The Sarnia Sting have signed General Manager Nick Sinclair to a multi-year extension.
Sinclair is entering his fourth season as GM, his ninth season with the hockey club. He was originally hired as a Regional Scout in 2009 and was promoted to director of player personnel after two seasons. He also served as the team's head scout before being hired as general manager prior to the 2014-2015 season.
Head Coach and Co-owner Derian Hatcher says Sinclair has earned this contract extension.
“He is passionate about growing this program and bringing an OHL Championship to this city and to our fan base," says Hatcher. "We’ve taken big steps over the last couple of years and look forward to building a consistently competitive team with Nick at the helm.”
Sinclair has been very active in his three full seasons as general manager, particularly during his second year at the helm. Sinclair orchestrated one of the busier trade deadlines in recent Sting memory, acquiring the likes of Travis Konecny, Matt Mistele, Charlie Graham and Devon Paliani prior to the 2016 deadline. The moves helped Sarnia clinch its second West Division title, and set new franchise records for wins (42) and points (91) in a season.
One of Sinclair's first major moves as General Manager was drafting Pavel Zacha first overall in the 2014 CHL Import Draft. Zacha spent two seasons with the Sting, scoring 44 goals and 98 points in 88 games.
Sinclair also got a significant return in January 2015, trading Anthony DeAngelo to Sault Ste. Marie in exchange for three draft picks and Anthony Salinitri. The Flyers prospect scored 28 goals and 58 points with the Sting last season.
In the three OHL Priority Selections during Sinclair's tenure, the Sting have drafted Sasha Chmelevski (2015), Tyler Weiss (2016) and Jamieson Rees (2017). Chmelvski was traded to Ottawa in the deal that landed Travis Konecny in Sarnia, Weiss has yet to play for the Sting and is committed to Boston University for the 2018-19 season. Rees recently signed a Standard Player Agreement and is expected to jump right into the Sting lineup in the fall.
During Sinclair's time as General Manager, the Sting have skated to a 102-81-15-6 record.