If arch rivals Wellington and Trenton should meet up in the 2026 Buckland Cup playoffs, the locals have given the Golden Hawks something to think about heading into Game 1 of a possible Battle of Quinte.

The Wellington Dukes handed the host Hawks one of their worst defeats on home ice in 2025-26, besting the East Conference leaders 5-2 on Family Day.

Wellington’s win capped off a very successful weekend run where the Dukes captured 5 out of a possible six points. At 25-16-9 and 59 points, the Dukes are in 6^th in the Conference, six points back of 5^th place Haliburton with a game in hand and half a dozen games remaining.

It’s a tall order to expect Wellington to leapfrog the Pups and slip into a 5^th, but if Wellington can play out the string like they played in Trenton, bring on the world.

Coming Out On Top

Wellington would find themselves down a goal early into the first period on Monday afternoon but levelled the scoring at the midway point of the opening stanza. Aiden Lee was lurking at the side of Trenton’s mesh mansion and lifted a backhander into the top of the net at 11:01 to square the affair at 1-1. Cooper Woron turned in some nice work behind the Trenton goal to spot Mr. Lee on the doorstep with a nice feed.

For the second time in the frame, Wellington and their netminder Dryden Reilly stymied the Trenton powerplay and scored just shortly after the Dukes’ infraction expired.

This time, it was Evan Erwin feeding a speeding Liam Campbell at the red line and the Wellington skater blew past a Trenton defender, earning a partial breakaway and deposited the puck top corner past Hayden Jeffery with just over six minutes left in the first.

Wellington was outshot by a 2-to-1 margin in the second but Mr. Reilly continued his mastery in maintaining the sanctity of the Wellington net.

At the other end, the Dukes had the only goal of the period to extend their lead to 3-1 and it again came on the heels of a dry Trenton power play.

Zach Carrier put on a show for the nearly 1,000 fans in attendance as he danced into the Trenton end and came off the half wall with brilliant dash of speed. The Kingstonian cut across the Golden Hawk goalmouth and outwaited Mr. Jeffery, depositing his 33^rd of the campaign at 16:58.

Clutch Kills

The Dukes extended their lead in the third by way of Mr. Campbell’s 24^th of the season 73 seconds in. The Golden Hawks finally scored on their 5^th power play of the game at the midway point of the third, but the Wellington penalty kill and, more specifically, Mr. Reilly denied them on their sixth with about eight minutes left in the game.

With Mr. Jeffery on the bench for an extra attacker, Zach Mascard had the dagger with under a minute left into a yawning Trenton cage to make the final 5-2. Making the win in Trenton even more Herculean was that high flying forward Landon Marleau was out of the Wellington lineup. The San Jose, CA native made his Ontario Hockey League debut with the Kingston Frontenacs this weekend.

Playing With House Money

In Haliburton on Saturday, Wellington looked to be staring a road loss in the face after 40 minutes, down 4-0 to the host Huskies. But momentum in a junior hockey game can be fickle. And it turned on a dime in favour of the visitors.

The Dukes cued the comeback off an early period power play. Mr. Carrier found Mr. Lee with a slap pass to the slot area four seconds into the man advantage to finally solve Haliburton’s Owen Edwards.

Wellington carved the Haliburton’s lead in half just two and half minutes later and the tally came from an unlikely but happy source.

Blake Berthiuame found Justin Doak with a backhand pass just inside the blueline and the defender let go on a point blast, tickling the twine for his first Ontario Junior Hockey League Goal at 3:54.

Give-and-Go

Wellington inched closer at the midway point of the stanza. Defenders Kyle Grasby and Cole Ellis made a nice give-and-go play inside the blue line at 9:14 with the latter handcuffing Mr. Edwards with a shot just inside the top of the circle to bring Wellington to within a goal.

The comeback was completed by Mr. Lee inside five minutes left to play and the goal had some odour to it. Chasing the puck on the forecheck, Mr. Norton emerged from his crease to volley the bouncing biscuit out of the zone. Mr. Lee stuck his stick in the way and the puck deflected between the goalie’s legs and over the line with 4:14 left in regulation.

Wellington had a chance to win the game in the dying seconds of the 3-on-3 overtime period but Mr. Lee was denied on the goal line by Mr. Norton with a right pad save. In the club’s history, the Dukes have had several four goal comebacks on the road but even with a tie result, this one has to be among the sweetest.

Big Win at Home

On Thursday at home, Wellington surrendered the game’s opening goal to North York’s Kyson Paterson then beat a path to the Ranger’s net early and often en route to a 7-1 drubbing of the Blueshirts.

Wellington spread the offence around with seven different goal scorers. Messrs. Carrier, Campbell, Woron and Ellis all scored as did Sacha Trudel and Lorne Miles.

Wellington is at St. Mike’s on Thursday night and then hosts Toronto and Pickering on Friday and Sunday, respectively.