Sallows plays unsung role for Team Canada
Canadian fifth keeps tabs on ice and rocks for Gushue foursome
EDMONTON • When the Northlands Coliseum falls silent near the midnight hour, it’s time for Tom Sallows to go to work.
The fifth on Brad Gushue’s Canadian team will scout rocks during practice sessions once evening draws are complete at the Ford world men’s curling championship.
Sallows will also look for nuances on the ice and throw stones to stay sharp in case he’s needed to play. But if everything goes according to plan, Sallows will spend games on the team bench with coach Jules Owchar and team leader Rick Lang.
“I enjoy this role,” Sallows said. “I embrace it. I think it’s just invaluable to be around these guys.”
The Canadians are off to a good start with a 2-0 record in round-robin play. Gushue needed only six ends to complete an 11-3 rout of Russia’s Alexey Stukalskiy on Sunday morning.
Gushue, who opened the tournament with a 7- 5 win over Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz, was scheduled to play Sweden’s Niklas Edin in the evening draw.
Sallows, a 33- year- old from Grande Prairie, Alta., picked up some invaluable on-ice experience with Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker at the Elite 10 last month.
Walker injured his shoulder during the Tim Hortons Brier so Sallows played lead at the Grand Slam event.
Sallows also served as an alternate for the Canadian team skipped by Pat Simmons that won bronze at the 2015 world playdowns. Sallows played in four games during the competition in Halifax.
“He’s got world championship experience whereas the rest of us haven’t played at a world men’s,” said Nichols. “That speaks volumes for a team that hasn’t been there.”
Sallows also has some history with the team.
He played with Walker for several seasons at the junior level and was an unofficial alternate at the Brier in St. John’s.
Sallows played at a competitive level in Alberta this year and spared for a few teams on occasion. He’s on an unusually long list of players who have subbed in for the Gushue rink.
Nichols handled skip duties for the first half of the season while Gushue was out with a hip/groin injury. Simmons, Adam Spencer and Charley Thomas all played third at times to keep the front end of Walker and Gallant intact.
Despite the regular lineup changes, the Gushue team has remained on top of the national and world rankings.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Nichols said.
Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi also improved to 2- 0 on Sunday with a 9- 6 win over Dutch skip Jaap van Dorp. Sweden’s Niklas Edin is the other rink at 2- 0 after beating Germany’s Alexander Baumann 8-2 in the Sunday afternoon draw.
Through four draws, Italy and the Swiss were 2-1 just behind the three 2- 0 rinks with Norway and Scotland at 1-1, Germany and the U. S. at 1-2 and China, Netherlands and Russia each sitting at 0-2.
Round- robin play continues through Thursday night. The Page playoffs begin Friday and the medal games are set for April 9.