From team owner Ken Clement;
To the Dukes fans, sponsors, supporters and alumni,
The Wellington Dukes are an integral part of the community. Not just Prince Edward County, but both the Quinte Region and Eastern Ontario. The Dukes are considered one of the “Crown Jewels” of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and I take my stewardship of this organization very seriously. I am proud to be the owner of the Wellington Dukes and I will ensure that we will continue to be a strong and successful organization, just like I have done every year that I have owned this team.
Our organization suffered greatly during the pandemic and has been slow to recover. Our recent challenges have left us vulnerable to social media rumours, critics and competitors. Despite this adversity, these challenges only make us better as the support from within our Dukes community has never been stronger. This fact has been illustrated by the number of people reaching out to help support the Dukes in any way they can. We appreciate your unwavering support.
We have turned the corner on our financial issues and we are coming back stronger than ever.
There is a long history of our competitors poaching our staff and players. This fact demonstrates the success we have had at hiring excellent hockey people and running an elite junior hockey program. To continue with this tradition of excellence, we are pleased to announce Todd Diminie as the New General Manager of the Wellington Dukes.
Todd brings years of experience with community based Junior Hockey in Ontario. Todd started out in the OJHL with the Port Hope Predators and has worked for the Bowmanville Eagles Jr A Hockey Club who then merged with Cobourg Cougars as well as the Whitby Fury jr A. Todd has served in various roles from scouting to assistant General Manager to General Manager with the Cobourg Cougars. Todd coached minor hockey in Cobourg for 15 years before graduating to the junior ranks.
Todd has the experience to help the Dukes move forward and get the ball rolling on our rookie camp and the rebuild of your Wellington Dukes. Todd is eager to get started on rebuilding a great team and come back with a vengeance. We will be bringing in elite players that want to be Dukes and deserve to play at this elite level in a very special place, The legendary Duke Dome! If you are interested in becoming one of these Dukes, contact Todd at gmwellingtondukes@gmail.com.
We are also pleased to announce the addition of Kent Danforth as our Equipment Manager. He will also provide scouting and administrative support to the organization. His son, Justin Danforth played in the OJHL before graduating to the NCAA and completing four years at Sacred Heart University. Through hard work and perseverance Justin landed a contract with the Columbus Bluejackets. Kent understands what it takes to get to the next level and will be a great asset to our organization. Kent is a Quinte West resident and passionate about hockey. He’s excited about the opportunity he has ahead with the Dukes organization.
Duke’s management is in final negotiations with a strong and credible coach. More on this in the days to come.
Director of Marketing Kelly Martin says we will have a home opener in the fall like none other before, inviting many Dukes Alumni. We are also introducing our new 35th anniversary jerseys that will also be offered to our fans this summer to purchase. Further details of the Dukes 35th Anniversary will be announced shortly. Merchandise and online tickets will also be available this season on our website.
Please follow our new website at https://dukes.ojhl.hockeytech.com
New 35th Anniversary jersey attached.
Kelly Martin
Director of Sales & Marketing
Dukes Sports & Entertainment &
Total Sports Integrated Media
WellingtonDukes.comTotalSportsQuinte.ca
Cell: 905-914-7454
