Tireless badgers
Short-handed Dukes send a message to the league’s best It is hard to discern this from the scoreboard, but this may have been the Wellington Dukes’ most important couple of weeks in its march toward an OJHL championship in the spring. There are many conditions that must be applied to this statement, but in these […]
Digging deep
Skeleton crew beat Markham, and send a message to Oakville It was a brilliant game. Hard-fought, smash-mouth hockey that left the visiting Oakville Blades wondering what they had done to deserve this punishment. Not mean. Nor vicious. Just clean, bruising forechecking, relentless back checking— attacking until the whistle blew. Then just a bit more. The […]
Powering through
Short-handed Dukes tally sixth straight win The Dukes just keep rolling along—tallying their sixth win in as many games. It’s an achievement made more remarkable as they did so on Sunday without the services of their captain Colin Doyle, power forward Ben Evans and swiftfooted defenceman Mason Snell. All were in Toronto competing for roster […]
Turning it up
Dukes demonstrate character and depth in two dominating wins on the road There was sweet redemption served for the Dukes on Friday in Trenton as they skated through, around and over the Golden Hawks, from nearly the opening whistle to the final buzzer. Better yet, the Dukes overwhelmed Marty Abrams’ team in their own rink, […]
Where to next?
First half of the regular season is in the books and the Dukes are on top So far so good. At the halfway mark in the season, the Wellington Dukes are secure in first place in the East Division and tied with the most points in the OJHL with the Oakville Blades (though both Georgetown […]
Ragged individuals
Dukes abandon discipline, give away three points Most are still teenagers. Young. Excitable. Driven. It is why the concept of discipline is so much more than a slogan in junior hockey. Discipline must be an essential part of the culture— from the moment they arrive in Wellington, through every interaction in the community to their […]
Building character
Bit by bit There were some prettier goals in Wellington’s drubbing of Lindsay on Sunday. Eric Uba finishing a brilliant passing play from Geoff Lawson and Graeme McCrory was one. Or Andrew Rinaldi, literally throwing himself into position to lift the puck short side before crashing painfully into the boards, knocking both the wind and […]
Winning record
Dukes make moves to shore up defence The Wellington Dukes arrived home late on Sunday night, having won two of three games in three nights— each one on the road. A good road trip. It might have been otherwise. The Dukes might have come home with six points, or perhaps none. Such is the knife’s […]
Revealing
Dukes must find an answer to the fast break The Wellington Dukes are putting an exciting brand of hockey on the ice this season. Employing a run-andgun style at breakneck speed, the Dukes are racking up wins—enough to put them at the top of the OJHL East Division standings. Like past Dukes teams, these young […]
Wild and woolly
Three wins, three adventures He has been in Wellington for a couple of weeks now, but as of Friday, Ben Evans’ name hadn’t yet been sewn onto his jersey. Wellington Dukes fans, however, already know the young man from Thorold who wears number 14. Specifically, they know the powerful impact he is already having on […]