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WELLINGTON DUKES Season Preview
By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media
Derek Smith knows what it means to play for the Wellington Dukes. As a player you’re battling for your team, your own growth on the ice and as a person away from the rink, the staff, the volunteers, the fans and the Prince Edward County community. Before returning to the organization as a coach, the 37-year-old spent four seasons on defence with the Dukes from 2000-2004 before moving on to play NCAA hockey for Lake Superior State University followed by a 10-year pro career, including 94 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames. “It’s amazing. Honestly, it’s the best place to play junior hockey,” Smith, now the Ontario Junior Hockey League club’s head coach, said, recalling past national junior A championships as a player and assistant coach with the Dukes. “The fan support that we have is second to none. I remember in 2003 when we went to Charlottetown for the Royal Bank Cup and all the fan support from the people that made the trip there. I wasn’t around here for 2011 but when we went to Chilliwack in 2018, the amount of people that made the trip and were behind the team 100 per cent, win or lose, it’s just exciting to be a part of it. With the ownership group we have, they’ve put a lot of time and investment into making sure this program is what it is.” The organization is built on the strength of longtime staffers, volunteers and fans. Many familiar faces remain to this day that were with the Dukes when Smith played. “Don Cotton has been around here for 30 years now and without him we wouldn’t be where we are,” Smith said. “Just to be able to come to the rink and see the same faces that are here as when I played and are still in it for the same reason of the love of hockey and love of the community, it’s something special.” With the OJHL having returned this fall after a cancelled season, Smith wants the 2021-22 Dukes players to be ready to battle for their roster spot every night as the players return to traditional hockey. “We want competition,” Smith said. “We want guys that are intense and want to battle for the Wellington Dukes and want to battle for their personal development. It’s going to take some time, but we’re starting to come together. We’re excited about the group we have, but we need to be hungry coming out of the gate. Realistically every team is in the same position. Everybody’s happy with their team, but we’re going to have to get out to a quick start so we can get our feet under us and get back to playing hockey.”
Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images Emmet Pierce #5 of the Wellington Dukes and Jacob Vreugdenhil #16 of the Wellington Dukes
Defence - Maguire, who is 19 and from Belleville, is expected to be a big part of the Dukes defence this season. The former Red Devil played 16 games for the Pickering Panthers during the 2019-20 season before heading to Wellington where he’s been since. “He’s somebody we’re looking forward to taking big steps,” Smith said of Maguire. “He took some huge strides last year and he’s going to be part of our leadership group.” Continued next page ...
Some key pieces to the roster were in place to return, including Barret Joynt, Jacob Vreugdenhil and Mason Reeves with new some great new additions like Emmet Pierce, Payton Schaly and Ethan Quick. Pierce, a Napanee native and Quinte Red Devils product who joins the Dukes for his final junior year following two seasons with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, was named team captain while alternates Vreugdenhil, Reeves and defenceman Cole McGuire round out the leadership group. “It’s a big honour to be named captain and I’m really looking forward to the season,” Pierce said. “We have a great group of guys and hopefully I can help lead this team to a championship.”
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Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images Cole McGuire #24 of the Wellington Dukes
