Popular ‘Garlic Girls’ credit out-of-work Canadian coach for their ‘skill’ ... Four undefeated teams tied atop standings ... Team Canada having ‘the time of our lives’
NORTH BAY, Ont. — While everyone is raving about the guy directing the Vegas Golden Knights to dizzying heights as a NHL expansion team, there’s another very good coach from Prince Edward Island named Gallant and he’s currently looking for work.
“Not related,” Peter
Gallant said on Sunday when asked about Gerard. “We know each other but he grew up in Summerside, me Charlottetown.”
Peter Gallant is presently at home after having just watched his son Brett win the Briers as the second on Brad
Gushue’s team, while his other son Christopher played for PEI.
Meanwhile, Gallant’s most recent bit of work is on display and vibrating at the World Women’s Curling Championships. He coached the South Korea team that surprisingly became the rock stars of the Olympics by winning silver in Gangneung.
Gallant’s contract expired after the Games and the sides parted ways.
“Peter worked with us exactly 20 months,” Korean skip Eunjung Kim said Sunday through Minjung Kim, the team’s current coach and translator. “He really helped our skill on the ice. We like him.”
As legend has it, the South Korean women’s team was actually born in North Bay in 1997, when former wrestler-turned-physical education professor Kim Kyung-doo brought a group of students here to learn the game from teachers Bea Lockhart, John Toswell and Dave Cerisano.
Twenty-one years later, the Koreans are every bit deserving of their new powerhouse status.
Known as the “Garlic Girls” for the product most famously grown in their hometown, the Koreans improved to 3-0 with Sunday night’s 7-5 victory over Denmark. In every game so far they’ve been loudly supported by dozens of Koreans who live in Toronto that have made the trip north.
“In Korea now so many people are cheering for us, but in another country it’s the first time,” said Eunjung
Kim, who posed with teammates and Maeng-Ho
Shin, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Canada, following the afternoon’s 8-3 victory over Germany. “We’ve never seen this experience. We’re really honoured and thankful to all persons.”
Is another medal in the cards for the Koreans? It sure looks possible.
“First goal is we go to the semifinal,” said Eunjung
Kim, “and then see what happens.”
From a distance, Gallant is pleasantly surprised.
“Team Kim probably hasn’t had much practice time since the Olympics,” he said. “So it’s nice to see them get out of the gate well.”
Gallant’s own future is on hold.
“Just relaxing now,” he said. “Keeping my eye open for new opportunities for next season and beyond.”
Gallant’s resume is growing by the day at the World Women’s Curling Championship.
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Canada’s convincing win over the Germans on Sunday night leaves it undefeated and tied atop the standings with Russia, Sweden and Korea. Canada’s next game is Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. against 1-2 China. “We’re just really enjoying being Team Canada in Canada and the North Bay crowd has been unbelievable,” said
Jennifer Jones, praising the atmosphere created at the 4,200-seat Memorial Gardens. “They’re making it the time of our lives, and something we’re going to remember for the rest of our lives. What a way to have our last world championship together.”
A SWISS MISS?
It was not the three-in-arow Binia Feltscher had in mind. After winning the worlds the last two times they were held in Canada — in New Brunswick (2014) and Swift Current (2016) — Switzerland sat at the bottom of the standings following Sunday afternoon’s draw with an 0-3 record. “One time it goes this way and one time the other way,” said Feltscher, the Swiss skip. “I think the performance from all is not enough to win these games. Our opponents are playing very well and we are not playing well enough. We try to make it better and maybe come on a winning streak.” So much for Canadian karma. “Two times it was so good and maybe this time not so,” said Feltscher. “It’s OK. We try. We don’t give up. When it doesn’t work, we must say OK, two gold medals and one not, overall it’s a good result. For sure we go and try.” Feltscher wasn’t making any excuses. “The ice is really good,” she said. “The atmosphere, the crowd, it’s all perfect. Only we are not perfect.” .... The Swiss finally cracked the win column with a 7-6 win over Japan on Sunday night.
IN THE HOUSE
The sixth end of Sunday night’s Czech-China game presented a real rarity as all 16 stones were in play and 15 of them wound up in the rings. Somehow, Czech skip
Anna Kubeskova squeezed the last shot into the crowded house for four points ... Talk about concessions. No, not where the popcorn and pizza slices are being sold, but that which are being made by the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. Because their home rink is being occupied by the curling, the Battalion will travel about 90 minutes northwest to the Sudbury Community Centre for at least one of their “home” playoff games. Fortunately, the Wolves did not qualify for the post-season . ... Before each draw the anthem of one country is played. We’ve heard the national songs of Japan, Czech, Denmark and finally one we recognized from as far back as the 1972 Summit Series — Russia ... The “Dancing Danes” were at it again Sunday afternoon, doing all the moves to “Y-MC-A’ as the old Village People hit blared over the sound system before their game with Japan. It wasn’t much of a rally cry — Denmark lost 9-2.