By Brock Ormond/ Wellington Dukes
As the Wellington Dukes gear up for the 2025-26 Ontario Junior Hockey League season, the organization is paving a new path forward with a familiar name as head coach/general manager.
The club announced former Duke Jacob Panetta has been appointed to both titles, with former coach/GM Kent Lewis moving into a development/consulting role in his home province of British Columbia.
Panetta, 29, began his hockey journey with the Quinte Red Devils, where he served as team captain for several seasons. After helping the Picton Pirates win the 2012-2013 Junior C Schmaltz Cup championship, he advanced to the OJHL and suited up with the Dukes from 2013 to 2016, serving as an assistant captain in his final year.
The Belleville resident spent four years from 2016 to 2020 at Colgate University, before going on to suit up in five professional seasons for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen and a club in Denmark.
Panetta told the Dukes him being fresh out of the game with more than a decade of elite hockey experience will benefit the players he coaches. “I’ve done a lot of development skates and development work with kids in the Quinte area over the last three, four summers, so I’ve stayed in the game that way in my off seasons,” Panetta shared.
“I also think that it’s kept me in touch with the new skill development and its also given
me a little bit of experience with working with guys younger than me.”
As he works his way into his new positions, Panetta will be dealing with new eligibility rules between NCAA-CHL, which will present some added recruiting challenges. However, he hopes to continue the Dukes tradition of success through the further development of Quinte-area talent.
“I want to take Wellington and turn it into an elite development team where kids don’t come for one or two years, but they’re here to develop over a two, three-year span, whether that’s for OHL, (USports), or NCAA and take the lead with it that way,” he said. Returning to his roots and embracing the local hockey community again is something that Panetta said he is cherishing. “The County has given me my start to junior hockey and allowed me to earn a scholarship, and I’m really thankful for that,” he said.
“I want to use coaching as an avenue to give back to community and to give back to players and sort of help them navigate their way through the start of their careers and the start of their lives.”
Panetta says he will be looking for players that will be good teammates on the ice and great citizens in the community.
Lewis thanked the fans for being supportive of him as he transitions to a new role after two years behind the Wellington bench, as well as owner Ken Clement for bringing him in during a tremendously challenging 2023 offseason. “My time in the County has been memorable, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many incredible people along the way,” Lewis expressed. “The community’s passion and support for the team have been inspiring.”
“I’m especially grateful to the outstanding staff who worked alongside me during this time. Their dedication and support made the experience all the more rewarding.
Clement stated he is proud to see an alumnus of the team such as Panetta take over the bench. “His hockey record speaks for itself, and I am very happy to give him this opportunity to pursue his coaching career with the Dukes organization,” the owner stated.
He thanked Lewis for his work and looks forward to his mentorship of the new staff.
In other staffing news, County resident Chris Miles has stepped into the head of business operations and community liaison roles. “I’ve grown up watching the Dukes play. Thinking back to my younger years, it was always a desire of mine to somehow get involved with the Dukes organization,” he stated.
“It didn’t work out for me in a playing capacity, but I have a passion for business and a passion for sports, so it’s a good opportunity to merge the two.” Miles stated the organization is looking to build toward a sustainable model, not just financially but culturally.
“We want a model that works for small town market and continues to thrive over time,” he said, noting the organization is looking to get representation out to Sandbanks Provincial Park, farmer’s markets, and various community activities to draw attention to the team.
Clement stated Miles will be an integral part of the organization’s strategy to build stronger community support in efforts to help the club become more financially sustainable while also helping him to seek a new local ownership group to lead it into the next generation.
The Dukes are aiming to extend the longest current playoff streak in the OJHL to 37 straight seasons in 2025-26.
Stay tuned to the Dukes website and social media pages for further updates on staff hirings, signings, commitments, community events and more throughout the summer.