AND NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING...

Transcription

1 ISSUE 1 SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2018 AND NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING... Post-Olympics Brier gives players plenty to talk about My first Brier. It s about time! Two Brier wins in a row? Why not? It s great to be the home team.

2 2 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Everybody into the pool All eyes on POOL A 1. Team Canada (Brad Gushue) 4. Wild Card (Mike McEwen) 5. Alberta (Brendan Bottcher) 8. Nova Scotia (Jamie Murphy) 9. British Columbia (Sean Geall) 12. Yukon (Thomas Scoffin) 13. N/L (Greg Smith) 16. N.W.T. (Jamie Koe) POOL B 2. Manitoba (Reid Carruthers) 3. Northern Ontario (Brad Jacobs) 6. Ontario (John Epping) 7. Saskatchewan (Steve Laycock) 10. Quebec (Mike Fournier) 11. N.B. (James Grattan) 14. P.E.I. (Eddie MacKenzie) 15. Nunavut (Dave St. Louis) By DAVE KOMOSKY Tankard Times Editor he great buildup and then climax to the 2018 Winter Olympics is over, and after letting out a collective sigh, Canadian curling fans can get on with it this week as the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Meridian, rolls into Regina s Brandt Centre. And you know what? It s a relief. Canadians didn t do as well as expected in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with only one medal (albeit a gold) to show for their efforts. But enough of the burned rock incidents, Russian drug scandal and hand-wringing over our four-player teams performances. Canadians have had enough of that and want to get back into the rhythm of their own curling season. And they will surely do that as the men take to the ice for the 2018 new-look Brier. There are more than enough storylines to grab the attention, starting with Saskatchewan skip Steve Laycock who will be trying to end a 37-year drought at the Brier for the home province. It s hard to believe a province so rich in curling history hasn t won the men s curling championship for that long, but it s a fact. Rick Folk of Saskatoon won the whole shebang in 1980, and it s been one dry well after LAYCOCK Hometown favourite looks to end Brier drought another since. Now, Laycock has a chance to end the misery and bring a little glory back to men s curling in Saskatchewan. And he ll have a house-full of fans in the Brandt Centre willing him to do just that. But it won t be easy. Defending Canadian and world championion Brad Gushue is here as Team Canada and looking to repeat his team s wonderful performance last year when it won the Brier, in dramatic fashion, in front of a crazed but adoring crowd in its hometown of St. John s. Talent abounds. Gushue won t be the only former champ in the field; 2013 Brier winner and 2014 Olympic gold-medallist Brad Jacobs won his fourth straight Northern Ontario championship and is back, as well as Winnipeg s Mike McEwen, who came within a whisker of representing Canada at the Olympics, falling just short to Calgary s Kevin Koe at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa. Manitoba s talented Reid Carruthers is also in the field, along with Brendan Bottcher of Alberta who will be itching to make amends for his disastrous 3-8 Brier record last year. And for the first time, John Epping of Ontario, known for years as having the best skip never to play in the Brier, is finally in. Continued Opposite page

3 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3, Continued from Page 2 There are other familiar faces, including Nova Scotia s Jamie Murphy, Jamie Koe of the Territories, New Brunswick s James Grattan, Eddie McKenzie of Prince Edward Island, and Sean Geall of British Columbia. Put it all together and Laycock faces a tough row to hoe this week, home crowd or no home crowd. And he knows it. Laycock says his team got off to a slow start to the season but likes the way things are trending since making a lineup change prior to the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in December. That s when he asked third Matt Dunstone to throw skip stones. Other members of the team include second Kirk Muyres, lead Dallan Muyres, alternate Lyle Muyres and coach Pat Simmons. Since the calendar flipped we ve had some great success, said Laywcock who is appearing in his seventh Brier. We had the lineup change and it took a little time to get some stuff figured out. But we ve got some momentum heading into the Brier. Since the New Year the team finished second in a couple of events and, of course, won the provincial title. A pro-saskatchewan crowd will help. I ve seen what it s like for the home teams and just the crowd support and the roars when you get a big end, said Laycock. Hopefully we can make the crowd roar a few times. Laycock is also hoping for a bit better luck at the Regina Brier. He won bronze medals in 2008 and 2015 and says both times it was a break here and there that sunk his team. We ve had some close calls., he said. Perhaps this is the year we ll have breaks go our way. Not forgotten in all the hoopla of the Brier is the actual format itself. Curling Canada introduced profound changes to the Scotties and Brier format for this season, and what curling fans will see this week is an expanded 16-team field, representing the 14 Curling Canada member associations, Team Canada (last year s Brier winner) and a wild card team. The field is separated into two, eight-team pools. It will also be a different race to the finish line this year. Gone is the familiar playoff format involving the top four teams from the round-robin scrapping over the title. This year, the four top teams from each pool following a round-robin will advance to the championship pool where four more teams will be kicked to the curb. Then it s on to the more familiar Page Playoff System but without the bronze-medal game. Got all that? The Brier officially kicked off Friday with the wild card game, won 4-3 in an extra end by McEwen over fellow Winnipegger Jason Gunnlaugson. They were the top two teams on the Canadian Team Ranking System that didn t qualify out of their provincial/territorial playdowns. Gushue, supported by third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, alternate Tom Sallows and coach Jules Owchar will try to become the first team since Kevin Martin s Alberta foursome in to win back-to-back Brier titles. He realized it won t be easy against another tough Brier field which includes seven teams that competed in the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings at Ottawa. It s going to be as tough as winning the first one, said Gushue. It s a very tough field. There are probably six or seven teams capable of winning it, I believe, which is pretty impressive when you get into any event. What s it going to take to win? I don t think we have to play our absolute best to win, he said. I think we have to play good, and you have to get a couple breaks as well. If we play the way we re capable of, we ll put ourselves in position on the Brad Gushue and his team were the big story at last year s Tim Hortons Brier in St. John s. Open your heart to discovery Saskatchewan Science Centre Regina is bursting with ideas and life. A place that can stimulate the senses and imagination. Let us welcome you with sincere and helpful hearts! #SeeYQR tourismregina.com

4 4 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier TOP 4 PREDICTIONS/PREVIEW brad gushue Bally Haly Country Club & RE/MAX Centre, St. John s He s the reigning Brier and world champion, and until somebody knocks him off, Gushue is the man to beat. This is one heck of a curling team that has the right balance of ability, smarts, resourcefulness and compatability. It can be a tremendous combination in team sports. Gushue s main goal this year was the Olympics, and with that gone, he s refocused on the Brier and a second straight trip to the world championship. Winning backto-back is tough, but nobody is arguing that he can t do it. But it s a good field and he ll have to be at his best all week and get his fair share of rubs and rolls. 2 mike mcewen Fort Rouge Curling Club, Winnipeg McEwen lost the final of the Manitoba championship to a pretty good team skipped skipped by Reid Carruthers, but sickness may have played a big role in that. McEwen, hospitalized with a severe case of chicken pox during the playdowns, made an appearance in the final, but lost anyway. He s back, healthy, and as the Wild Card winner, ready to be his usual dominant self on the ice. Kerri Einarson made it all the way to the final of the Scotties as Team Wild Card. Why not McEwen? 3 brad jacobs Community First Curling Centre, Sault Ste. Marie He just snuck in by the skin of his teeth, but Jacobs still has one of the best teams in the world, so he ll be right in the mix. It s been an up-and-down existence for this team since it won the gold medal at the 2014 Olympics. They look unbeatable at times, and then cracks start to appear in some of the biggest events. Jacobs and Co. sure looked lost and confused at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. But when they re on they can blow the field away with their talent. 4 steve laycock Nutana Curling Club, Saskatoon The home crowd was such a big asset for Brad Gushue at last year s Tim Hortons Brier in St. John s, it says here that Saskatchewan fans can lift up Laycock and his team here as well. It s been a long time since a team from Saskatchewan won the Brier (37 to be exact), and it wouldn t surprise anyone if Laycock finally broke through this year at home. Certainly Laycock has the experience and chops for the job as a regular on the Tour. And in young Matt Dunstone, who will be throwing skip stones, he has a superb shotmaker.

5 Tankard #BRIER2018 Saturday, March 3, BIG QUESTIONS JOHN EPPING The Olympic Games are over, so now it s on with the Tim Hortons Brier, a mustwatch for anybody serious about curling in this country. Here, then, are some of the major questions hanging over the event as it pushes from the hacks: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: There are a few of them, but one in particular is worthy of attention. Ontario s John Epping has been banging on the door to get into the Brier for a number of years, and has finally broken through to make his first appearance. And while his team has had some success on the Tour, this is a big step up in prestige. How will they handle it? They should perform pretty well. It took Manitoba s Mike McEwen years to finally push through the barrier, and he was a dominant force at the Brier. Epping should be one of the stronger teams this year. SWEET 16: The field has expanded to 16 teams this year, including a wild card team, so you ll probably need a program to keep up. The curlers at the Scotties in Penticton weren t nuts about PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER the new format, but the fans seemed OK with it. Saskatchewan curling fans are the best anywhere, but will they like the new format? The chatter in the Brier Patch will tell all. WILD CARD: The wild card spot was claimed Friday night, and it was always going to provide another good team. The wild card team at the Scotties, Kerri Einarson, was so good, it steamrolled all the way to the final before being derailed. Will the same happen here? The wild card format is something that has worked out wonderfully and should have a place in any format for years to come. HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE: We all know what playing in front of a home crowd did for Brad Gushue and his St. John s team last year. The supportive crowds helped lift the team to the Brier championship, only the second for the province. Can the home crowd do the same for Saskatoon s Steve Laycock? You won t find better football or curling fans than those in Saskatchewan, so Laycock will have all the support he needs. The rest will be up to him and his teammates. THE NORTHERN FACTOR: Curling Canada s new 16-team format allows for all three northern regions to participate, but will they be competitive? They weren t at the Scotties, but the women were all-in every game, and the fans appreciated that. They were also great sports. Say what you want about the north having full representation, it didn t do anything to hold the Scotties back. Best team won. NO KEVIN KOE: The Brier will be missing one big name this year, although there was no guarantee Kevin Koe of Calgary would have qualified through Alberta anyway. But his crack team was away at the Olympics where it had its struggles and came home empty-handed. Will his great team be missed this week or is this field strong enough on its own? OLYMPIC HANGOVER: Will many of the curling fans who were glued to their flat screens for two weeks watching the Olympic suffer from an overdose of the sport? Here s betting they won t and will embrace the Brier as always. Sport is more than a game... sport skills are life skills. - truesport.ca respect teammates, competitors and of cials both on and off the ice win with dignity and lose with grace 770 Broad Street, Regina bennettdunlopford.com SaskEnergy is proud to support all of the volunteers who help make community events happen. Thanks to all of the volunteers who champion community spirit and make Saskatchewan a great place to call home. TM sasksport.sk.ca

6 6 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier WILD CARD GAME McEwen dodges Gunner s bullets Manitobans steal extra end to earn berth into the Brier ike McEwen exhaled and pumped his fist in victory as the shot from opposing skip Jason Gunnlaugson came to rest an inch or so wide allowing McEwen s to become Team Wild Card at the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier presented by Mosiac. On his first shot in the extra end, Gunnlaugson came out of the hack slowly but then all of a sudden his rock picked and he just hucked it hard, rocking the rock back and forth, before it sailed through the house. That gave McEwen the opportunity to make a hit to lie four, forcing Gunnlaugson to draw the edge of the button for the win. But he was a shade wide and McEwen triumphed 4-3 instead. Now McEwen, third B.J. Neufeld, second Matt Wozniak, lead Denni Neufeld and coach Chris Neufeld will open Pool A play by taking By GRANT GRANGER Tankard Times Writer on Yukon Territories (Whitehorse) skipped by Thomas Scoffin in the second draw today (7 p.m.). I can t remember the last time we ve had a break to win a game, or stolen a game. We ve had a lot of heartbreaking losses along the road where teams are drawing to win and haven t missed. I can t really think of a really important game that we ve stolen in just so long. It was exhilarating. It actually doesn t feel real that we won, said McEwen. One of those heartbreaking losses would include the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings final when Calgary s Kevin Koe made a tense lastshot draw to capture Canada s Olympic berth. The two Winnipeg teams were invited to play the wild card game as the top two squads in the Canadian Team Ranking System that Always Accommodating. stayinregina.com had not won a provincial title. It was McEwen who suggested to Curling Canada that the 16th team in the new format be determined in such a manner. Maybe it s fate that I got put in that situation. I was the first one to blurt it out as an idea that made sense for this championship under the format. I still think it makes sense. Look at the crowd tonight. That was tremendous, said McEwen. In the 10th end, Gunnlaugson blew five rocks out of the house with his final shot, including McEwen s shot stone that appeared to be frozen, forcing McEwen to draw to go to the extra end. We played one of the best teams in the world, we controlled the whole game, we had the shot to win, we throw it a little bit heavy by two inches maybe. It s crushing but you can t be more proud of the effort, said Gunnlaugson, who admitted he hasn t had a pick come at a worse time. After it was over, McEwen gave Gunnlaugson a pat as he shook his hand. Wow, did Jason s team impress me. If there was an advantage on comfort and stress, he didn t show he was under the gun or anything like that. We felt as comfortable as a team could feel in a situation like that, said McEwen, who called the pick on Gunnlaugson s first shot awful. If he makes it, he s going to have a much easier shot to win. You don t like to see that. After being the Manitoba champ the last two years, McEwen lost the provincial final to Reid Carruthers last month. He spent most of the provincials in hospital with chicken pox while the rest of his team played as a threeman unit before he rejoined them for the final. McEwen said he suffered some liver damage as a result but is lucky the liver is quite regenerative. I won t be going to the Patch and having fun there, said McEwen with a laugh. I can t do that. Not until things get better. He received a silver medallion from his aunt after the game with the McEwen clan crest on it that he said loosely means to grow again. SPONSORED EVENT

7 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3, Skip Mike McEwen (right) survived a wild finish to edge fellow Winnipegger Jason Gunnlaugson in an extra end to win the wild card berth into the Tim Hortons Brier Friday night. SCOREBOARD WILD CARD GAME Gunnlaugson...* McEwen GUNN SH P % McEWEN SH P % Njegovan D. Neufeld McMillan Wozniak Forrest BJ Neufeld Gunnlaugson McEwen Team Totals Team Totals NOW FAST LIVES HERE. Stream, search, and game faster than ever. Plus, with maxtv, you can record 4 shows at once. Go faster with Saskatchewan s fastest Internet* at sasktel.com/infinet. *Conditions apply. See sasktel.com for details.

8 8 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Stop the curling bashing! Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris had to grind through the Canadian mixed doubles trials in Portage la Prairie just to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games. The Winter Olympic Games are over, and in one way I m glad. Now, perhaps, all the curling bashing will stop. The old line about be careful what you wish for probably applies to those folks who pushed hard for curling s inclusion into the Games because ever since the sport became part of the fivering circus the detractors have come out... every four years. What is it these people have against the sport? Beats me, but every Winter Olympics some of them like to tell you how ridiculous the game is, how boring it is to watch, and how the people who play it are marginal athletes, at best. The American press takes particular glee in pilloring the sport. Why? Perhaps it s because their country is traditionally not that good at it, although they did win a gold in men s this year. What s particularly galling is that they don t understand the game, probably never played it, but are quick to tell us why it comes up short in the wow factor. «DAVE KOMOSKY Take Linda Stasi of the New York Daily News, for example. She wrote a piece in her tab during the Olympics that pretty much sums up the American press s attitude toward the game: This year s Winter Olympics, probably the most boring and least watched, is so tedious that to liven things up and attract a whole new audience to the Games, they ve added (mixed) doubles to a sport no one cares about: curling. See Bashing Opposite page

9 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Bashing FROM PAGE 8 Yes, now there s doubles mixed curling, which apparently doesn t mean you and your best gay friend give each other perms. It means instead of just one gender brushing a big fruitcake-looking thing with a giant squeegee broom back and forth across the ice, men and women get to do it together. But the insane sport, which must have been invented by a couple of bored high school janitors who had to sweep the gym floor every night, is about as exciting as these Olympics get. It s worse than actually eating the fruitcake. Thank you, Ms. Stasi, for the enlightenment. Oh, by the way, tell your editors that it s not Canada s Kaitlyn Lawes in the photo accompanying your story, even though the caption says it is. But it wouldn t be so bad if the curling bashing was limited to our friends south of the border. It doesn t. The Toronto media, save for excellent reporters such as Bob Weeks and a few others, have never taken to the sport. There s something about curling that bugs them. What? Who knows? Many of them have never covered the sport, but every four years they pop up out of their foxholes to lob another grenade at curling. Steve Simmons of Postmedia, who once worked in Calgary and should know a little about the game, was profoundly mean-spirited in a piece he wrote after Canada s John Morris and Lawes won the mixed doubles gold medal, calling it an Olympic sham. Sham? That s a little over the top, don t you think? His argument is that mixed curling is just a throw-in sport because it attracts TV audiences. It attracts people to watch? So what s the problem there? But worse, he claims Morris and Lawes are not worthy because, unlike other athletes who have trained and worked toward their Olympic goal for years, they travelled a sixlane expressway to the podium. They only practised together once, he wrote, prior to the opening of the Games. That s ridiculous. Morris and Lawes have worked at the game since they were kids, putting in as many hours on the ice and in the gym as any other Olympic athlete. He makes it appear like they just picked up the game, practised once, then went out and won the gold medal. Keep in mind Morris and Lawes had to survive the meat-grinder of the Canadian mixed doubles trials just to earn their spot in South Korea. That s hardly one practice. Tankard Times The fact is, they were well-trained, polished athletes when they arrived at the Games, and that s why they won. Are some Olympic gold medals more important than others? For sure. Canada s gold in men s and women s hockey will always carry more weight in a country that lives and dies by that sport. But to suggest the mixed doubles gold is in some way a sham and unworthy is a shot way, way, way below the belt. Were there other curling bashers out there during the Olympics? Probably. But they ve gone on to other business now. It will always be thus with certain elements of the mainstream media. Curling has no place in their hearts. Someone should tell them Canadian curlers keep bringing home world championships and Olympic medals at a steady rate. In no sport not even hockey have Canadians experienced greater global glory than curling. We ve won 52 gold medals (36 men, 16 women) at world championships and another six Olympic gold (three men, two women, one mixed). But it probably won t do any good. They won t listen. They ll keep ignoring the sport until the next Olympics, and keep voting for anybody but a curler when it comes time to choose Canada s athletes of the year. So the negativity will stop for now... until 2022, when it will begin anew. Saturday, March 3, In no sport not even in hockey have Canadians experienced greater global glory than in curling. When you are in extra ends on the farm you need a teammate that will help to sweep you to the button. Markusson New Holland 26 G P R E P K markusson.com Markusson New Holland, Proud to be a part of your winning team.

10 10 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier

11 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3,

12 12 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier THE TEAMS... Canada Bally Haly Country Club & RE/MAX Centre (St. John s) Skip Brad Gushue Third Mark Nichols Second Brett Gallant Lead Geoff Walker Alt. Tom Sallows Coach Jules Owchar Alberta Saville Community Sports Centre (Edmonton) Skip Brendan Bottcher Third Darren Moulding Second Brad Thiessen Lead Karrick Martin Alt. None Coach None B.C. Kelowna Curling Club (Kelowna) Skip Sean Geall Third Jeff Richard Second Andrew Nerpin Lead David Harper Alt. Brad Wood Coach Gerry Richard Manitoba West St. Paul Curling Club (Winnipeg) Skip Reid Carruthers Third Braeden Moskowy Second Derek Samagalski Lead Colin Hodgson Alt. None Coach Dan Carey WE CARE CONCEPT DESIGN PRINT 300 Dewdney Avenue Regina, SK S4N 0E8 Bus: Toll Free: Fax: Crescent Point Energy is proud to sponsor the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier. crescentpointenergy.com Photo: s.yume. Used under CC BY 2.0

13 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3, THE TEAMS... N.B. Gage Golf & Curling Association (Oromocto) Skip James Grattan Third Chris Jeffrey Second Andy McCann Lead Peter Case Alt. Brian King Coach Daryell Nowlan N/L Bally Haly Country Club & RE/MAX Centre (St. John s) Skip Greg Smith Third Matthew Hunt Second Andrew Taylor Lead Ian Withycombe Alt. Connor Stapleton Coach Joe Murphy N. Ontario Community First Curling Centre (Sault Ste. Marie) Skip Brad Jacobs Third Ryan Fry Second E.J. Harnden Lead Ryan Harnden Alt. Tanner Horgan Coach Caleb Flaxey N.W.T. Yellowknife Curling Centre (Yellowknife) Skip Jamie Koe Third Chris Schille Second Brad Chorostkowski Lead Rob Borden Alt. None Coach None YOUR WORLD AT HOME HEATHER ANDERSON & LEE JONES WEEKNIGHTS 6

14 14 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier THE TEAMS... Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario P.E.I. Halifax Curling Club (Halifax) Skip James Murphy Third Paul Flemming Second Scott Saccary Lead Philip Crowell Alt. None Coach Bruce Lohnes Iqaluit Curling Club (Iqaluit) Skip Dave St. Louis Third Wade Kingdon Second Peter Mackey Lead Jeff Nadeau Alt. None Coach Bary Westman Leaside Curling Club (Toronto) Skip John Epping Third Mathew Camm Second Pat Janssen Lead Tim March Alt. None Coach Jim Wilson Charlottetown Curling Club (Charlottetown) Skip Eddie MacKenzie Third Josh Barry Second Chris Gallant Lead Sean Ledgerwood Alt. Robbie Younker Coach Philip Gorveatt PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER. The Road To Energy Savings Starts Here Toll-Free: varaxis.ca CIMCO Refrigeration welcomes all participants and fans to the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier SPORTS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. leaderpost.com

15 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times THE TEAMS... Saturday, March 3, Quebec Glenmore Curling Club) (Dollard-des-Ormeaux) Skip Mike Fournier Third Félix Asselin Second William Dion Lead Jean Francois Trépanier Alt. Émile Asselin Coach Michel St.-Onge Sask. Nutana Curling Club (Saskatoon) Skip Steve Laycock *Third Matt Dunstone Second Kirk Muyers Lead Dallan Muyres Alt. Lyle Muyres Coach Pat Simmons * Thows skip stones Yukon Whitehorse Curling Club (Whitehorse) Skip Thomas Scoffin Third Tom Appelman Second Wade Scoffin Lead Steve Fecteau Alt. Clint Ireland Coach Jeff Hoffart Wild Card Fort Rouge Curling Club (Winnipeg) Skip Mike McEwen Third B.J. Neufeld Second Matt Wozniak Lead Denni Neufeld Alt. None Coach Chris Neufeld SPONSOR OF THE DAY Casino Regina is proud to be the number one entertainment destination on the Canadian prairies. Located in the historic Union Train Station formerly an important stop for travellers, settlers and goods making their way cross-country this beautiful heritage building has been restored to house Casino Regina. Casino Regina features over 800 slot machines, 27 tables including Blackjack, Baccarat, Single Zero Roulette, Three and Four Card Poker and Craps, and 24 touch bet terminals. Hungry? The Last Spike is a relaxed lounge and restaurant with the added attraction of dining in an authentic CP Rail car. For a new twist on your weekend, join us for our Famous Sunday Brunch. Finally, the Vegas-style Show Lounge is Saskatchewan s best venue for concerts and live enter tainment, bringing in a range of talent, from country, to rock, to instrumentalists to comedians. Tickets can be purchased online or at the casino box office. Casino Regina is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 4 a.m. and conveniently located in downtown Regina at 1880 Saskatchewan Drive. Learn more at casinoregina.com.

16 16 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier FORD HOT SHOTS Lucky fan Mary Anne LaRocque-Ouamar sits comfortably inside a 2018 Ford Escape, with a key presented by Gerald Wood, general manager, Western Region, Ford of Canada. Her heroes: left to right, E.J. Harnden, Brad Jacobs, Ryan Fry and Ryan Harnden, Team Northern Ontario. Fan a double-winner! LaRocque-Ouamar in driver s seat thanks to her team By DAVE KOMOSKY Tankard Times Editor ary Anne LaRocque-Ouamar is on one lucky roll. The Regina resident won a two-year lease on a 2018 Ford Escape, thanks to Team Northern Ontario s winning performance Friday in the Ford Hot Shots competition which kicks off the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Mosaic. And that follows on the heels of even better news for her and her husband, who recently received an interview for a job he s been after for some time. All the stars are lining up for my husband and I, said LaRocque-Ouamar. He s a barber and has that job interview coming up. Now this. The timing is right. After the preliminary round pared the teams down to four for Friday afternoon s final round, LaRocque-Ouamar found out she would be paired with Northern Ontario skipped by Brad Jacobs. She was thrilled. And why not? Jacobs is a former Tim Hortons Brier winner and the 2014 Olympic gold-medal champion. I thought I had a shot, said LaRocque- Ouamar. But after I saw their first shot, where they got like one, I thought OK, it s an even field and I kept watching, my heart rate going up. I kept saying, when is this going to be over? I was so excited. Jacobs and his teammates third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden were a machine in the Ford Hot Shots final, piling up points at a steady rate. They always had a comfortable lead and refused to let anybody get too close. LaRocque-Ouamar said there s no doubt whom she will be pulling for in the Tim Hortons Brier, even though she is from Regina. Northern Ontario, of course, she smiled. That s my team now. People will forgive me. This year, instead of an individual skills contest like the 23 previous years, the Ford Hot Shots was converted to a team event. The top scorer used to get a lease on a new Ford vehicle, but this year Jacobs, as the winning team, received $15,000 while a lucky fan, LaRocque- Ouamar, won a two-year lease on a Ford Escape SE. All four team members contributed points on four shots designed by Curling Canada. The shots included shooters attempting to replicate Northern Ontario skip Al Hackner s famous shot at the 1985 Brier, a difficult around-the-horn triple takeout, a straight raise tap and a drageffect double takeout. Northern Ontario was particularly adept at the around-the-horn shot, scoring 16 out of a possible 20 points. Northern Ontario s 69 points were five more than second place Team Canada s Brad Gushue. Saskatchewan s Steve Laycock was third with 50 points while Jamie Koe s team from the Northwest Territories was fourth with 32 points. Jacobs was pleased with the cash reward but admitted here s here to win the Tim Hortons Brier. The Ford Hot Shots is always a fun competition for the curlers, said Jacobs. It s a good little warm-up to get the competitive juics flowing. It was really neat to win the car for Mary Anne and also win a little bit of cash before the event starts. Jacobs gave full credit to his teammates. I was the bum on the team, he said. Almost everybody was perfect. Ryan and E.J. made almost everything in front of me. They made it really easy to win this competition. The other three fans from Saskatchewan Joanne Zumack of Glen Harbour and Regina s Wayne Wenaus and Corrine Boivin-Englund paired with the team finalists received $500 to make a donation to a local charity of their choice.

17 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3, BRIER DRAW TIME DRAW A B C D TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 2 p.m. 1 NB vs. Nunavut Sask. vs. Quebec PEI vs. Manitoba N. Ont. vs Ontario 7 p.m. 2 Canada vs. BC NWT vs NL NS vs. Alberta Wild Card vs Yukon 9 a.m. 3 Sask. vs. Manitoba NB vs. Ontario N. Ontario vs. Nunavut PEI vs. Quebec 2 p.m. 4 NWT vs. Alberta Canada vs. Yukon Wild Card vs. BC NS vs. NL 7 p.m. 5 N. Ontario vs. PEI Nunavut vs. Manitoba Ontario vs. Quebec NB vs. Sask. 9 a.m. 6 Wild Card vs. NS BC vs. Alberta Yukon vs. NL Canada vs. NWT 2 p.m. 7 Manitoba vs. Quebec N. Ontario vs. NB Sask. vs. PEI Ontario vs. Nunavut 7 p.m. 8 Alberta vs. NL Wild Card vs. Canada Territories vs. NS Yukon vs. BC 9 a.m. 9 PEI vs. NB Quebec vs. Nunavut Manitoba vs. Ontario Sask. vs. N. Ontario 2 p.m. 10 NS vs. Canada NL vs. BC Alberta vs. Yukon NWT vs Wild Card 7 a.m. 11 Quebec vs N. Ontario Ontario vs. PEI Nunavut vs. Sask. Manitoba vs. NB 9 a.m. 12 NL vs. Wild Card Yukon vs. NS BC vs. NWT Alberta vs. Canada 2 p.m. 13 Ontario vs. Sask. Manitoba vs. N. Ontario Quebec vs. NB Nunavut vs. PEI 7 p.m. 14 Yukon vs. NWT Alberta vs. Wild Card NL vs. Canada BC vs. NS 9 a.m. 15 Tiebreakers (if necessary) 2 p.m. 16 D4 vs. C1 C2 vs. D3 D1 vs. C4 C3 vs. D2 7 p.m. 17 C4 vs. D2 D1 vs. C3 C1 vs. D3 D4 vs. C2 9 a.m. 18 A8 vs. B8 A5 vs. B5 B6 vs. A6 B7 vs. A7 2 p.m. 19 C2 vs. D1 D2 vs. C1 C3 vs. D4 D3 vs C4 7 p.m. 20 D3 vs C3 C4 vs. D4 D2 vs. C2 C1 vs. D1 9 a.m. Tiebreakers (if necessary) PAGE PLAYOFFS/SEMIFINAL/FINAL PAGE PLAYOFF 3 VS. 4 Saturday, March 10 2 p.m. PAGE PLAYOFF 1 VS. 2 Saturday, March 10 7 p.m. SEMIFINAL Sunday, March a.m. FINAL Sunday, March 11 6 p.m.

18 18 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Enjoy the Brier and take a bus BRIER BUS Curling fans in town for the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier are in for a treat. Four hotel bus routes will operate during the length of the event. The routes will focus on the hotels that are members of the Regina Hotel Association. However fans staying in other properties can take advantage of the bus shuttles. In some cases a short walk may be required to reach the assigned pick up points. Route No. 1 and No. 2 Regina East hotels Best Western Plus, Eastgate Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Home Suites, Comfort Inn & Country Inn & Suites, Super 8, Sandman Hotel & Suites, Chateau Regina, Best Western Seven Oaks. Route No. 3 Downtown hotels Delta Regina, Hotel Saskatchewan, Wingate Hotel, Holiday Inn Express, Ramada Hotel, Quality Inn Hotel, Doubletree by Hilton. Route No. 4 South hotels Days Inn Airport West, Home Inn and Suites West, Travelodge, Executive Royal Hotel Fairfield Inn & Suites. Delta Hotels by Marriott Regina 1919 Saskatchewan Drive marriott.com/yqrdr Proud Sponsor of the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier FORWARD, TOGETHER For over 20 years, Charter has been helping our customers success by providing increased network security simplified operations and improved collaboration. Ask us how we can help chart your course to success. Victoria Vancouver Calgary Edmonton Regina Toronto w w w. c h a r t e r. c a

19 @CurlingCanada #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Saturday, March 3, Here s how the new format works The new 16-team, two pool format was unveiled at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and will be used at the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Meridian, in Regina. It was introduced to make sure all 14 Member Associations have direct entry into the main round-robin portion of each event, in addition to retaining Team Canada, and adding another competitive team to bring it to an even 16 teams, while sticking to the traditional nine-day format so that players don t have to spend more time away from family and employers. Here s what happens: n The teams are split into two pools of eight, based on their ranking on the Canadian Team Ranking System as of Dec. 31. The Wild Card team was given the No. 4 seeding, regardless of who won the game, so that most of the schedule could be completed to allow fans to buy tickets to see their favourite teams once the provincial/territorial playdowns were finished. n Pool A consists of seeds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 16; Pool B consists of seeds 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14 and 15. n They play a round-robin within their pools during the first five days of the competition. n The top four teams from each pool go into the Championship Pool, which begins round-robin play on Thursday. The teams carry over their records from their preliminary pools, and the four teams from Pool A then play the four teams from Pool B on the final Thursday and Friday. That means EVERY game on EVERY sheet has playoff implications! n After those games are completed Friday evening, the top four teams from the Championship Pool will go into the Page Playoffs, beginning on Saturday (a tiebreaker, if necessary, would be on Saturday morning). The Page 3-4 playoff is Saturday at 2 p.m. (all times Central); the Page 1-2 playoff is Saturday at 7 p.m.; the semifinal is Sunday at 11 a.m., and the gold-medal game will be on Sunday at 6 p.m. The bronze-medal game has been removed from the schedule. everyone wins! when you buy a lottery ticket, you help saskatchewan lotteries fund over 12,000 sport, culture, recreation and community groups. That makes life better for people across saskatchewan, and that s something to cheer about! This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada.

20 20 Saturday, March 3, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Jason Gunnlaugson (back) and Mike McEwen battled for the Tim Hortons Brier wild card berth Friday at the Brandt Centre. FRIEND OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER the patch