The future

Luc Brown.

Dukes prospects showcase their talent this weekend in Wellington

Junior hockey returns to Wellington this weekend as the Dukes host the team’s annual spring tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The team is welcoming a larger roster of prospects this weekend than in past spring camps.

Action gets underway at 9 a.m. on Saturday and extends all day to 6 p.m. On Sunday, the players enjoy a more leisurely start at 10 a.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m.

All sessions are open to the public and admission is free.

It’s a chance for the faithful to get a glimpse of some of the talent hoping to make the Dukes roster next season.

They include Cameron Lamour. The Sudbury native is considered among the best goaltending prospects in the province. The 15-year-old was the second-highest drafted netminder in the OHL draft.

In 30 games with the Sudbury minor midget team in the Great North Midget League, Lamour posted an impressive 1.92 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, along with eight shutouts.

Those numbers, plus a 6-foot 1-inch frame encouraged the Saginaw Spirit to make Lamour a third-round pick in April.

Jackson Arcan will also skate in the Dukes training camp this weekend. The Thornton, Ontario native put up impressive numbers as a 16- year-old with the Alliston Hornets last season—43 points in just 38 games. The Kingston Frontenac draft pick is six-feet tall and packs a good size (170 pounds). Arcan likes to work close in and around the net.

From Belleville comes Scoley Dow. Dow moved through the ranks of the Quinte Red Devils before moving to the Hill Academy outside Toronto last season. There, he earned 12 points in 13 games. The Mississauga Steelhead draft pick possesses good speed, ample size and game instincts.

Mac Warren impressed many Dukes fans late in the season when he jumped into the lineup after the defence corps was decimated by injury. In the most intense situations, Warren demonstrated poise and creativity. And when necessary, he was able to simplify his game, clearing the zone, giving his team a chance to regain its footing.

It is likely, too, that there was no better celebration than when Warren scored his first junior goal in a lop-sided win against Lindsay in early February. Warren is a draft pick of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.

This is just some of the talent on display at the Essroc Arena this weekend.

MORE ACCOLADES
Luc Brown continues to be showered with recognition at the end of an amazing season with the Dukes. Last week, the Ontario Hockey Association named Brown the best junior player of the year.

Brown led all scorers with 42 goals and placed second in the league in assists with 49. His 14 power play goals and 33 power play points also ranked him first among all OJHL players scoring on the power play this season. With 11 game winning goals, Brown tied the OJHL’s record for the most game-winning goals in a single season, a record dating back to the 2005-06 season.

Named the OJHL North East Conference Player of the Month twice this season, in November and January, Brown was named a member of Team OJHL Oates, recording two goals in four games at the 2015 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Cornwall. His impressive play also earned him a spot on Team Canada East at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge in Cobourg and Whitby, where he finished second in team scoring with five points in five games.

Awarded the OJHL Most Improved Player this season, Brown has committed to play next season for the NCAA Div. 1 Union College Dutchmen in Schenectady, New York.