Wellington Dukes

Last updated
Wellington Dukes
Wellington Dukes.png
City Wellington, Ontario, Canada
League Ontario Junior Hockey League
FoundedPrior to 1977
Home arena Lehigh Arena
Colours Red, Yellow, and Blue
   
Owner(s)Ken Clement
General managerTodd Diminie
Head coachKent Lewis
Affiliate Picton Pirates (PJHL)
Championships
Playoff championships3: 2003, 2011, 2018

The Wellington Dukes are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. They are in the Eastern Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Originally a Junior C team in the 1970s and 1980s, the Dukes merged with the neighbouring Jr. B Belleville Bobcats and took their place in the Metro League. The Dukes have won the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Junior A Champions three times (2003, 2011, 2018). The Dukes also won the Buckland Cup (OJHL Champions) for the third time on April 22, 2018.

Contents

History

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Wellington Dukes were members of the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League. The league folded in 1986. The Dukes joined the Central Junior C Hockey League in 1986. They moved up to Metro "B" in 1989 when they took over the Belleville Bobcats franchise, and moved up to Junior "A" in 1991. The Dukes have been in the OPJHL since 1998. In 2003, the Dukes defeated the Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-2 to win the Frank L. Buckland Trophy. At the Dudley Hewitt Cup tournament, the Dukes first beat the Fort Frances Borderland Thunder of the Superior International Junior Hockey League by a score of 7–1. They were defeated 2-1 by the North Bay Skyhawks of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. They then defeated the Thunder Bay Bulldogs of the SIJHL 7–4 to finish second in the round robin. In the semi-final, the Dukes defeated Fort Frances 4–2. In the final, they defeated the North Bay Skyhawks by a convincing score of 4–0 to win the Central Canadian Championship.

At the Royal Bank Cup 2003, their National tournament started with a 4–1 loss to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Humboldt Broncos. In the second game, the Dukes were embarrassed by the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Camrose Kodiaks 7–1. In the third game, the Dukes battled for their lives. In a hard battle with the Charlottetown Abbies of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League the Dukes prevailed 1–0 in overtime. Their final round robin game, the Dukes defeated the Lennoxville Cougars of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League 5–2 to finish third in the round robin. In the semi-finals, the Dukes squared off against Humboldt again and were defeated 3–2. Humboldt moved on to win the Royal Bank Cup as National Champions.

In 2008, the Dukes joined the semi-autonomous Central Division, that formed the Central Canadian Hockey League in 2009 when the OJHL was dissolved.

The Wellington Dukes defeated the hosts Huntsville Otters 5–3 to win the 2011 Dudley-Hewitt Cup. The Dukes travelled west to participate in the Royal Bank Cup in Camrose, Alberta. Wellington returned to the Quinte after a 4–1 loss to the Vernon Vipers.

Wellington was chosen to host the 2014 Dudley-Hewitt Cup at their new arena. The Dukes finished no higher than 5th in the North-East conference losing to the Cobourg Cougars in the first round 4 games to 1. The Dukes endured nearly 2 months of a playoff layoff. The Dukes entered the tournament. The Dukes finished the round robin with a 3–0 record, but lost the final to the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 2–1.

The franchise scoring record was set by Howie Dowdle in 1988-89 scoring 51 goals, and 73 assists in 39 games played. This feat won Howie the Elleanor Gilliam Memorial Trophy as the Central Ontario Jr. "C" Scoring Champion.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

YearGPWLTOTLGFGAPTSFinishPlayoffs
1977-783221101-194146431st QSLJHL
1978-79Standings Not Available
1979-803213163-169179294th QSLJHL
1980-813415136-----363rd QSLJHL
1981-823411176-----285th QSLJHL
1982-83342365-246116511st QSLJHLWon League
1983-84Standings Not Available
1984-853011145-165174274th QSLJHL
1985-86Standings Not Available
1986-87Central Jr. C Standings Not Available
1987-88322273-222142473rd COJCHL
1988-894023125-275172512nd COJCHLLost final (Lakefield)
1989-904425154-235178545th Metro BLost quarter-final (Kingston)
1990-914424146-209180544th Metro BLost quarter-final (Oshawa)
1991-92 4419223-180195417th Metro ALost Preliminary (Pickering)
1992-93 4828173-248188592nd Metro ALost semi-final (Wexford)
1993-94 5028202-263225585th Metro ALost quarter-final (Thornhill)
1994-95 5027185-231191593rd Metro ALost quarter-final (Wexford)
1995-96 5226233-219222557th Metro ALost quarter-final (Wexford)
1996-97 5021263-212224458th Metro ALost Division Semi-final (Quinte)
1997-98 5023225-223213517th Metro ALost quarter-final (Oshawa)
1998-99 51232332205223517th OPJHL-ELost Division Quarter-final (Trenton)
1999-00 4933961257144732nd OPJHL-ELost Division Final (Lindsay)
2000-01 4930964226142702nd OPJHL-ELost Division Semi-final (Trenton)
2001-02 4937570238116811st OPJHL-ELost final (Brampton)
2002-03 494711029887951st OPJHL-EWon League(x1) (Aurora)
Won DHC (North Bay)
Lost RBC Semi-final (Humboldt)
2003-04 4937534253134811st OPJHL-ELost Division Final (Bowmanville)
2004-05 49351121222148732nd OPJHL-ELost Division Final (Port Hope)
2005-06 4933862261120743rd OPJHL-ELost Division Semi-final (Port Hope)
2006-07 493854221992822nd OPJHL-ELost final (Aurora)
2007-08 493411-4202113721st OPJHL-ELost Conference Final (Markham)
2008-09 533513-5252181751st OJHL-CLost semi-final (Oakville)
2009-10 503112-7172128692nd CCHL-ELost Division Final (Bowmanville)
2010-11 50387-5197128811st OJHL-EWon League(x2) (Oakville)
Won DHC (Huntsville)
Lost RBC Semi-final (Vernon)
2011-12 493312-4208124703rd OJHL-ELost div quarter-final (Kingston)
2012-13 552922-4162148624th OJHL-ELost Conf Quarter-final (Kingston)
2013-14 533314-6199143724th OJHL-ELost Conf Quarter-final (Cobourg)
2014-15----------
2015-1654321921202154673rd of 5 East Div
4th of 11 NE Conf
10th of 22 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-2 (Aurora)
Lost Conf. Semifinals 1-4 (Golden Hawks)
2016-1754311931190140664th of 5 East Div
4th of 11 NE Conf
7th of 22 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-3 (Fury)
Lost Conf. Semifinals, 1-4 (Cougars)
2017-1854331335207153741st of 5 East
2nd of 11 NE Conf
5th of 22 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-3 (Panthers)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-3 (Hurricanes)
Won Conf. Finals 4-1 (Aurora)
Won OJHL Finals 4-2 (Raiders)

OJHL Champions(x3)
2018-1954291915193167644th of 6 East
5th of 11 SE Conf
7th of 22 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-1 (Cougars)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-3 (Fury)
Won Conf. Finals 4-3 (rangers)
Lost OJHL Finals 0-4(Blades)
2019-205442920242132861st of 5 East
1st of 11 NE Conf
1st of 22 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-0 (Cougars)
Remaining playoffs cancelled
due to COVID_19 pandemic(x3)
2020-21Season cancelled due to COVID-19
2021-2255341317204145761st of 5 East
3rd of 11 SE Conf
8th of 21 OJHL
Lost Conf. Quarters 0-2 (Cougars)
2022-2354371142252134802nd of 11 SE Conf
4th of 21 OJHL
Won Conf. Quarters 4-1 (Buzzers)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-0 (Huskies)
Lost Conf. Finals 1-4 (GoldenHawks)
2023-2456351803213159733rd of 12 East Conf
6th of 24 OJHL
Lost Conf. Quarters 1-4 (Jr. Canadiens)

Playoffs

MetJHL Years

Kingston Voyageurs defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-3
Oshawa Legionaires defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-2
Pickering Panthers defeated Wellington Dukes 3-games-to-none
Wellington Dukes defeated North York Rangers 4-games-to-none
Wexford Raiders defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-none
Thornhill Islanders defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-1
Wexford Raiders defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-2
Wexford Raiders defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-1
Quinte Hawks defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-1
Oshawa Legionaires defeated Wellington Dukes 3-games-to-2

OJHL Years

Dudley Hewitt Cup

Central Canada Jr. A Championships
NOJHLOJHLSIJHL – Host
Round-robin play with 2nd vs. 3rd in semifinal to advance against 1st in the finals.

YearRound-robinRecordStandingSemifinalGold medal game
2003
Fort Frances, ON
W, Thunder Bay Bulldogs 7–4
W, Fort Frances Borderland Thunder 7–1
L, North Bay Skyhawks 1–2
2–1–02nd of 4W, Fort Frances Borderland Thunder 3–2W, North Bay Skyhawks 4–0
Dudley Hewitt Cup Champions
2011
Huntsville, ON
W, Wisconsin Wilderness 7–2
W, Soo Eagles 4–0
2OTL, Huntsville Otters 2–3
2–0–12nd of 4W, Soo Eagles 3–2 (4OT)W, Huntsville Otters 5–3
Dudley Hewitt Cup Champions
2018
Dryden, ON
L, Dryden Ice Dogs 1–4
W, Thunder Bay North Stars 4–1
W, Cochrane Crunch 2–0
2–1–02nd of 4W, Thunder Bay North Stars 6–3W, Dryden Ice Dogs 7–4
Dudley Hewitt Cup Champions

Royal Bank Cup

Canadian Jr. A National Championships
Dudley Hewitt Champions – Central, Fred Page Champions – Eastern, Doyle Cup Champion – Pacific, ANAVET Cup Champion – Western, and Host
Round-robin play with top four in semifinal games and winners to finals.

YearRound-robinRecord
W–OTW–OTL–L
StandingSemifinalGold medal game
2003
Charlottetown, PEI
L, Humboldt Broncos (Western) 1–4
L, Camrose Kodiaks (Pacific) 1–7
OTW, Charlottetown Abbies (Host) 1–0
W, Lennoxville Cougars (Eastern) 5–2
1–1–0–23rd of 5L, Humboldt Broncos 2–3
2011
Camrose, AB
L, Camrose Kodiaks (Host) 2–3
L, Pembroke Lumber Kings (Eastern) 2–5
L, Vernon Vipers (Pacific) 2–5
W, Portage Terriers (Western) 6–3
1–0–0–34th of 5L, Vernon Vipers 1–4
2018
Chilliwack, BC
OTL, Ottawa Jr. Senators (Eastern) 1–2
OTW, Steinbach Pistons (Western) 3–2
L, Chilliwack Chiefs (Host) 0–2
L, Wenatchee Wild (Pacific) 1–7
0–1–1–24th of 5W, Wenatchee Wild 2–1L, Chilliwack Chiefs 2–4

Notable alumni

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