The Wellington Dukes were supposed to be the feared gunslingers, but their Maritime mission turned into an episode of “How the West was Won.”
The Dukes, who had captured the Dudley Hewitt Cup here last month, got no respect for their #1 ranking in the Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey League at the Royal Bank Cup national championship in Charlottetown, P.E.I. last week.
Wellington, champions of the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ League, was eliminated by the Humboldt Broncos—the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League titleists and eventual national champs—in a tight 3-2 loss in the semi-finals after posting a 2-2 record to finish third in the round-robin.
The Dukes lost 4-1 to Humboldt to open the tournament, then were crushed 7-1 by the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, who went on to lose 3-1 to the Broncos in the final.
Wellington finally broke into the win column with a 1-0 overtime shutout over the host Charlottetown Abbies, winners of the Maritime Junior ‘A’ Hockey League.
The Dukes then beat the Quebec reps, the Lennoxville Cougars, by a 5-2 score.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
