The Sarnia Sting will induct Patrick DesRochers, Jeff Heerema, and Dr. John Vargo into the Hall of Fame as the class of 2025.
The three inductees will be recognized during an on-ice ceremony on February 1, when the Sting host the Erie Otters at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
Before joining Blackburn Media's CHOK Sting broadcast as a colour commentator, DeRochers received many professional accolades during his playing career.
The Sarnia Sting drafted him in the first round of the 1995 OHL Priority Selection from the Barrie Colts Tier 2 Jr. A program.
"The Penetanguishene, Ontario native’s [four] shutouts in the 1996-1997 season remains the all-time single season high for a netminder while his five total shutouts during his tenure with the Sting ties him for second all-time in franchise history," read a media release. "DesRochers also remains the second winningest goalie with 63 career regular season wins and currently sits third all-time amongst netminders in total games played with the Sting after making 143 appearances."
DesRochers was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He spent eight years in the NHL and had stints in the AHL and in Europe.
He is also noted for representing Canada at the 2001 Spengler Cup and winning a Norwegian national championship in 2009.
When DeRochers returned to Sarnia, he joined the Sting organization as a goalie coach from 2014 to 2017.
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Heerema was drafted from the Thunder Bay Kings U18 AAA program during the second round of the 1997 OHL Priority Selection.
He spent his entire OHL career with the Sting and played a total of 192 games.
The club said Heerema currently sits sixth all-time in career goals scored with 99 regular season goals, and seventh all-time with 219 career points.
Heerema was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 1998 and spent 12 years in the NHL, playing with Carolina and St. Louis. He later spent some time in the AHL before closing out his career in Europe.
He moved back to his hometown of Thunder Bay and remains connected to minor hockey programs.
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Dr. Vargo is a chiropractic sports injury specialist who joined the club during its inaugural 1994-1995 season after the team relocated from Newmarket to Sarnia.
"Dr. Vargo’s dedication to the Sarnia Sting has been truly remarkable throughout his years of service with the team," read a media release.
Born and raised in Sarnia, Vargo has also helped establish the Sarnia Chiropractic and Performance Centre as a founding member.
Aside from assisting Sting players, Vargo worked with Canadian athletes at the 2016 Summer Olympics and acts as a chiropractic sports injury consultant for several NHL and NFL players. He has also been a dedicated member of Athletics Canada’s medical team.