The stage is set for the 2018 Allan Cup Championship in Rosetown, Saskatchewan.  The field of six teams features the Lacombe Generals, the Stoney Creek Generals and the Rosetown Redwings in Division 1 and the Bethune AGT Bulldogs, South East Prairie Thunder and Elsipogtog Hawks making up Division 2.  Of the teams contending for this year’s national championship, none have more Allan Cup experience than the Lacombe Generals.  Gens defenseman Ian Barteaux says that it will be a key factor heading into the tournament.
 
“It’s huge because at that point it’s really not about personal agendas , it’s about the team agenda and at the end of the day everyone wants to win so regardless if you’re in the lineup or not in the lineup you just have to support everyone positively and good things will happen.”
 
The team’s first matchup will be against the host team and league rival Rosetown Redwings on Tuesday (Apr 10). Both teams traded wins all season with the Generals coming out on top in their last meeting for the league championship.  Regardless of the opponent, Barteaux says the team is just focused on winning.
 
“It’ll be a great game but it’s a tournament where you got to win every single one so it won’t really matter if it’s Rosetown or someone from the east.  You got to win every game. If you don’t then you put it in the hands of other teams and that’s the last thing you want to do.”
 
He also thinks that his team has the right frame of mind to bring home their 4th national title.
 
“We have a winning culture here and that’s the culture that really brings the team together, brings the right personnel here. The expectation here is that we are going to win and that’s just a mindset that I think the majority of us have brought from other teams to here to be successful.”
 
The team will wrap up round robin play against Ontario’s Stoney Creek Generals on Wednesday (Apr 11) with the playoff round beginning on Thursday (Apr 12).  The final will be broadcast live on TSN Saturday night (Apr 14) at 8pm.