Toronto Star

Jacobs picks replacemen­ts after Fry meltdown

- GREGORY STRONG THE CANADIAN PRESS

Team Brad Jacobs will turn to a couple of curling veterans to fill the vacancy created by Ryan Fry’s decision to take an indefinite leave after his disqualifi­cation from the Red Deer Curling Classic. Two-time Olympian Marc Kennedy will play as a substitute at the Dec. 5-9 Canada Cup in Estevan, Sask., while Matt Wozniak will fill in at the Dec. 11-16 National in Conception Bay South, N.L., the team said Monday in a statement.

“It’s mixed emotions,” Kennedy said Monday from Toronto before boarding a flight to Edmonton. “I’m excited to get back out there, to test out my hip and to have a chance to play with a pretty incredible team. I’m looking forward to that. I know they’ve been through a tough couple weeks here.

“Hopefully, I can come in and add a positive spark and help get them through this difficult time that Team Jacobs is going through.”

Fry announced last week that he would be taking a break from the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.-based team to focus on his “growth and self-improvemen­t.” His decision came a few days after he was ejected from a World Curling Tour event for what organizers called unsportsma­nlike behaviour resulting from excessive drinking.

Fry, who was playing as a substitute in Red Deer, was kicked out of the competitio­n with teammates Jamie Koe, Chris Schille and DJ Kidby.

All four players later issued statements to apologize for their actions.

Organizers said Fry broke three brooms and that the team used foul language and was disruptive to other players on the ice. The WCT fined Fry $1,000 and said that his behaviour was the reason for the team’s disqualifi­cation.

Fry, 40, won Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games with the Jacobs team. They also won the Tim Hortons Brier in 2013.

Kennedy, 36, won Olympic gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games with skip Kevin Martin. He returned to the Pyeongchan­g Games this year with skip Kevin Koe but did not reach the podium.

Wozniak, 35, was a longtime second on a Winnipeg team skipped by Mike McEwen. That rink disbanded after last season with McEwen forming a new team with skip Reid Carruthers.

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