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Hatcher resigns as Sting's head coach

Co-owner Derian Hatcher has resigned as the Sarnia Sting’s head coach but plans to remain the team governor.

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After waiting more than a year for hockey to return, Derian Hatcher chose to not wait any longer.

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The Sarnia Sting co-owner and governor stepped down as head coach Tuesday after five seasons behind the bench.

The Sting enjoyed the two winningest seasons in team history under Hatcher and won a playoff series for the only time since 2008.

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The former Stanley Cup champion took over as head coach in April 2015 soon after he and David Legwand bought the team from Rob Ciccarelli and Larry Ciccarelli.

Hatcher could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but he released a statement explaining why he resigned.

“This past year has been one of reflection for everyone, including myself and my family,” he said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the players as head coach of the Sarnia Sting the past five seasons.

“However, at this time I feel it is in the best interest of myself, my family and the team that I step away from my role as head coach of the club and allow for a fresh voice to lead our team behind the bench.”

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The news came only three days before the Ontario Hockey League draft. Rounds 1-3 will be held Friday night and Rounds 4-15 will be on Saturday.

Hatcher’s decision didn’t surprise general manager Dylan Seca. They’ve spoken about it for “a long time,” Seca said.

“That’s always a tough decision to do when you love being around the arena every day,” Seca said. “But the thing is, … he’s not going away. He’ll be around and still has his active role as a governor. I know he’ll be involved in the hockey-related decisions and conversations. Him and David will play big roles, for sure.”

Legwand resigned as associate coach in May 2020 but is still the president of hockey operations.

“We have a really good working relationship, the way that we go through things and discuss them internally,” Seca said about the two owners. “None of that changes, to be honest. I think that’s the important part of all this. None of that changes. It’s just now we’ll have a new head coach and they’ll play an active role in who that guy is, just as I will.”

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Seca would like to hire a head coach by the end of June, but he’ll take as much time as necessary.

“I’ve quietly met with some guys that are out of work right now, some from the American league and one from within our league. But I know that there’ll be some more names come through in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We’re going to take our time (and) go through it. It sounds cliché, but it’s true.

“We’ll take our time and go through the candidates. Get to know them. Do they meet our core values? Do they align well with Derian and David and myself and our current coaches, Brad Staubitz and Mark Mancari?”

Mancari was hired as an assistant coach in June 2020 when Staubitz was promoted to associate coach after four seasons as an assistant.

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“Those guys aren’t going anywhere,” Seca said. “Mark and Brad, they’re staples. They’re great contributors to our group. They’re guys that have helped change a lot of things here. It’s finding someone that can mesh well with all of us.”

Hatcher played 16 NHL seasons with Minnesota/Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia. He captained the Stars to the Stanley Cup championship in 1999.

The Michigan native, who’ll turn 49 on Friday, said he will stay involved with the Sting and the Sarnia-Lambton community.

“I remain committed to the City of Sarnia and the Sting organization,” he said. “I am very excited about the direction our group is heading and look forward to continuing my role as governor, while working closely with David and Dylan as we search for the next head coach of the Sarnia Sting.

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“Our focus remains on creating a positive, supportive environment for our players that promotes success and development as both hockey players and as people.”

The Sting twice set team records for wins and points in a season under Hatcher, who had a 169-133-25-7 record as head coach. He replaced Trevor Letowski after a first-round playoff exit in the 2014-15 season.

Hatcher guided the Sting to only their second division title ever in 2015-16 when they posted 42 wins and 91 points.

In 2017-18, they spent time ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League en route to another record-breaking season with 46 wins and 97 points. They also reached the second round of the playoffs.

“(He) brought stability, experience, great poise, a chance for our guys to learn under someone who obviously played the game at a high level,” Seca said. “He’s got a real likeable personality. I just think over the last five years we were so fortunate to have that on a day-to-day basis.

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“He was a part of some excellent teams. Helped develop some players that went on to play at the next level even earlier than we thought, like Jakob Chychrun, Travis Konecny, Pavel Zacha.”

Jordan Kyrou was named the OHL’s most outstanding player in 2017-18. The entire coaching staff deserves credit for the players’ success, Seca said, “but Derian was the guy leading the parade, leading the charge.”

The Sting finished last in the Western Conference in 2019-20 with a 22-34-5-1 record. They’d already been eliminated from the playoff race when the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season early.

Training camp is scheduled to start Sept. 4 with a new coach in charge but Hatcher still involved.

“The fact that he’ll still have his fingerprints on it and we can find someone that’s fresh and excited and ready to lead this group and teach and develop, I think we’re excited for that, too. We really are,” Seca said.

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