Duante’ is entering his second year with Townshend Hockey. He brings to our program a love of the game and a determination to make every player he meets the best player he/she can be. His love of the game began at the age of five at the Ft. Dupont Ice Arena in Southeast Washington, DC. The following year, after watching a local hockey game at his rink, he asked his mother to join a team of his own. She enrolled him with the Ft. Dupont Ice Hockey Program. He would play for this team until he would graduate high school. Duante’ attended Gonzaga College High School, a college preparatory school in Washington, DC. Here he would play 1 year of junior varsity and 3 years of varsity hockey. He also ran 4 years of varsity track at Gonzaga. After graduating in 2005, he attended Hampton University. He ran track there his freshman year until an injury ended his sprinting career. After leaving Hampton, he began coaching hockey again, as the defensemen and goaltender’s coach. It was then that he fell in love with hockey again, and decided to train to play professionally. During his years of training, he trained at some of the most elite hockey training facilities in North America. He trained at Beyond The Next Level (BTNL) in Oakville, Ontario and at TWIST Whitby in Whitby, Ontario. Also during his years of training, he continuously tried out with numerous minor league teams. Each time getting closer to his goal. He eventually made his first team in 2012 when he traveled to New Zealand to play for the West Auckland Admirals in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL). One of the biggest highlights of his hockey life to date came during the NHL Lockout when he was invited to practice with the Washington Capitals for the duration of the lockout. Duante’ played his first season in North America for the Steel City Warriors of the Federal Hockey League (FHL) in 2014-2015. He spent the preseason with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) before signing with the Brewster Bulldogs of the FHL.

Duante’ says that the reason he loves working with young players is very simple. “I want to spread my love of the game of hockey to as many individuals as I possibly can. I believe that every player deserves to be equipped with the tools to succeed not just on the ice, but off of it as well. This sport has taught me so much about what it takes to be successful in life, and I want to share that knowledge.”