Wellington Dukes to Retire Coach Helmer’s Jersey on Friday
Mike Davies
Peterborough Examiner
The Wellington Dukes consider Peterborough Petes assistant coach Bryan Helmer the “face of the franchise.”
On Friday, the OJHL Dukes will retire Helmer’s jersey No. 44 to the [rafters] of the Wellington Community Centre, the first player to receive such an honour in the franchise’s 25-year history.
Prior to that, Helmer may be doing head coaching duties for the Petes Thursday as Jody Hull has been bed-ridden since Monday with a severe case of the flu. Helmer said Wednesday it’s questionable whether Hull, who doesn’t want to pass his illness on to his players, might miss the club’s 7 p.m. home game against the Mississauga Steelheads.
Helmer, 41, was a member of the original Dukes entry in the old Metro Junior B Hockey League after the Belleville Bobcats junior C team moved to Wellington in 1989.
“Even today Bryan’s kind of the face of the franchise,” said Todd Lavender, Helmer’s former teammate and long-time Dukes assistant coach. Lavender’s parents Garry and Diane boarded Helmer for for four years.
“He was the first billeted player the Dukes ever had. His four years here were really second to none,” Lavender said. “He had 75 points as a defenceman in his last year here and was clearly the best player in the league at that point. What makes it special for Bryan is the route he took to get to the pros. Not a lot of guys step from tier II into being an impact player in the pros.”
Helmer played 19 pro seasons, primarily in the AHL where he’s the all-time leading scorer amongst defencemen. He won two Calder Cup titles and played 146 NHL games with Phoenix, St. Louis, Vancouver and Washington. Even though the Dukes played a shorter 44-game schedule back then, Helmer still holds the club’s single-season record for most goals (25) and points (75) by a defenceman. He was captain his final two years.
“He really engrained himself in the community,” Lavender said. “A lot of Dukes fans kind of took ownership of him and his accomplishments. He’s the same guy as he was when he came here as a 17-year-old kid. He’s always been very approachable for fans and with the guys he played with he was always a friend first and a hockey player second.
“It’s long overdue but he wouldn’t retire, so we had to wait,” said Levander, with a chuckle.
Helmer remembers Wellington fondly.
“I’m obviously very honoured,” Helmer said. “I have great memories of playing in Wellington. I still stay in touch with a bunch of people. It’s going to be good to talk about old times and see a bunch of the guys and fans.”
He says his only regret is Garry Lavender, who died eight years ago, won’t be there. Next to his parents Bryan and JoAnn and wife Pam, Helmer says the Lavenders were his greatest supporters.
“They treated me like their own. It was like having another family,” Helmer said. “I wish Garry Lavender was still alive to see this. He was like a second dad to me. I’m sure he’ll be looking down that night and have a smile on his face.”
Terry Iker coached Helmer all four years and is returning for the ceremony.
“It’s going to be great to see him,” Helmer said. “He went through a few health scares and battled cancer. He was a great coach who did a lot for me in my career. I learned a lot from him.”
Story reprinted with permission from The Peterborough Examiner: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2014/01/15/dukes-retiring-helmers-jersey
