Dulio "Duke" Scodellaro

Born in Maple Leaf, Alberta in 1914, a community that now forms part of the municipality of Crowsnest Pass, Duke arrived in Trail in 1936 at the age of 22. He worked at Cominco and joined the Smoke Eaters in 1937. That season, he would shine in net, earning himself the moniker, “The Shut-Out King.” The following year, the Smoke Eaters won their first Allan Cup Championship, after a cross-Canada battle. He accompanied the Smoke Eaters to the 1939 World Championship tournament in Switzerland representing Canada, where they swept their opponents. Duke and his team allowed only one goal, showcasing not only his skill in net, but also the team’s elevated style of play. He spent another 12 years with the Smoke Eaters, retiring in 1952, after winning the BC Amateur Hockey Association’s Outstanding Player award.

As a builder, the hockey world credits Duke with a now-common style of goaltending which sees goalies leave the crease to better cut down angles. This style of play was first noticed while he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Toronto during the Second World War. If that weren’t enough, Duke is also associated with designing and developing the first goalie blocker, a now-standard piece of equipment held in the stick hand. An example is on display in the Trail Museum & Archives.

Duke, famous for his flipped-brimmed hat, was a pivotal element of the storied Smoke Eater legacy and a mentor to many goalies. He passed away in Trail in 1983 at the age of 69.

He was inducted in 2025.