Sarnia Sting General Manager Dylan Seca announced multiple additions to the Club’s Hockey Operations Department on Wednesday, including that Sting alumni Brent Sullivan will be joining the team as an assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 season.
“After a diligent process we quickly narrowed in on a couple of candidates. It became clear that Brent had all the elements we were looking for in a coach. He’s a progressive, detailed, and gifted teacher of the game. Combined with his excellent character and being a Sting alumni, Alan and I are excited about this next step for our staff”, said Seca. “Brent is also someone who has been knocking on the door to the OHL. He is the owner, general manager, and head coach of the Carleton Place Canadians in the CCHL, and we believe his experiences will support our players. We are excited to welcome Brent and his wife Kayla to the Sarnia Sting.”
A native of Carp, Ontario, Sullivan was drafted by the Sting in the fourth round, 61st overall in the 2006 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection. The former defenceman played in 125 OHL games with the club and 10 games with the Sarnia Legionnaires, who he started his coaching career with as an assistant coach during the 2011-12 season.
“Brent’s resume speaks for itself, and we feel his passion for the game, dedication to teaching, drive and desire to learn align perfectly with the culture and direction we are going in as an organization”, said Sting head coach Alan Letang. “As an alum Brent knows exactly how great this city is and how supportive the community is of our players.”
After serving as an assistant coach for the Kemptville 73’s, Pembroke Lumber Kings, Kanata Lasers and Surrey Eagles, Sullivan joined the University of Ottawa Men’s Hockey Program as an assistant coach in 2016. During his tenure with the University of Ottawa, Sullivan spent two different stints as a coach of both the OHL U15 Program of Excellence and the Hockey Eastern Ontario U15 Program of Excellence in 2017 and 2019 respectfully. He was also promoted to associate coach ahead of the 2019-20 season. In 2021, Sullivan purchased the Carleton Place Canadians of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) and served as the Hockey Club’s head coach and general manager. Over his two seasons as head coach, the Canadians posted a record of 49-52-4-5.
“I am incredibly honoured, humbled, and grateful for the opportunity to begin my OHL coaching career with the organization I played for. Sarnia is like a second home to me. I’m looking forward to getting to town and helping the players develop and get to the next level”, stated Sullivan.
Seca also announced the addition of several new members to the Sting’s Video Scouting and Analytics Department, headed by Lead of Statistical Analytics and Research David MacPherson. Among those joining the team are Chase Allen, who joins as Lead Statistical Analyst and Manager of Special Programs, and Dylan Krill who will serve as a Video Scout and Statistical Analyst.
On the growth of the Club’s Video Scouting and Analytics Department, Seca commented:
“David has evolved into a key member of our Hockey Operations team. His use of data and ability to communicate has quickly become a valuable tool for our team, both from a player development and scouting perspective. We are excited to welcome Chase as a Lead Statistical Analyst and Manager of Special Programs and Dylan as a Video Scout and Statistical Analyst. Chase is a progressive thinker and someone who will add to our video scouting endeavors while helping us continue in our push to become a leader in the use of analytics with player evaluation. Dylan joins with a strong background in scouting but will see his efforts focussed on supporting the team analytics and scouting staff.”
Additionally, Jordan Jacklin, Chase Rochon, Ray Mullins, Austin Broad, and Jack Bernardo will all be joining the Sting in volunteer capacities as Data Trackers for the 2023-24 season.
