The new owners of the Sarnia Sting affirmed their commitment to the community during an introductory news conference Monday.
It was announced last week that Ryan Finch and Mark Guy would be joining the ownership group, in a transaction that's been months in the making.
They were joined by David Legwand, who still has a minority ownership stake in the team, along with Ontario Hockey League Commissioner Brian Crawford.
Finch is the President of London-based Finch Auto Group, which operates dealerships in several cities, including Sarnia.
Guy brings over 25 years of experience in the hockey world, most notably with Newport Sports Management.
Finch was asked whether there was any thought of moving the franchise to another city.
"Absolutely not," said Finch. "Canada is built on cities like Sarnia, the backbone of the country, midsized hard-working cities. There's a reason these teams matter so much to us. The Sarnia Sting will stay here as long as I have anything to do with it. The fan support here is incredible. I've been to a bunch of games, and the vibe here is fantastic. It's a true hockey town and it deserves a Memorial Cup and that's what we're going to do."
Finch said they actually want to explore making a bid to host the Memorial Cup in the future, adding they want to give the London Knights 'a run for their money.'
He said owning a team is a dream come true for him and Guy, who met at the Ivey Business School and talked about owning a team together.
"We had a massive passion for sports," he said. "We generally just talked about business and sports colliding in our lives eventually. As we got a little older, it got more focused on hockey. When Mark and I decided to purchase the Ford Lincoln dealership in Sarnia, and Mark started planning to move here, that's when we started squarely looking at the Sting a bit more. All of a sudden, a year and a half later we have a deal and here we are today."
Guy said it's a surreal feeling to own part of the Sting, adding he's humbled to have the opportunity.
"I've been coming to games here for 30 years," said Guy. "I've been around the league for a long time and I've always been amazed by how good this community is at supporting the franchise. Even when the teams haven't been that strong, they still continue to come out."
Guy said they'll be meeting with the city to see where there are some deficiencies around Progressive Auto Sales Arena, and ways to improve the fan experience.
"There's a lot of talk about new seating being required, a better sound system and a better fan experience that way," he said. "Those are things we'll look at right off the bat. With the NCAA situation the way it is right now, we have to provide an elite place for players to develop. Our focus is going to be on making sure that we have everything the players need. World-class fitness facilities, so we'll be upgrading the gym. There are some treatment rooms in areas that really benefit players when they play three on three that we need to add to the facility. We want to add to our staff with some more development coaching, skills coaching and skating coaching to make us elite."
Last November, the NCAA lifted its ban on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players, making them eligible for NCAA Division I hockey starting August 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 season.
Guy expects the rink to continue to be called the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, at the very least until their agreement with the city expires in 2026.
Legwand said he's excited for the new chapter.
"It's been great, having a relationship with Mark for as long as I have and knowing him and his hockey side of things and obviously Ryan's business side of things," said Legwand. "Staying involved for me was a big thing. I've been entrenched in this community for 10 years. Hopefully, in 35 or 50 more years it is still here and we still love junior hockey."
Legwand said the Sting will continue to be a strong club in terms of player development.
"It's always your goal, when kids come into junior hockey, to get them to the next level," he said. "You never get as many as you want to the next level, for different varying reasons. You try to extend kids' careers and let them achieve their childhood dreams. That's something I care about. Hockey is all I've known my whole life. It's kind of the same thing with Mark. It's exciting for myself to be able to work with people like that, and have people like that involved with the organization."
Pending Sarnia council approval, the new ownership group is expected to officially assume operations later this month.