The Wellington Dukes came skating to Shire Hall looking for an assist Tuesday evening.

Front office staff from one of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s flagship franchises asked the  municipality to become presenting sponsors of the team next season.

A $50,000 ask, the hockey club is looking to the County for in-kind game nights (27 regular season games) and practice-ice costs in exchange for promotional title and advertising rights.

The concept is not foreign to Junior A hockey in Ontario. The Pickering Panthers have a multi-year agreement with the Boyer Auto Group for naming rights. The 2023 Buckland Cup champs are known as the Mike Jackson GM Collingwood Blues.

Could we have the County of Prince Edward Wellington Dukes skating out of the home dressing room at Lehigh Arena this winter?

Chief Operating Officer Tealah Clement and marketing and advertising manager Kelly Martin highlighted the benefits of such a pact in a deputation to council last week. They underscored how the hockey club made hockey fans across Ontario and Canada take note of this tiny island community. The Wellington Dukes have battled for Jr. A supremacy in provincial and national championship tournaments.

The pedigree of developing NHLers like Matt Cooke, Andrew Raycroft and Bryan Helmer, along with scores of OHL and NCAA, players have helped put the village’s and the county’s name into the eyes and ears of millions of hockey fans.

Clement called a potential partnership a win-win scenario. The Dukes would continue to pay for playoff ice and other facility costs.

The COO spoke of the evolution of Jr. A hockey over the last decade as one full-time Coach and General Manager has morphed into at least a dozen full and part-time paid positions. Ms. Clement noted that in addition to escalating costs, the pandemic’s economic slow down damaged Dukes’ Owner Ken Clement’s businesses as well as the hockey club’s finances.

“It’s been a slow recovery and we are back on track, but we need to examine all options to keep the team fiscally sustainable for years to come,” Ms. Clement noted.

“Ken takes the stewardship of the County’s Jr. A team very seriously. He’s been a proud owner of the Wellington Dukes and will continue to be committed to putting a successful team on the ice just as he has every season he’s owned the franchise.”

There are big plans afoot to celebrate the team’s 35th anniversary in 2023-24. Callig the team a crown jewel of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, Ms. Martin said the hockey club would be a promotional mechanism in the winter months. 

“We will include the County’s name in all aspects of the team. All social media posts, all merchandise, marketing, advertising, everything,” she said.

Noting corporate entities sponsor other OJHL teams, Councillor Phil St. Jean wondered if they had reached out to local businesses.

“We have reached out, and will approach our corporate sponsors. But we are looking to our community to help us celebrate our anniversary and give us a kick start,” Ms. Martin said.

Senior staff will report on the economics of the proposed sponsorship in time for the Aug. 29 council meeting.