The Sarnia Sting hockey club has announced its hall of fame class for 2023-24.
The OHL team will be inducting former players Aaron Brand, and Andy Delmore as well as Bill Abercrombie and Dr. Duncan MacKinlay in the builders category.
More details about the inductees are posted below:
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Aaron Brand:
Brand was originally drafted in the 13th round by the Newmarket Royals in the 1992 OHL draft. He would go on to be one of the best draft picks in Cornwall/ Newmarket/ Sarnia franchise history. During the 1995-96 season, Brand cemented his legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history. That year, he not only led the Sarnia Sting in points but also finished atop the OHL scoring race with 119 points.
Brand was also named the top OHL overage player that season and was named to the season ending second all star team.
To go along with his scoring proficiency, Brand also proved to be incredibly durable, not missing a single game in both of his seasons in Sarnia.
A lasting memory of Brand’s time with the Sting was the night he signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs at centre ice of the Sarnia Arena.
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Andy Delmore:
Delmore joined the Sting during the 1994-95 season following a trade with the North Bay Centennials, and put up 18 points in 27 games with the Sting that season.
Over the next two seasons, Delmore would be a fixture on the Sting blueline and would be one of the mainstays of a dangerous Sting power play. In 1995-96, he would eclipse the 20-goal mark.
In his final season with the Sting Delmore finished with 78 points in 63 games. At the time of his hall of fame induction (2024) this mark stands as the highest single season total of any Sting defenseman in team history. Delmore would go on to play 17 years professionally including parts of seven seasons in the NHL.
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Bill Abercrombie: Abercrombie began his coaching career in 1985, leading the Petrolia Jets Junior C team.
When the OHL’s Newmarket Royals relocated to Sarnia to become the Sting in 1994, Abercrombie joined the club and served as an assistant coach until 2002. During this period, he helped develop many of the organization’s early stars. In 2010, Abercrombie made his return to the Sting as vice president of hockey operations before being named the club’s president in 2014. In this role, Abercrombie worked closely with the Sting Hockey Operations Department while overseeing the hockey club’s business activities. As president, Abercrombie played pivotal roles in many of the Sting’s off-ice accomplishments.
He was instrumental in completing the 2018 video board and LED ribbon upgrade at Progressive Auto Sales Arena (PASA) which brought new life and modern technology into the Sting gameday experience.
Following the successful completion of this, Abercrombie then spearheaded the construction of a state-of-the-art dressing room. A move that elevated the Sting program, providing a professional space for players and staff that is second to none.
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Dr. Duncan MacKinlay: In the lead up to the inaugural 1994-95 Sting season, owner Robert Ciccarelli approached local Dr. Duncan MacKinlay to see if he would be interested in being the team's orthopaedic surgeon.
Dr. MacKinlay readily agreed, and when asked his salary expectations, he said he would volunteer his time; he just wanted to help play a part in bringing the OHL team to Sarnia and ensuring its success. Throughout his time with the Sting, Dr. MacKinlay was known to go above and beyond on multiple occasions to ensure the players received the most urgent and professional care required. In December of 2023, after more than three decades of practising medicine and thirty seasons of being the team’s official orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. MacKinlay retired from both roles.
He estimated that he performed over fifty plus surgeries on members of the Sting, some of whom have gone on to have NHL careers. Though he is retired from his official capacity with the Sting, he remains an avid fan and enjoys attending games with his grandchildren.
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The construction of the Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame is an ongoing project that began during this season and is located in the southwest corner of Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
It will showcase photos, articles, statistics, and memorabilia from the team's history, and a wall dedicated to distinguished members of the organization's past who have played a major part in its growth both on and off the ice.
These individuals are honoured each season during a select home game with an on-ice pre-game induction ceremony.
In March 2023, the club honoured Robert Ciccarelli, Jon Sim and Trevor Letowski for their significant roles in establishing an OHL franchise in Sarnia and made up the inaugural Sting Hall of Fame class.
This year's inductees will be honoured during an on-ice ceremony when the Sting host the Guelph Storm Saturday, February 10.