Bentley Generals - Allan Cup Champions

GENERALS CAPTURE THE 2009 ALLAN CUP

BENTLEY GENERALS 4 SOUTHEAST PRARIE THUNDER 3 - 2 OT

- Considering the long, winding road the Bentley Generals took to get to the Allan Cup, it was only fitting the 2009 Allan Cup Championship Final was won in drmatic fashion.

Former Red Deer Rebel Diarmuid Kelly scored at 5:21 of double overtime, giving Bentley a 4-3 win, and their first ever National Championship.

There is no way to describe this final affair other than epic. Absolutely epic. A national TV audience on TSN2 would have been captivated regardless of whether you had Bentley ties or not.

The Generals trailed this one 3-2 with 12 minutes to play, and were in the process of killing off a double-minor when they found a way to notch the biggest goal of the season.

Of all people, it was captain Kent Beagle who picked off an errant outlet pass, moves in alone, and beat a prone Southeast netminder to tie the game at three.

Momentum, as it seemed, was on Bentley's side....but this one was far from over. After being outshot 8-5 over the first OT period, the Generals would come out fired up for the second, and that's when Kelly found the net off a scramble for his first goal of the tournament.

What a wild ride it was for this team. With the annual struggles of the Red Deer Rebels, it became apparent quite early on this season, that the Generals run was going to attract plenty of playoff-hungry fans.

What followed was a fantastic seven-game provincial final against Stony Plain, culminating with a thrilling game seven win at the Red Deer Arena.

Next up, was a battle-tested Fort St. John squad in the McKenzie Cup. Again, 2100 plus fans would pack the rafters at the Arena for four games.

Next up was the Allan Cup this past week, and unlike years past, Bentley had an easy time of it leading up to the final. Wins of 5-2, 9-1, and 8-1, leaving many wondering just how difficult this final was going to be. As it turned out...it wasn't.

A huge congrats to the entire Generals organization, one that has dealt with their fair share of heartbreak on the National stage for many years. This playoff run was a pleasure to watch, a pleasure to cover, and that final game was one that won't be forgotten for a long time.