Home opener

Dukes host a tailgate party to kickstart a new season

It’s a brand new season for the Wellington Dukes. A mostly new team. A new head coach. New general manager and management team. They all have big ambitions. Not just for this season. They want to host the national championship—the RBC Cup— in Wellington in 2020. Shooting for the biggest reward in junior hockey.

Its a tall order. To do this they will need strong community support. The Dukes know they have work to do to bring their fans back to the rink.

It begins on Friday night.

Captain Colin Doyle closed out the weekend with a strong performance, notching three goals and two assists in his first two games.

The Wellington Dukes want to get the new season started with a party—a tailgate party. And they are inviting the community to the parking lot outside the Wellington and District Community Centre before the home opening game on Friday. The festivities get rolling at 5:30 and will feature live music, County beer and cider and a barbecue.

Later, on the ice, the Dukes will face the Kingston Voyageurs—the Dukes keenest rivals for over a decade. It all adds up to an exciting opening night event.

On the ice, the Dukes are led by Colin Doyle in his third season with the Dukes. The hard-nosed no-nonsense forward works hard every second of every shift he is on the ice.

“He sets the tone,” said Ryan Woodward, Dukes GM and associate coach. “We want our younger players to see that and model their habits on the way he prepares and the energy he brings. He is primed to have a breakout season in Wellington.

BURLINGTON 6 – DUKES 5 OT
Indeed, Doyle set the tone on the first weekend of action, scoring five points including three goals in two games on the road.

But early in game one in Burlington the Dukes showed they might have benefited from a couple more pre-season games. The team lacked composure in their own end—unable to move the puck cleanly out of their zone. And then keep it out. Too often breakout passes were intercepted or turned over in the neutral zone and the play turned back toward Wellington netminder Creed Jones.

Woodward says the game was half over before the Dukes started to play as a team. He says it was a case of a nervous start in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming rink. The second period wasn’t two minutes old and Burlington had a 3-0 lead.

“We need to make sure our five guys are playing as a unit and winning our battles down low,” said Woodward. “Getting pucks out on the first attempt. Limiting the number of turnovers. Leaving the zone cleanly. We need to stop the second chance opportunities.”

When the Dukes did get going, it was Doyle leading the way, potting his first goal of the season early in the second. Burlington got one back, late in the period. But the third period was mostly the Wellington Dukes show. Four goals. Twentyfive shots on net. Allowing just five on Jones. Doyle had another goal. Mitch Martan. Jeff Burridge. Ted McGeen. Daniel Panetta set up a pair.

The spoiler was a Burlington power play goal in the period. Regular time ended in a 5-5 draw. The first overtime period failed to settle the matter. But three minutes into the second overtime, the Cougars beat Jones to squelch the Dukes’ comeback.

“There were a lot of mistakes and some nerves in the first weekend,” said Woodward. “But I also thought we showed some character in battling back and earning the point against Burlington.”

DUKES 3 – MILTON 2
On Sunday the Dukes visited Milton. The Icehawks have been a miserable team in recent years—winning just four games all of last season, five the year before. But the team had made a number of off-season moves to put a more competitive team on the ice this season.

The Dukes didn’t really know what to expect as they pulled into the Milton Memorial Arena on Sunday.

It was Pierce Nelson’s turn in the Dukes’ net— as the competition for number one continues to sort itself out.

Milton would strike first, however, beating Nelson midway through the first period. But the Dukes were already in better form. And they would not be denied in this road game. Wellington controlled the play and outshot the Icehawks after one period, but trailed by a goal.

Cue Colin Doyle. The Wellington captain scored midway through the second and set up another by Jackson Arcan. Later in the second Andrew Rinaldi had a clean breakaway, when the Milton defender threw his stick along the ice, knocking the puck away. Clever. But that’s not allowed. Penalty shot.

Rinaldi made good on the opportunity, giving the Dukes a 3-1 lead.

The Icehawks edged closer with a late goal in the third—but this was a dominant effort by the Dukes.

In both regular season games the Dukes pounded opposing netminders with flurry of shots—55 in game one and 50 in game two. The Dukes have outshot their opponents in five of six periods so far.

There is some tightening up to do in their own zone— but otherwise the Dukes appear ready for an exciting new season.

NEXT UP: KINGSTON AND MARKHAM
The Voyageurs will have played just a single game—the night before—when they visit Wellington on Friday. They, too, have many new faces in their lineup. The only thing certain is that Kingston, and their fans, will be wound up for this game in Wellington.

On Sunday, the Dukes continue their September road spree in Markham. The Royals are looking to improve after winning their division but then flaming out in the first round against Stouffville.

But in two games the Royals have failed to impress— losing 5-4 against Pickering in their home opener and 5- 2 against the new-and-much-improved Toronto Junior Canadiens.

FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT
The Dukes have always taken seriously the ambition of developing young elite athletes and showcasing their talents for future success. That tradition continues this season with a lineup featuring three 16-year-olds and just two 20-year-olds. Contrast that with the visiting Voyageurs who will arrive in Wellington with no 16-yearolds and nine 20-year-olds, the maximum allowed in the OJHL. Statistics courtesy of David Brown