GOHL’s Sarnia Legionnaires break historic 67-game losing streak
One of the worst losing streaks in hockey is no longer. The Sarnia Legionnaires have won a game.
On Thursday night, the Greater Ontario Hockey League Junior B team snapped a 67-game winless skid, beating the St. Thomas Stars 4-1 on home ice at Pat Stapelon Arena, bringing them their first victory since Feb. 17, 2025.
Last season, the Legionnaires became the first team in GOJHL history to lose every game without earning a single point, amassing a dismal 0-50 record, extended by an 11-game losing streak to start the 2026-27 campaign.
While the streak reached remarkable levels, it did not quite rival the historic 89-game losing streak by the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s Surrey Knights, which ended in 2017 after nearly two years.
For Sarnia, forward Evan Bannister netted a hat-trick in the win, while goaltender David Healy stood tall with an impressive 54-save performance before a crowd of 379 fans. Sarnia were outshot 55-28 throughout the night.
“After I got that third goal, I got very excited and threw my stick over to them,” Bannister, 16, a 2026 OHL second-round draft pick of the Sarnia Sting, told the Sarnia Observer. “It was worth getting kicked out…. They started cheering and chanting and supporting us even more,” Bannister said. “After the game, it was just so loud. I couldn’t even hear anything.”
Added first-year head coach Ryan Foster of the victory and Healy’s impressive performance: “I thought we did a really good job in our own end, for the most part, of eliminating the high-danger scoring chances right in front of the net. But when we gave up some chances, he was there and made some big saves.”
With their first win of the season secured, Sarnia will now look to link back-to-back wins when they take on the Komoka Kings on Saturday night, as they hope to climb up the standings to contend for a spot in the 2026 Sutherland Cup Playoffs, a stage they have not reached since finishing with an 11-31 record in the 2022-23 GOJHL regular season.