News Release

       Contact: Pete Krupsky                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Phone: (734) 453-8400                                                Friday, January 11, 2008

                       WHALERS STUNG BY SARNIA, 5-1, on FRIDAY NIGHT

SARNIA – Jamie Arniel had a hat trick and Steve Ferry and Steven Stamkos added single goals as the Sarnia Sting defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 5-1, in an Ontario Hockey League game played before a sellout crowd of 4,839 at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre.

Sarnia is now 22-17-1-0, good for 45 points and fourth place in the OHL West; Plymouth is now 22-14-2-2, good for 48 points and third place in the OHL West.

Stamkos – the top rated North American prospect for next summer’s National Hockey League Entry Draft – was honored in a lengthy pre-game ceremony in tribute for helping Canada win the Gold Medal in the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.

And Stamkos opened the scoring in the game with his team-leading 31st goal of the season and fourth in three games against Plymouth at 10:54 of the first period. Sarnia was killing a penalty to former Whaler Steve Whitely when Devin DiDiomete carried the puck into the Plymouth zone and waited on the left wing for Stamkos, who skated hard into the slot and beat Plymouth goaltender Jeremy Smith with a backhand shot. Sarnia led, 1-0, after one period.

Sarnia scored three unanswered goals in the second period to lead 4-0 after forty minutes. Ferry scored his third goal of the season at 5:36 of the second period with a shot from the left point. Arniel took over offensively for Sarnia from that point, deflecting Ryan Wilson’s point shot on the left wing lip of the Plymouth crease at 7:52 and then tucking a hard shot from the right circle over Smith’s shoulder and under the cross bar at 15:19.

Vern Cooper scored the lone Plymouth goal at 10:56 of the third period on a Whalers power play when his shot from the right circle went five-hole through Sarnia goaltender Andrew Perugini for his ninth marker of the season. Plymouth head coach Greg Stefan pulled Smith for the extra attacker with 2:30 remaining in regulation, but Arniel scored on the Plymouth empty net with 1:06 remaining.

Ryan Hayes made his Plymouth debut in the game and showed offensive skill as advertised. Over from Boston College, Hayes hit the goal post on a shot from the right wing late in the first period in his best scoring chance of the game.

Plymouth is home Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Erie and Monday at 7:05 p.m. against Saginaw. Tickets can be purchased for all Plymouth games by calling the Compuware Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

About the Plymouth Whalers

The Plymouth Whalers are the only Metro Detroit team in the Ontario Hockey League, a developmental league for National Hockey League players. The Whalers all range in age from 15-21 years-old and are consistently one of the top teams in the OHL. In 2006-07, the Whalers won the OHL Championship.   www.plymouthwhalers.com

About Compuware Arena

Compuware Arena is home to the 2007 Ontario Hockey League Champion Plymouth Whalers, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Detroit Ignition, the Compuware Arena Drive-In Theatres, the MHSAA Boys State Hockey Championships and eight AAA Compuware Hockey youth teams. Compuware Arena serves more than one million patrons each year, and is located in Plymouth, Michigan. www.compuwarearena.com

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