Staff Report
BRANT NEWS

The St. George Dukes are celebrating their early promotion to the Junior C circuit.

The hockey team is planning a community barbecue for Saturday, Aug. 18, where new head coach Rocky Bradshaw, players and management will be introduced to fans.

The Dukes are moving from the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League, which is classified Junior D, to the Niagara and District Junior C Hockey League this season.

The Ontario Hockey Association is considering a potential amalgamation of the leagues, but for at least the 2013 season the teams were going to stay in the leagues they traditionally played in.

That changed for the Dukes because the Junior B Brantford Golden Eagles are moving to Caledonia next season and will replace the Junior C Caledonia Corvairs as Caledonia’s local team.

To fill the vacant space in the Junior C Eastern Conference, the Dukes have agreed to move up a year ahead of schedule.

The community barbecue will be held at the South Dumfries Community Centre beginning at noon on Aug. 18, with a formal program to begin at 2 p.m.