Get to know our coaching staff.
Joe Najim, Head Coach
This is Joe’s 7th season coaching in the Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting organization,
and he has also coached AAA Elite spring hockey.
Joe grew up in Bright’s Grove and played AAA hockey for the Lambton Lightening.
He played high school hockey for St. Pat’s, and his team qualified for OFSAA,
followed by Junior C for the Mooretown Flags.
Jason Polera, Associate Coach
This is Polly’s 12th coaching season with the Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting. Jason
holds the NCCP High Performance 1 Certification, and has 26 years of
competitive hockey experience playing AA, AAA, High School, Tier 2 Jr. A, OHL,
ECHL and UHL.
Jason retired from the game with an OHL Education Package and moved to Sarnia
to attend Lambton College’s CPET program, where he played Canadian AAA Senior
hockey with the Petrolia Squires competing for the Allen Cup.
Josh Hoover, Assistant Coach
Josh is a 2004-born Sarnia defenseman who played Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting AAA
for his U15, U16 and U18 seasons, followed by a season with the Sarnia
Legionnaires. Josh was selected in the 10th round of the 2020 OHL Priority
Selection draft by the Sudbury Wolves. Josh played 22 games with the Wolves in
2021-22, while also playing 11 games with the NOJHL team, Greater Sudbury Cubs.
In September, 2022, he was traded home where he finished his playing career in
the 2022-23 season for the Sarnia Sting.
This will be Josh’s first season coaching with Sarnia-Lambton.
Mark Phillips, Assistant/Goalie Coach
This will be Mark's 16th year coaching in Sarnia, his 14th with Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting. He has coached at all levels from U10 to U18 in the organization, and has been the association goalie mentor for numerous years.
Mark has worked at some Hockey Canada goaltender development camps, and has helped run the Hockey Canada Skills Academy at STFX High School in Sarnia for the past 8 years.
Mark has 20 years of teaching experience in Canada and abroad in Full French schools, and is a multi-sport coach.