Now the stakes are higher and the scouting mission five times more difficult as they get set to compete in the six-team Allan Cup Senior AAA national hockey championships next week in Powell River, B.C.

“I have no idea what the other teams are like out there,” says Dunlops coach Mike Posavad. “Because you don’t get to play them through the year, it’s really tough to gauge. It’s a pretty big unknown.”

The Dunlops at least go in with the knowledge they’ve already dethroned the 2005 champs, downing the Bombers 2-1 in the best-of-three Ontario final.

“I don’t say anything about being favourites, but we certainly feel more comfortable knowing we beat the team that won it all last year,” says Posavad. “We’re going there with one goal in mind at that’s to win the final game.”

The Dunlops will have the luxury of having a bye on the tournament’s first day Monday, during which time they’ll have the opportunity to scout four of the teams, including the Weyburn Devils and Trail Smoke Eaters, squads they’ll face Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, both at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Weyburn had an easy time with Saskatchewan competition this season, going 23-0-1 in regular season play and 5-0 in the playoffs, but needed double overtime in the fifth and deciding game to knock off the Ile des Chenes North Stars of Manitoba and earn the West berth. The Devils had seven of their league’s top 10 scorers this season, including runaway leader Don Sauter, who had 34 goals and 79 points in 20 games.

Trail was given the wild card berth at the tournament as one of only two AAA teams competing in B.C. this season. With no teams competing in Atlantic Canada, the host province was allowed two teams.

Although the Smoke Eaters boast a tradition at least as proud as the Dunlops -- in fact, they won a world championship in 1961, three years after the Dunnies -- they struggled mightily in their B.C. final with the Powell River Regals. The Regals finished off a 3-1 series win with victories of 11-0 and 14-1 in the final two games.

Trail’s top scorers this season were Leigh Walker, who had 44 points in 16 games, and Shane Glover, who had 41 points in 14 games.

If the Dunlops win those first two games, they will advance straight to a semifinal game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. If they don’t finish atop their division, they will play a quarterfinal game Thursday at either 7:30 or 11 p.m. The championship game is Saturday, April 22, at 11 p.m.

The host Regals and the Quebec representative (Shawinigan led Montmagny 3-2 in a best-of-seven series that continued Thursday, after our deadline) figure to be the stiffest challenges once the playoffs get under way.

Powell River has two of the tournament’s biggest names in Mike Ridley, who scored 292 goals during a 12-year NHL career, and Jamie Leach, who won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, while Quebec traditionally ices a fast, hard-working team.

“The nice thing is we don’t have to play that first day, so we’ll get a chance to look at all the other teams except Quebec (which also has a bye),” Posavad says. “We’ll be doing a lot of scouting and watching a lot of hockey.”