Stephen Tatarnic was recruited by the Thorold Legion Mounts to play on their Junior ‘C’ hockey team in 1946. As a part of the Legion Mounts, Stephen won the Provincial Championship in the 1947-48 season. When the Legion discontinued sponsoring the team, Stephen continued to play for the Thorold Orphans until 1951.

 

In 1967 Stephen’s employer Texaco transferred him to Sarnia and he immediately got involved in the Sarnia hockey community by sponsoring local hockey teams under the Texaco name. 

When the Sarnia Legionnaires Junior ‘B’ hockey club decided to move up to Junior ‘A’, Stephen wanted to keep Junior ‘B’ hockey alive in Sarnia, so in 1969 he purchased the rights to a franchise – the Sarnia Bees. Within two months, Stephen was able to recruit a team, design a logo and obtain jerseys needed to ice his team for their first game.

 

In 1971, after two successful seasons, Stephen would leave the Bees organization after the team moved to Junior ‘A’ level of hockey, and he began his own sports agency in 1972 called the Thunderbird Club. Stephen would help younger players reach their goals of making it to the NHL, and he was a scout for the Oshawa Generals.