Season’s beginnings

Dukes embark on a new campaign

Change is afoot. Youngsters with neatly combed hair and new backpacks stuffed with pencils and snacks are heading back to school. Leaves are still green, but that too will change soon enough. And so it is that the Wellington Dukes embark on a brand new hockey season.

It is the time of year the rink operators work overtime to keep the outdoor heat that seeps in away from the cool air over the ice—which can create a menacing fog and layer of moisture on every surface, rendering the glass opaque.

No matter what letter is emblazoned on his jersey, Dawson Ellis will set the pace for the Dukes on every shift. The fearless dynamo has survived in Junior hockey by using his surprising speed to avoid the hammering blows, but also leaning into his checking assignment when the puck is heading the wrong way. Neither does Dawson shy away from standing up to a hulking defenceman when a harder edge is required.

It is when Wellington fans learn the names and attributes of the young men who will wear the blue, red and gold this season. It is also when we renew friendships that have lapsed since the spring. Betty in the ticket booth. Judy and Linda at the gate. Robert and Christina at the 50/50 table. Robert and Ken in the stands. David and Kevin in the timekeeper’s box. It is when we remember that it was just over a year ago that we lost David Brown—the team’s statistics master—to cancer.

Leading the Dukes this season are returning stalwarts including the always dynamic Dawson Ellis, brilliant Daniel Panetta and the ever-creative Ben Woodhouse. Each typifies the Dukes legacy: fast, energetic, clever and responsible. Each is fearless and unrelenting. They will set the tone this season.

Also returning are Dukes defencemen Brett Humberstone and Ben Addison, speedy winger Jacob Vreugdenhil, gritty forward Dylan Massie and sniper Frank Vitucci. They will be joined by the uber creative forward Ben Evans, returning from a year in Niagara Falls.

The remainder are mostly unknown quantities— to Dukes fans at any rate.

Evan Miller accumulated a pile of goals in preseason. So too did Tanner Tolliver. Brian Bygrave was a solid contributor from the blueline. So too was Jacob Dietz in a couple of pre-season games.

The rest remain promises. That’s what makes the season opener so much fun: assessing the new talent, remembering just how fast and disciplined the returning corps can be, and imagining how far this team might go.

The Dukes host the Brampton Admirals on Friday night. Another season is upon us.