When Sarnia Sting fans arrive for the home opener Friday against Sault Ste. Marie, they are going to see much more than a first-place hockey club. Massive renovations have taken place at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont. during the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) offseason. “We’re really excited to launch District 94,” said Jake Bourrie, vice president of business operations for the Sting. “It lives in the heart of Progressive Auto Sales Arena. We’re thrilled to have ownership here with the Sting from Ryan Finch, David Legwand and Mark Guy who have made a significant investment into the food and beverage experience here and it starts here in the restaurant.” The Sting have also made significant changes to the concourse. They have added a Hall of Fame section, and made upgrades to concession stands and their team store. “From the moment you scan your ticket to the smell of the popcorn, to coming into the restaurant and enjoying that experience, to shopping in our team store, we want to be a leader in sports and entertainment,” said Bourrie. “Whether we win or lose, we want our fans to leave saying, ‘I had a great time, and I’m looking forward to the next game.’” On the ice, the Sting are off to a great start. They played all four of their games on the road as the arena renovations are ongoing and won three of four including their first victory in Ottawa in nearly two decades. “I think you don’t want to look too far ahead,” said Sting captain Alessandro Di Iorio. “You want to play hard and you want to play tough and fast. I think we’ve done on the first three games and if we keep playing, I think we’ll be very successful.” The Sting have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. After undergoing an ownership change last year, they brought in head coach Mathieu Turcotte in November 2025, replacing Alan Letang. “The biggest thing is kind of gaining that respect back overall is pretty much the theme this year,” said Turcotte. “With the past few years, we want to make sure that we shift things, we turn things around and make sure that we fight for that division every year.” There have been a lot of roster turnover and new faces, with the new owners striving for a winning culture on and off the ice. “They are making the investments but also the commitment and the sweat equity that they’re putting in,” said Bourrie. “They’re here rolling up their sleeves and helping support in all aspects of our business. It’s a great time to be a Sting fan.” They have a renovated dressing room and weight room and have been given all the tools to make the team successful. Now it’s up to Turcotte and the players to execute. “Our ownership group put a lot of time and effort and obviously money into all the renovations here so it’s a great fan experience,” said Turcotte. “It’s our job to make sure that experience is good on the ice as well. We feel that we’ve put together a pretty good team here and we’ll continue getting better, but the fans can definitely expect a much improved team for sure.”
