Dukes History
We are proud of our 35 years of Passion, Pride & Tradition. In 2022 we were named #9 in Canada in the Jr A NCAA Rankings. The only team in Ontario to reach the top 10!
The Wellington Dukes are a Junior “A” ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. We 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 twice (2003, 2011). The Dukes won the Buckland Cup on April 22, 2018.
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. 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.
Ken Clement – Owner/ Governor
Ken has been a successful serial entrepreneur building on 35 years of experience in multiple sectors. His experience in high level team sports along with numerous successful projects has influenced him to build strong teams reliant on passion, integrity and work ethic.
Ken played junior hockey in Western Canada winning two Canadian Championships with the Powel River Regals. He played for WHL Victoria Cougars and the Medicine Hat Tigers, the BCHL Nanaimo Clippers and the WHL Nanaimo Islanders. In 2017 Ken was inducted to the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
Ken has a long family history in Prince Edward County which he calls home and where he one day plans to retire. He takes his stewardship of owning the Wellington Dukes very seriously and is passionate about moving young hockey players onto the next level of education and sport.
Tealah Clement – C.O.O – Chief Operations Officer
Tealah Clement is Ken Clements right hand face of the Dukes in his abscense while he is focusing on his other business operations.
Tealah is also the Voice of the Dukes as their official National Anthem singer on game nights.
Randy Uens – Senior Advisor
& Director Total Sports Media Division
Writer – Total Sports Quinte/ Co-host Total Sports Quinte Podcast
I am very appreciative of the opportunity to be involved with this great organization that allows me to indulge my passions for sports and business. I enjoy the opportunity to help young athletes achieve their goals while helping the Wellington Dukes become a sustainable pillar of the Quinte Community. Thank you to all of our supporters and staff for the ongoing support of the hockey club. Go Dukes.
Michelle McIntyre – Accounting
Michelle handles all of the accounting and bookkeeping for the Wellington Dukes and their sister company Total Sports Media.
Kelly Martin – Director of Sales & Marketing /Graphics/Sponsorship
905-914-7454
This is Kelly’s 4th season with the Dukes. Kelly has more than 17 years experience working for teams in the OJHL. Kelly was runner up OJHL Executive of the year in the past and is passionate about connecting hockey with local charitable groups. Kelly has been focused on connecting the Dukes with our local not for profit and charitable groups in our fund-raising initiatives. In the 2022-23 season we raised and donated approximately $24,000 for local charities. Kelly has coordinated several high profile OJHL events in the past. Kelly is also the founder of Total Sports Quinte which launched in May of 2017 and manages our Total Sports Quinte Media division. Kelly designs the magazines and website content on the Totalsportsquinte.ca Sports Hub.
Alisha Martin – Sponsorship & Sales Associate
343-261-8568 / EMAIL CONTACT ALISHA
Alisha started with the Wellington Dukes in March of 2022. She is your goto for sponsorship and advertising opportunitieswith both the Dukes and their sister company; Total Sports Quinte. Alisha has worked as a sales associate with Total Sports Media since the Spring of 2017 and played a key role in growing the publication to where it is today. Alisha is very proud to be part of the Dukes family and the community of Prince Edward County.
Carrie & Ian Deline – Billet Coordinator
613-967-2897 / EMAIL CONTACT CARRIE
A little about us and our family…
Ian and I have three children who are actively involved in hockey in 3 different centres in the area. Our children are 15, 13, and 11. Both Ian and I were born and raised in the Belleville/Quinte west area.
Ian is a Utility Arborist in the Picton area with Hydro One and I am a Registered Nurse working with the MLTC.
We have been involved in minor hockey in a number of different capacities over the years.
This is our first year billeting with the Dukes but we are not new to billeting as we have billeted with another organization in the past. We have welcomed some amazing players into our home and watched a number of them and their families become a lasting part of ours.
Brock Ormond – Play-by-Play Wellington Dukes Broadcaster
Wellington Dukes Sports Writer
Brock is returning for his 10th season broadcasting Dukes games on Hockey TV and Your TV Quinte.
He started his career in the 2014-15 season, getting an opportunity to call games for the teams he had grew up watching as a fan, the Belleville Bulls and the Dukes, filling in for his first Bulls game on October 8, 2014.
Brock has had the good fortune of calling Buckland Cup Championships and a Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Ontario Regional Championship, including the Dukes’ 2018 title run.
Brock holds an Advanced Diploma in Journalism (Online, Print, Broadcast, and Sports), which he achieved in 2017. He has been honoured to have interviewed and told the stories and journeys of many athletes and coaches in his time in the field.
He loves the passion and dedication of junior hockey players and the close-knit bond they form with fans.
Brock is looking forward to another great season of Wellington Dukes hockey in 2023-24.
Tyler Brown – Director of Social Media
