New beginnings

Dukes season opener this Friday in Wellington

Wellington has long been regarded as a prolific developer of young hockey players with big ambitions, never more so than today. Of the two dozen active players who finished the season with the Dukes last year, more than half have graduated to play at a higher level this fall.

The most recent grad is Shaw Boomhower, who last week was signed by the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. The Steelheads also scooped up another Dukes prospect, Scoley Dow.

Their success leaves big holes in the Dukes roster, but also creates big opportunities for the next wave of developing players. Many will get their chance.

Just five players from last year’s Dukes roster, (Carter Allan, Justin Bean, Colin Doyle, Nic Mucci and Austin Labelle) will suit up this Friday in the season opener against Aurora in Wellington.

The Dukes completed their exhibition season with two wins and two losses. Both wins came against Kingston—the losses were incurred against Trenton.

Defenceman Nathan MacDuff (23) guards the net for his netminder Connor Ryckman.

The toughest of these was on home ice on Friday. The Dukes built a two-goal lead with a pair of goals from Brayden Stortz, both set up by Mucci. But in the third period, the Golden Hawks stormed back to tie the game at two goals apiece—the second scored shorthanded. Then with under three minutes left in the game—and defenceman Hunter Gunski in the box for hooking— Trenton scored to take the lead for the first time in the game. The Dukes had avoided the penalty box in the early part of the game, but Trenton got under their skin. The Dukes’ five penalties all came in the final 24 minutes of the game.

The game ended 3-2. A disappointing loss at home.

All is forgotten, however, with the start of the regular season.

The Dukes look to have strong building blocks on the blueline—with the return of Allan and Bean as well as the addition of Gunski and Nathan MacDuff. Twenty-year-old Connor Ryckman should be solid in net. In time, this unit promises to be another extremely stingy Dukes defence corps with the ability to score from the blueline.

Where the forward scoring will come from, beyond Stortz and Mucci, remains an open question.

With Boomhower’s departure, some of the expectation for second-line scoring will fall to Austin Labelle. The forward notched five points in four preseason games—including four assists. Who ends up on his line may well determine the success he achieves this season

On Sunday, the Dukes travel to Aurora to complete the home-and-away series.

The Dukes kick off the 2016-17 season on Friday night at home. The puck drops at 7:30.