By LOGAN CLOW
Daily Herald-Tribune
Grande Prairie’s Dennis Rix is switching the Grande Prairie Athletics jersey for a Lacombe Generals jersey this week.
Rix will be playing with the Generals at the Canadian Mens Senior AAA Hockey Championships, otherwise known as the Allan Cup, in New Brunswick.
He said the team reached out to him after getting a good recommendation from former player Mark Stojan.
“I played one regular season game (with the Generals) back in February just to get a feel for it and then I played the final five games of playoffs,” said Rix.
It’s a lot different than senior hockey (here). It’s a bit more high-paced and all the players there have played some type of pro or college or had a career in that sense.”
It’s the 10th time in 11 years the Generals will be playing at the Allan Cup.
The reigning Allan Cup champions dominated the Chinook Hockey League this season, finishing with a 19-3-0 record. In the first round of playoffs, they swept the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs in four games, and then took the final series against Stony Plain in six games.
On March 25, in game six, former Oiler Ryan Smyth’s return to the Stony Plain line-up wasn’t enough as Rix recorded a hat-trick en route to a 10-3 Generals victory.
“That was a pretty cool experience. He was one of my favourite players growing up, so to be on the ice with him was pretty awesome,” recalled Rix.
Rix played the past season with the A’s and registered 12 goals and 14 assists.
In joining the Generals – formerly the Bentley Generals – Rix reunites with defenceman Donny Lloyd. Lloyd played for the Storm in 2006-2007, which was Rix’s rookie season.
The Generals opened the Allan Cup April 11 against the hosting Bouctouche Rams. On April 12 they play the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts.
The Allan Cup final will be aired live on TSN April 15.
“It’s such a big trophy. The Allan Cup has been around forever, so all the guys are putting in the time and they really want to win it. If I can come in and be a little part of that, that’s pretty cool,” said Rix, who’s playing at the event for the first time.
“There’s a lot of calibre that will be there, so it’ll be quite the competition. I don’t know where we’re ranked, but we’re the defending champions with the Generals, so I hope to go in and win another one.”
lclow@postmedia.com
Twitter: @DHTLogan