Former PJHL player murdered at college bar

Former Mooretown Flag and North Middlesex Star player Dane Nesbit was murdered last week at a bar at Lambton College in Sarnia. Condolences from both teams have been made public. Photo courtesy of Mooretown Flag

By Lee Griffi

The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) community is in shock following the tragic murder of a former player.

Twenty-year-old Dane Nisbet was shot to death at a bar on the campus of Lambton College last week.

Former East Zorra-Tavistock resident Darren Fergeson played for the Tavistock Braves from 1994-1996 and is currently the vice president of the North Middlesex Stars, Nisbit’s last team.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dane Nesbit, a tough and talented player whose passion for the game touched everyone lucky enough to know him,” said Ferguson.

“Dane will be remembered for his kindness, determination and always looking out for his teammates. His legacy will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and the entire hockey community. Our thoughts are with Dane’s family, friends and teammates. Rest in peace, Dane. You will be missed but never forgotten.”

Ferguson said Nesbit committed to going into the military, and at that time, he was cleared by Mooretown to help us out.

“He came out to help us out, knowing that we weren't too sure how long we'd have him for because he was committed to the military. The boys brought him into the dressing room, liked him, and he filled the void when we were only running with three lines. He was a welcome addition to the family.”

Ferguson added the team knew Nesbit wouldn’t be around long-term, but he knew a couple of guys on the team.

“When he was interviewing with us, he was a very bubbly guy, would go through the wall play, one of those players with not a ton of talent, but a lot of heart. And we needed somebody to go out there and help on the third and fourth line. He knew his role, and he went out and did exactly that.”

The PJHL requires each team to have an intervention officer, which North Middlesex.

“We have in place Jonathan Bials, who is our youth pastor here in town at Grace Bible Chapel. We're providing support for any team that needs it. We've initiated a plan, and we've talked with the boys already. If there's anything that they need to talk about, anything at all, that Jonathan's been there throughout the year.”

Ferguson said the team has made the support available to the team’s executive, arena staff and anyone else who needs help.

“The arena staff over here is just fantastic. They do anything and everything for you. We want to make sure that anybody and everybody who is even close to this team has an opportunity, that if something is bugging them, there's something they need to talk about, they've got a resource when it comes to North Middlesex Junior C Hockey Club.”

Ferguson added it’s a small, tightly knit community of 1,500 people, and 1,000 people attended the team’s final playoff game.

“So over three-quarters of the town's population showed up. We're a very close family here, and we want to make sure that we're all looked after. And if somebody has something that's on their mind or is bugging them or this has affected them and they need some help, we're offering help.”

The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) said the shooting at a Lambton College bar resulted in the death of Nesbit and left two young adults shot with non-life-threatening injuries.

“The initial police response was extensive, with all available patrol units responding. Once a firearm was confirmed, the emergency response team (ERT) and K9 attended, searching for any additional suspects, victims, or weapons. Concurrent to that activity, SPS investigators were interviewing a large number of witnesses and gathering evidence from all available sources,” Sarnia police said in a press release

In addition to the ongoing search for Kyaw “Chin” Doe, investigators have also been working to recover the murder weapon.

In the early morning of April 12, homicide investigators obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 300 block of Indian Road in Sarnia. At 7 a.m., the SPS emergency response team, supported by on-duty patrol officers, executed that warrant. A female was arrested at the scene and police added she was one of two women who had been with the suspects on the night of the shooting.

A 19-year-old woman was arrested on nine charges, including accessory after the fact to murder, obstructing police, carrying a concealed weapon and trafficking a firearm. She has been remanded into custody.

A 19-year-old Sarnia male was held for bail on 10 charges, including accessory after the fact to murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition, possession of a weapon obtained by crime and failure to comply with probation and release orders.

“As his family, friends and our community continue to mourn the loss of Dane Nisbet, we extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy,” said Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis.

“The Sarnia police will remain focused on supporting those left behind, while relentlessly pursuing swift justice for all those responsible for his death.”

Kyaw “Chin” Doe remains at large and is considered to be armed and dangerous.

The PJHL has not released a statement following the murder of one of its former players. The Mooretown Flags, his former team, did release the following on social media.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dane and want to extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and everyone impacted. Moments like this can weigh heavily on a community. If you are struggling in any way, please don’t go through it alone. Reach out, talk to someone and lean on the people around you.”