The Bentley Generals from Alberta won the Allan Cup the last time the event was held in in Steinbach in 2009

It's a done deal; the 2016 Allan Cup national senior hockey championship is coming to Steinbach. Jared Driedger of the Southeast Prairie Thunder appeared before city council in late August, asking to have use of the T.G. Smith Centre during the second week of April in 2016. City councillor John Fehr says council agreed this week to make that commitment.

"We checked with our Parks and Rec Department to ensure that there were no scheduling issues with that. They assured us there weren't. I'm very excited to say that we're supporting the Southeast Prairie Thunder in the their bid to have the 2016 Allan Cup tournament here."

Driedger says, now that they have the facilities secured, it's official that the Allan Cup will be in Steinbach in 2016. Fehr says it's a big deal for this region.

"There are a lot of hockey fans in this area. If you look around, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Niverville, St. Pierre, Grunthal, Kleefeld and New Bothwell, all the areas around here, there's a very good hockey core. And, these are mostly local guys (on the Thunder team) and I think it's going to bring a lot of people here. It's going to rally the community and be a very positive thing for Steinbach and the area."

Mayor Chris Goertzen adds the event will be good for the city.

"It's a great opportunity for us to showcase our city, to watch some great hockey and really be a connecting point for anyone who loves hockey. We're going to have thousands of people coming to Steinbach to watch a high calibre of hockey and they're going to be spending money in our businesses and they're going to be experiencing Steinbach. We have lots to offer."