Young teams learning from their elders ahead of tournament

Kelowna rink, skipped by Geall, set to represent B.C. at Brier in Regina

REGINA (CP) — Greg Smith claims he packed approximately 400 pieces of gum as he prepared to travel to the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier. It’s a habit he picked up from former world and Tournament of Hearts champion Colleen Jones — one that the 21-year-old skip representing Newfoundland at the Canadian men’s curling championship believes helps ease the nerves.

“I chew a literal metric tonne of gum and so that just distracts me from the whole stress of the situation,” Smith said. “I think the psychology behind it is it tricks your brain into thinking that you’re not in a stressful situation because it thinks that you’re eating.”

As much as the game has changed a lot at the national level since Jack MacDuff won Newfoundland’s first Brier title in 1976, one thing that has remained the same is young skips learning from those who came before.

Smith’s team, made up completely of Brier rookies, has been working with Toby McDonald, the third for MacDuff’s Brier-winning team.

Smith believes McDonald, who was also the coach for Team Canada skip Brad Gushue during his gold-medal run in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, is putting the team in its best position heading into its first-ever Brier.

“He’s been an absolutely instrumental help to our team,” Smith said.

Smith and Gushue, a native of St. John’s, have never competed against each other despite sharing a home province.

The two skips will meet for the first time in the round-robin in Regina. Gushue will skip Team Canada after winning the 2017 Brier in his hometown.

“In 2008 we hosted a Gram Slam here in St. John’s and I remember Brad Gushue actually gave me his broom after he’d been eliminated from the tournament,” Smith said over the phone from his home late Wednesday night as he packed his suitcase. “I never ever thought that I would be playing against Brad only 10 years after that.”

This year’s national championship has undergone big changes. The pre-qualifier games have been replaced by a more inclusive format with 16 teams — made up of Curling Canada’s 14 member associations, Team Canada and the wild-card winner — split into two pools for round-robin play, with the top four teams from each pool advancing to the championship pool.

The remaining top four teams from that round will continue onto a Page playoff to determine the 2018 champion.

The wild-card team will be determined tonight between two Manitoba rinks, Jason Gunnlaugson and Mike McEwen. The Brier’s main draw gets underway Saturday.

B.C. will be represented in Regina by Sean Geall’s team from Kelowna.