It is always a stressful time of the year for coaches and general managers.
The trade deadline.
For the Ontario Junior Hockey League, both the Trenton Golden Hawks and Wellington Dukes were busy moving and acquiring players over the final hours.
Dukes GM Jacob Panetta made three moves.
He acquired Cain Tucker (son of former NHLer Darcy Tucker), the captain of the North York Rangers, for a Player Development Fee.
Tucker notched six points in 22 games with the Rangers this season.
The Dukes also welcomed Aiden Lee from the Georgetown Raiders, in exchange for Vince Albanese and Noah Smith.
For Georgetown, Lee notched 19 points in 35 games.
Cooper Woron is also on his way from the Oakville Blades for a Player Development Fee.
He has one goal this season for the Blades.
Finally, Panetta acquired goaltender Dryden Riley, a Trenton native who was playing in the BCHL this year, following two seasons in the NOJHL.
He says the team went deeper following the deadline.
“Really needed to get some depth up front and the guys we added I think can help with that a lot. Bringing in a local goalie, who’s got a really good resume. We need to do what’s best for the Wellington Dukes and I thought we addressed some areas that needed to be addressed. We’re pretty happy with how things went.”
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Cain Tucker #23 of the Wellington Dukes in Trenton, in his Wellington Dukes debut. (Ed McPherson / OJHL Images)
Trenton General Manager Derek Smith made several acquisitions, including shoring up the goaltending position.
He brought in Colten Drillen-Roach from the Collingwood Blues.
Drillen-Smith was part of a Blues team which defeated the Golden Hawks in the OJHL Championship in 2024 and went on to win the Centennial Cup.
His season was split between the North American Hockey League in the United States with the Johnstown Tomahawks, and Collingwood.
Joshua Penny is crossing leagues, coming from the Rockland Nationals of the CCHL (Ottawa area junior league).
Penny, who hails from Odessa in Loyalist Township, won the league championship last year and was in the Centennial Cup, competing against Trenton last season.
He has 33 points so far this year.
On the back end, the G-Hawks lost Joshua Brady to the QMJHL (Quebec Remparts) and so Coach Smith said they had work to do.
Casey Bridgewater joins the Hawks from Powell River in the BCHL.
The London area native is a left shot defenceman and spent last season with the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League.
Finally, Trenton made a deal with Leamington for Preston Otting.
The rear guard is a right shot Michigan native who has ten points so far this season.
Coach Derek Smith:
“Bringing Casey Bridgewater in from Powell River in the BCHL and then Preston Otting from Leamington, it adds a lot of depth to our back end. Adding Josh (Penny) from Rockland, he won a championship with the Rockland Nationals last year and he knows what it takes to be a winner. Colten Drillen-Roach from Collingwood, he’s been to a national title.”
Colten Drillen-Roach skates to the bench during the OJHL Championship series in Trenton in 2024 Canada. (Photo by Amy Deroche / OJHL Images)
