BURST
Owen Hey wanted to make memories for the family photo album, not the history books, when he rejoined the Sarnia Legionnaires last summer.
He came back after two seasons in Northern Ontario to play for the first time with his younger brother, Jake, a 17-year-old rookie.
“It’s been amazing,” the 20-year-old captain said. “It’s been a great experience. We don’t really think of it now, but in 20 years we’ll look back on this and be very grateful that we got to play a year of junior hockey together.”
It’s certainly been a memorable season.
The Jr. B Legionnaires are 0-49-0-0 after losing to the St. Thomas Stars 5-0 in Saturday’s home finale at Pat Stapleton Arena.
They head Sunday to Elmira for one last chance to avoid the first winless season in Greater Ontario Hockey League history.
Players remain optimistic.
“Anyone can win in this league. We haven’t yet,” Owen Hey said with a laugh, “but anyone can win in this league, no matter who you’re playing.”
Mike Bondy has lived the highs and lows of junior hockey in Sarnia. Back in 1993, he ended his junior playing career by winning the Western junior B championship with the Sarnia Bees.
He’s since enjoyed a long coaching career. He was hired last summer as the Legionnaires’ bench boss and director of player development, arriving with longtime colleague Dan Gibson.
Bondy was head coach and Gibson was GM on the Strathroy Rockets’ 2007 Western junior B champions.
The Legionnaires have a storied past with seven Sutherland Cups. However, their last winning season was in 2018-19.
“They’ve fallen on some tough times over the past bunch of years,” Bondy said. “This year, we were restarting some things (with) a lot of younger guys we can continue to work with and try to build this thing back up.
“We’ve done some things here this year. We have to do a lot more, obviously.”
Several veterans were dealt at the 2024-25 trade deadline. More left in the off-season. The Legionnaires began this season with 17 rookies and only two holdovers, both of whom left in the first half.
As the losses piled up, the remaining players didn’t bail.
“I commend them,” Bondy said. “It’s not easy. It’s been an extremely difficult season.
“Unfortunately, we were outmatched in a lot of aspects, but, at the same time, their work ethic has been there. There just hasn’t been the results that we definitely would like.”
The Legionnaires were eliminated from the playoff race nearly two months ago after their 34th loss. Since then, they’ve led in only three games for a total of 22:26.
“It’s been difficult, obviously, but we’re a really young team and I’m very proud of every player,” Owen Hey said. “They stuck together, coming out to every practice, every game and worked as hard as they can.
“I’m very thankful for the coaches that we have. They never gave up on us.”
The 2012-13 Buffalo Blades (1-49-0-1) and 2015-16 Pelham Panthers (1-45-4-0) came closest to a winless season in the GOHL, which began in 2007-08. The Ohsweken Golden Eagles went 0-47-1 in 1997-98 in the former Midwestern junior B league.
The Blades had a goal differential of negative 311. They allowed 15 or more goals six times.
The Legionnaires never came close to those depths, but they couldn’t catch a break.
“One night, can we just get a bounce here?” Bondy said. “Or even get lucky a couple times? But it never seems to fall our way.”
They suffered four one-goal losses, three against the Komoka Kings.
The biggest heartbreaker was Jan. 3 in Komoka. The Legionnaires held four one-goal leads and were just 15 seconds away from overtime when the Kings scored the winner.
The Legionnaires ended last season on a six-game skid. Their 54-game losing streak is the longest in league history, GOHL statistician Wayne Jenner said.
Owner and general manager Jon Periard bought the team last year from Theo Bet, Terry Lilley, Paul Hurtubise and Cliff Smith. Those four remain on the board of directors to run the non-profit, fundraising operations.
Bet still attends every home game.
“Kudos to these kids,” said Bet, who owned the team for 16 years. “The attitude is unbelievable. It’s phenomenal.
“I think that’s the coaching staff. Mike’s done an unbelievable job with these guys. . . . They’re trying to form them into a better class of hockey player. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but he sees good things with the kids.”
Bet is confident next season will be better.
“The adage is, ‘It can’t get any worse,’ but absolutely it’ll be a better team on the ice,” he said. “These kids are going to mature over the summer time. They’re going to work out, they’re going to hit the gym.”
Rookie forwards Kael Cooper and William Harding are the only Sarnia players on the team.
Kael’s father, Mark, said players are in good spirits in the tightly knit dressing room.
“They work together, they laugh together, they play together,” Mark Cooper said.
“They show up every night. They do the best they can. They’re working with what they have. They don’t get at each other. It’s a good environment considering the situation.”
The Legionnaires averaged 647 fans per game, seventh-most in the 23-team league.
“The fans are great,” said rookie forward Sarvir Jaworski, who scored a team-high 12 goals. “Probably I’d say the best in the league. They’re very helpful. They get the energy going in there and they’re good to play in front of.”
They drew 791 for Saturday’s home finale. It was their biggest turnout since October, but the 2,300-capacity rink still had many empty blue seats.
Walk-up sales were brisk. The lineup snaked down the block as a light rain began falling just before game time.
“I can’t believe the people tonight,” Mary Anderson said. “We haven’t had a crowd like this in ages. Wonderful.”
Anderson has collected tickets at the front door for 15 years. She hoped the crowd would spur the boys to victory.
“They never give up,” she said. “I feel so bad for them. They work hard. There’s talent there.”
Becca Moreland began coming to games more than 15 years ago with her parents and brother. Now she’s there every Thursday night with her daughter Brooklynne, 5, and son Mason, 3, while husband Damien is at work.
The children brought a homemade sign – Go Sarnia, Your Youngest Fans Believe – to the home finale.
“He (Mason) likes to come out every single time to cheer them on,” Becca Moreland said.
Longtime supporter Cheryl Schalk wore her autographed Legionnaires cap and jersey Saturday.
“I’m known as the SuperFan,” she said. “I try to be supportive of my boys regardless of how the team is playing.”
She buys a new cap each season and has every player sign it. Not everyone signs the jersey, though. That honour is for only her favourites.
Schalk, 54, also keeps a close eye on the Legionnaires’ and GOHL Facebook pages. Negative posters get a scolding.
“Only positive vibes,” she said.
