Allan Cup takes Steinbach by storm

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2016 (3708 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 2016 Allan Cup Canadian Senior AAA Hockey Championships kicked off in grand style Monday in Steinbach.

Six of the the country’s top senior hockey clubs have converged on Steinbach for the 108th staging of this historic event.

The two local teams, the Ile des Chenes North Stars (2003 Allan Cup champions) and the host Southeast Prairie Thunder (2012 and 2015 Allan Cup champions), both scored convincing victories on the opening day of play as more than 1,500 fans poured into the T.G. Smith Centre for the first two of nine games that will be played this week.

The North Stars, host team the last time the Allan Cup was held here in 2009, trounced Ontario’s Stoney Creek Generals 8-3 in the 4:00 p.m. game and then the Prairie Thunder blanked the Saskatchewan champion Shellbrook Elks 3-0 in the evening encounter in front of a packed house of mostly partisan Thunder fans.

Southeast, who lost that 2009 Allan Cup final here in Steinbach in double overtime to the Bentley Generals, rode the spectacular goaltending of Steve Christie to the shutout victory. Christie stopped 32 shots on the night, including 14 in the first period, many of which were spectacular and acrobatic saves as he continously frustrated the Elks in the opening frame.

The Prairie Thunder took a 2-0 first period lead on a pair of shorthanded goals by Blair Macauley and Terry Yake. The Elks actually outshot the Thunder 14-8 in the opening period. Shawn Limpright, the St Adolphe native and former Eastman Select, added a powerplay marker for the Thunder in the second.

Earlier, Devon Leblanc had three goals and an assist as the North Stars pounded Stoney Creek 8-3. Ile des Chenes skated to period leads of 3-0 and 6-2 and outshot the Generals 47-25. Rounding out the Ile des Chenes scoring were Kory Scoran and Tanner Waldvogel with two each and Anders Strome with a single.

In games today, it will be a battle of the Generals as the Stoney Creek Generals and Bentley Generals clash at 4:00 p.m. and then the Prairie Thunder take on the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts from Newfoundland at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for all games this week can be purchased at the gate prior to game time.