While driving home from the Sting, he received a text from the Knights inviting him to their camp, and he made a powerful Knights team that made it to the Memorial Cup Final. The moral here is, you teach, you develop, you train, and you put him in a team system. It really has nothing to do with American players or all top players playing for the Knights, they are developed to play in a successful team system. Just saying ! Cheers !

Oh. We are well aware he was at our camp lol. Can't wait to watch him score the OHL championship winning goal this yr. Really put a cherry on top of this season!

Not arguable LDN is the best at developing. Also not arguable they get the most "breaks/bounces" when it comes to kids not wanting to play elsewhere/only wanting to play in a certain spot/playing games etc.

End of the day it's because of 20 years of dominance. If Owen sound or north bay (not chirping just example) were T4 every yr all the kids would wanna go there too.

 

[StingUpdates]

Not usually my area, but heard some info tonight from what id call a pretty damn good source lol. Don't take it as gospel, but this person would know..

NCAA is a worry for taking some of our guys. Not a shocker & im sure its a worry for every team, but it isn't just Young/Wainwright they are after..

Letang is stubborn. Which we know, but he doesn't like adjusting. At all. They never took multiple days to work on special teams even in JAN when they barely played. Players seem to like him though which is a touch surprising lol.

Entire team (management, coaches) were way to passive, content with the last 2 seasons being rebuilding years. Was a huge lack of urgency top down. The spike in attendance, STHs likely hurts when it comes to that.

Legwand isn't selling. Especially when his son is being drafted this yr & probably to us since that's what most often happens with owners sons in this league. We don't see him, but he's around quite often checking in. During playoff run he especially was around. Guy is 100% coming in.

Heard this from a few ppl now, Kostuch is doing well, but needs some procedures still. He should be back assuming all goes well. Not sure if his sight is normal, worse, or non existent in the one eye unfortunately.

This was the most surprising to me, Hatcher (remember him!?) isn't totally gone/not involved. His stake is greatly reduced, but he's still on board to some capacity. At least from last the person heard.

Nothing earth shattering but some useful info. Especially if they are correct about Legwand, Hatcher. Having those 2 + Guy up top is a pretty solid group up top. So many connections especially on the American side which maybe really shines thru in the coming years after NCAA agreement.

NCAA rule is good, but man its gonna be quite a roller coaster. Gonna get kids we never would've before, but we are gonna lose kids at 18/19 we never would've before. Quite the double edged sword.

Really disappointed the general feel is nothing will happen at least with Letang. Simply don't know how you come off this season not looking at the HC. And yah the team will be better next year, but that's because our U17s should be rather good & do it themselves most nights. Can only hope the leash is really short..

So yah, there's that. I'm sure Legwand will sell, we wont draft his kid, Letang will be fired & ill look like an idiot, but that's what I was told! Haha.

 

[Jason M]

Not usually my area, but heard some info tonight from what id call a pretty damn good source lol. Don't take it as gospel, but this person would know..

NCAA is a worry for taking some of our guys. Not a shocker & im sure its a worry for every team, but it isn't just Young/Wainwright they are after..

Letang is stubborn. Which we know, but he doesn't like adjusting. At all. They never took multiple days to work on special teams even in JAN when they barely played. Players seem to like him though which is a touch surprising lol.

Entire team (management, coaches) were way to passive, content with the last 2 seasons being rebuilding years. Was a huge lack of urgency top down. The spike in attendance, STHs likely hurts when it comes to that.

Legwand isn't selling. Especially when his son is being drafted this yr & probably to us since that's what most often happens with owners sons in this league. We don't see him, but he's around quite often checking in. During playoff run he especially was around. Guy is 100% coming in.

Heard this from a few ppl now, Kostuch is doing well, but needs some procedures still. He should be back assuming all goes well. Not sure if his sight is normal, worse, or non existent in the one eye unfortunately.

This was the most surprising to me, Hatcher (remember him!?) isn't totally gone/not involved. His stake is greatly reduced, but he's still on board to some capacity. At least from last the person heard.

Nothing earth shattering but some useful info. Especially if they are correct about Legwand, Hatcher. Having those 2 + Guy up top is a pretty solid group up top. So many connections especially on the American side which maybe really shines thru in the coming years after NCAA agreement.

NCAA rule is good, but man its gonna be quite a roller coaster. Gonna get kids we never would've before, but we are gonna lose kids at 18/19 we never would've before. Quite the double edged sword.

Really disappointed the general feel is nothing will happen at least with Letang. Simply don't know how you come off this season not looking at the HC. And yah the team will be better next year, but that's because our U17s should be rather good & do it themselves most nights. Can only hope the leash is really short..

So yah, there's that. I'm sure Legwand will sell, we wont draft his kid, Letang will be fired & ill look like an idiot, but that's what I was told! Haha.

Kinda concerned if the players like Letang. Management will use that as an excuse to at least let him run out his contract.

Also if we lose Young and Wainwright and anyone else to NCAA. That is going to look bad on Seca and Letang. Because according to Seca at the deadline they didnt want to go anywhere. Unless he was lying about that too just like when he said we'd push for 5th. Then he said a couple weeks ago that we're where he thought we'd be. But if we lose them we're gonna look really stupid for not being sellers at the deadline which I wanted us to be.

 

[Bavis Doyer]

Knights' undrafted Evan Van Gorp, was a walk on at the 2023 training camp, was smart, fast skater and defensively responsible, easy to teach, has a point every other game average in two seasons. The reason I mention him is that he was cut from the 2023 Sting's camp. While driving home from the Sting, he received a text from the Knights inviting him to their camp, and he made a powerful Knights team that made it to the Memorial Cup Final. The moral here is, you teach, you develop, you train, and you put him in a team system. It really has nothing to do with American players or all top players playing for the Knights, they are developed to play in a successful team system. Just saying ! Cheers !

Jacob Julien was a u18 draft pick as well.

 

[robp1219]

Knights' undrafted Evan Van Gorp, was a walk on at the 2023 training camp, was smart, fast skater and defensively responsible, easy to teach, has a point every other game average in two seasons. The reason I mention him is that he was cut from the 2023 Sting's camp. While driving home from the Sting, he received a text from the Knights inviting him to their camp, and he made a powerful Knights team that made it to the Memorial Cup Final. The moral here is, you teach, you develop, you train, and you put him in a team system. It really has nothing to do with American players or all top players playing for the Knights, they are developed to play in a successful team system. Just saying ! Cheers !

Completely agree they do the best job in the league at scouting and developing the best players, but they also can get and have got top notch American players that have played a year or two developing in the USNTDP program or USHL who make their team better. For example this year Blake Montgomery, NHL drafted player who played every year in the states developing including the start of this year and produced at a high level in the states. The knights added him to bolster their roster. I’m not saying they have got American players all the time or they will start to do it in the future. I’m saying with the new rules more Americans will come over, will they draft more Americans and use more Americans on their roster maybe? I’m leaning towards yes because there is alot more good American players now a days and they will take the best forwards to make their team better like every team will . My point is they will most likely draft more Americans because they have the best chance at getting Americans to come over especially with the new rules compared to the rest of the league. If you have that advantage you might aswell take advantage of it right? I just feel like this league is going to be filled with American players which I don’t like because it’s suppose to be a Canadian development league, and I think there should be a cap on American players just like import players. Just my opinion.