Lacombe Generals

The Lacombe Generals were a Senior AAA ice hockey team from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada that played in the Chinook Hockey League/Allan Cup Hockey West. The Generals are four-time national champions, having won the Allan Cup in 2009 and 2016 in Steinbach, Manitoba, in 2013 in Red Deer, Alberta and in 2019 in their home rink in their final game.http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/04/21/bentley-generals-make-allan-cup-historyhttp://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/bentley-generals-win-allan-cuphttp://www.thespec.com/sports-story/4467492-allan-cup-real-mccoys-beat-bentley-to-move-to-semifinals/ The club was formerly 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. In late May of the 2016 the team announced that they would be relocating to Lacombe, Alberta and would be renamed the Lacombe Generals.  The team would win the playoff championship for the newly renamed Allan Cup Hockey West and the 2018 Alberta Senior AAA Playoffs to earn a spot in the 2018 Allan Cup.  The team was named host of the 2019 Allan Cup and repeating as league and provincial champions.
==History==
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 South East 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 four other times: 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2015.http://rdc.ab.ca/current-students/athletics/kings-queens/kings-hockey/coaches
In December 2015 it was announced that the Generals were relocating to Lacombe, Alberta for the 2016–17 season, citing a drop in attendance as a reason for the move. The partnership with the City of Lacombe was made official in the summer of 2016. The Generals will play out of the newly renovated Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex in the Can Pak Ice Complex, formerly known as the Barnett Arenas.
The move wasn't the only change the Generals would make for the 2016-17 season. In July 2016 it was announced Head Coach Ryan Tobler would be stepping down to work as an Assistant Coach with the ECHL's Colorado Eagles. In August 2016, it was announced longtime Generals player Curtis Austring would be Tobler's successor. 
Following winning the 2019 Allan Cup as the host team (and winning the provincial championship to qualify anyway) on May 27,2019 the Lacombe Generals announced they would not be playing for the 2019-20 season citing issues within the system set up for Senior AAA hockey in Canada.https://www.lacombeglobe.com/news/local-news/lacombe-generals-withdrawing-from-achw
==Season-by-season record==
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	GF 	GA 	P 	Results
2000–01	24	11	13	0	- 	114	107	22	4th ChHL
2001–02	24	16	8 	0	- 	125	90 	32	2nd ChHL
2002–03	24	20	4 	0	- 	183	60 	40	2nd ChHL
2003–04	28	23	4 	1	- 	181	79 	47	2nd ChHL
2004–05	24	19	3 	2	- 	165	67 	40	1st ChHL
2005–06	24	21	1 	-	2 	123	42 	44	1st ChHL
2006–07	24	20	3 	-	1 	163	63 	41	1st ChHL
2007–08	20	15	5 	-	0 	115	56 	30	2nd ChHL
2008–09	24	23	1 	-	0 	159	51 	46	1st ChHL
2009–10	20	19	1 	-	0 	112	49 	38	1st ChHL
2010–11	20	19	1 	-	0 	117	42 	38	1st ChHL
2011–12	24	16	8 	-	0 	110	60 	32	2nd ChHL
2012–13	16	15	1 	-	0 	94 	31 	30	1st ChHL
2013-14	24	21	3 	-	0 	111	53 	42	1st ChHL
2014–15	24	23	1 	-	0 	128	39 	46	1st ChHL
2015–16	18	14	3 	-	1 	84 	43 	29	1st ChHL
2016–17	22	19	3 	-	0 	116	69 	38	1st ChHL
2017–18	24	18	4 	-	2 	115	66 	38	2nd ACHW
2018-19	18	10	6 	-	2 	69 	57 	22	1st ACHW
Allan Cup Championships = 4 (2009, 2013, 2016, 2019)
Allan Cup Finals = 10 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019)
Allan Cup Appearances = 13 (2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
==NHL alumni==
*Travis Brigleyhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/bentley-generals-set-to-begin-quest-for-allan-cup-glory/article11195197/
*Jeremy Collitonhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/bentley-generals-set-to-begin-quest-for-allan-cup-glory/article11195197/
*Trent Hunterhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/bentley-generals-set-to-begin-quest-for-allan-cup-glory/article11195197/
*Brian Sutter (Coach)http://docstudio.tvo.org/story/blood-sweat-and-beers
*Peter Vandermeerhttp://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=20482
*Darren Van Impehttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/bentley-generals-set-to-begin-quest-for-allan-cup-glory/article11195197/
*Craig Wellerhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8468647
*Ryan Tobler
*Drew Bagnall
*Brennan Evans
*Evan Oberg
*Jeff Deslauriers
*Kyle Greentree
==References==
==External links==
*Official website
*Chinook Hockey League
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Allan Cup Hockey West teams
Category:Established in 1999
Category:Disestablished in 2019
Category:Allan Cup winners