Newfound glory
Smith defeats Gushue in a Brier matchup of curlers from the Rock
Newfoundland versus Newfoundland.
Who, way back before 1976, would have ever thought you’d see that at the Brier?
It’ll happen here Wednesday evening.
Brad Gushue, representing Newfoundland and Labrador at his 15th Brier, will play as defending Brier and world champion wearing Team Canada colours against 21-yearold Greg Smith of St. John’s mentored by Toby McDonald.
Back in 1976, McDonald came to the Regina Brier as third for Jack MacDuff ’s Newfoundland team that shocked Canada by winning it. Last year Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker became the first Newfoundland team in 41 years to win it. McDonald coached Gushue to his Olympic gold-medal win at Torino 2006.
Small province. Small world. For all of Gushue’s previous Brier appearances he had to win the Newfoundland provincial championship, and mostly did so with ease. There were times it was like they had to round up someone for him to play against.
“Three years ago we played in a provincials in Labrador where we only had two teams. Now we have two teams playing each other at the Brier. I think it’s a great story,” said Gushue, despite playing here as Team Canada defending champion, an entity he’d eliminate if he was named Brier Boss.
“Regina Briers are always going to be special for Newfoundland teams because it’s where the first one was won and Toby and Jack had that incredible story of being ranked last and coming through and beating some great teams and winning.
“Wouldn’t it be something if Greg went through that and we ended up against him in the final?”
Smith and his team of Matthew Hunt, 26, Andrew Taylor, 26 and Ian Withycombe, 22, are seeded 12th in the new 16-team, two-pool format.
“For me to play against Team Newfoundland at the Brier is going to be awesome. I’ve never played him,” said Gushue. “I’ve seen him around the Bally Haly Curling Club. I’ve seen him play one game at provincials.”
Every game Smith plays at the Bally Haly four-sheeter in St. John’s, he’s reminded of Gushue, Nichols, Gallant and Walker. After the four won the Brier in St. John’s last year and went on to win the Ford
Worlds in Edmonton, one sheet of ice was named for each of them.
Smith was there at Mile One just off famed George Street, the nightlife capital of Atlantic Canada.
And, of course, he remembers being a kid in 2006 when Gushue won the Olympic gold medal in Torino.
“Last year was incredible,” said Smith. “I’ll never forget it. We went insane. After the game Brad came over to the Brier Patch and passed the Tankard around to the crowd. I got to touch it. It was unbelievable. It was one of the best nights I’ll ever remember.
“When Brad won the Olympic gold it was crazy. All of the schools from primary to junior high school to high school gave the kids the day off to watch the Olympic final against Finland. People still talk about it and how every bar was jampacked.”
Your correspondent will always remember having a beer with McDonald in Torino when he joked “even the fish got the day off,” explaining that there wasn’t a fisherman who set out to work the Grand Banks that day.
McDonald, Gushue’s Olympic coach meets with them occasionally to work with them at practice and recently to talking to them about what it can be like at the Brier, no doubt telling the tale of how four-time
Brier winner Sammy Richardson ended up as their driver and put an end to the kitchen party that always seemed to be raging in the Newfoundland players hotel room to play a big part in McDuff ’s triumph.
Sammy also brought in brother and skip Ernie’s rule of one beer per evening, unless Sammy made an especially good shot in the game, in which case, he got two.
And here’s a Newfoundland Brier trivia question for you.
Q: Name the Newfoundland skip at the 1975 Brier the year before McDuff won it?
A: Hockey Night In Canada play-by-play legend Bob Cole.
Three years ago, we played in a provincials in Labrador where we only had two teams. Now we have two teams playing each other at the Brier. It’s a great story Brad Gushue