Lacombe Generals | |
---|---|
City | Lacombe, Alberta |
League | Chinook Hockey League |
Founded | 1999 |
Home arena | Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex |
Colours |
Brown, Blue, Black |
General manager | Jeff McInnis |
Head coach | Curtis Austring |
Captain | Don Morrison |
Website | Generalshockey.ca |
Franchise history | |
1999–2016 | Bentley Generals |
2016–present | Lacombe Generals |
Brown, Blue, Black
The Lacombe Generals are a Senior AAA ice hockey team from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada that play in the Chinook Hockey League. The Generals are three-time national champions, having won the Allan Cup in 2009 and 2016 in Steinbach, Manitoba and in 2013 in Red Deer, Alberta. The club was formally known as the Bentley Generals from 1999-2016, and played out of the Bentley Arena in Bentley, Alberta, as well as the Red Deer Arena.
The Bentley Generals hockey club was formed in 1999 and began play in the Chinook Hockey League. The team won its first provincial senior 'A' title in 2001. The following year, the Generals registered as an 'AAA' club and competed in the Allan Cup playdowns for the first time. Former NHLer Kelly Buchberger was a member of the Generals in 2005, while the team also attempted to play Ryan Smyth during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, though Smyth was ruled ineligible to play.
The Generals, coached by former National Hockey League player and coach Brian Sutter, qualified for the Allan Cup for the first time in 2007.
In 2009, the Generals, once again coached by Sutter, won their first Allan Cup with a 4-3 win in double overtime over Manitoba's Southeast Prairie Thunder. In 2013, the Generals hosted the Allan Cup in Red Deer, Alberta and captured their second title by defeating Newfoundland's Clarenville Caribous 3-0 in the championship game. The Generals returned to Steinbach in 2016 and defeated the host Prairie Thunder again by a score of 4-3 in overtime to win their third Allan Cup. The Generals have been Allan Cup finalist five other times: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2017.