Wellington Dukes new Head Coach John Druce (Photo by Amy Deroche / OJHL Images)
Things are updating fast on the Wellington Dukes Coaching front.
Thursday morning Quine News talked with two sources about changes behind the bench, with the top team in the Northeast Conference of the OJHL. Sources stated that the Dukes and Head Coach Scott McCrory had parted ways and that Ryan Woodward was coaching the team on an interim basis.
Quinte News has further learned that the team has hired a brand new coaching staff and have a vacancy in the General Manager position.
Director of Hockey and Business Operations Randy Uens tells Quinte News that Ryan Woodward has resigned from his position of GM and Associate Coach. Uens says Woodward did run a team practice after Scott McCrory was no longer Head Coach, but no final decision had been made at that point on coaching. Uens says Kyle Hawkin-Schulz is no longer an Assistant Coach, but will remain with the Dukes organization.
Uens says there was a disconnect on the bench and it needed to be addressed. Uens says that Scott McCrory will remain with the Dukes in an advisory role, making way for John Druce as the teams new bench boss. Druce coached the 2016-17 Cobourg Cougars to the RBC Cup. He is set to begin coaching the team immediately.
Joining Druce on the bench is former Wellington Dukes Captain Derek Smith . The other Assistant Coach is Michael Farrugia, a high level power skating coach. The General Manager position will remain vacant, until a new GM can be named.
Uens says the decisions made were in the best interest of a young team, which is very good.
Wellington will have little time to get to know their coaches, as they welcome their former Coach and GM Marty Abrams and the Trenton Golden Hawks Fright night at 7:30 pm.
