THE BRIER FIELD, TEAM BY TEAM
CANADA
The team: Skip Kevin Koe, third Marc Kennedy, second Brent Laing, lead Ben Hebert, alternate Scott Pfeifer, coach John Dunn Club: The Glencoe Club, Calgary
Brier appearances: Koe 6th, Kennedy 8th, Laing 12th, Hebert 10th
Brier championships: Koe 3, Kennedy 3, Laing 3, Hebert 3
CTRS Ranking: 8 The Skinny: Even though they haven’t had as strong a season as some other teams, the defending Canadian and world champions have so much skill and experience that they have to be considered favourites. Koe, 42, has two world championships to his name and his team has combined for nine world titles and two Olympic gold medals (Kennedy and Hebert in 2010).
ALBERTA
The team: Skip Brendan Bottcher, third Darren Moulding, second Bradley Thiessen, lead Karrick Martin, alternate Evan Asmussen, coach Kevin Martin
Club: Saville Community Sports Centre, Edmonton Brier appearances: None Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 9 The Skinny: Bottcher, 25, is a former world junior champion and his team has done very well on the bonspiel tour, so despite not having any Brier experience, they have the potential to surprise. With curling legend Kevin Martin as coach, this team can’t be discounted, as their No. 9 CTRS ranking can attest.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
The team: Skip John Morris (third stones), fourth Jim Cotter (fourth stones), second Tyrel Griffith, lead Rick Sawatsky, alternate David Harper, coach Jody Epp
Club: Vernon Curling Club & Kelowna Curling Club Brier appearances: Morris 10th, Cotter 7th, Griffith 5th, Sawatsky 7th Brier championships: Morris 3, Cotter 0, Griffith 0, Sawatsky 0
CTRS Ranking: 6 The Skinny: Morris won the 2008 world championship and 2010 Olympic gold medal (both with Kevin Martin), which gives this team a ton of credibility as a contender. Cotter throws the fourth stone and has a reputation as a great shot maker.
MANITOBA
The team: Skip Mike McEwen, third B.J. Neufeld, second Matt Wozniak, lead Denni Neufeld, coach Chris Neufeld
Club: Fort Rouge Curling Club, Winnipeg Brier appearances: McEwen 2nd, B.J.Neufeld 2nd, Wozniak 2nd, Denni Neufeld 2nd.
Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 7 The Skinny: While the McEwen team has only one Brier appearance (they went 8-3 and lost the 3-4 game in 2016), they’ve been one of the top teams on the World Tour for the last five years and have shown many times they can win in a field as stacked as this one.
NEW BRUNSWICK
The team: Skip Mike Kennedy, third Scott Jones, second Marc LeCocq, lead Jamie Brannen, alternate Spencer Mawhinney, coach Grant Odishaw Club: Capital Winter Club, Fredericton Brier appearances: Kennedy 6th, Jones 4th, LeCocq 7th, Brannen 2nd Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 57 The Skinny: Kennedy, 54, already has a world senior curling title under his belt and has plenty of Brier experience but this team, with an average age of 48, will be in tough against such a powerful field.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
The team: Skip Brad Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, coach Jules Owchar Club: Bally Haly Country Club & RE/
MAX Centre, St. John’s Brier appearances: Gushue 14th, Nichols 13th, Gallant 5th, Walker 6th Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 1 The Skinny: Though they’ve never won a Brier, Gushue and Nichols have been runners-up five times between them and they both have an Olympic gold medal from Torino, 2006. Although Gushue was injured at the start of the year, this has been one of the team’s best seasons to date, resulting in a No. 1 CTRS ranking. It’s a dream come true for them to be playing in a Brier at home.
NORTHERN ONTARIO
The team: Skip Brad Jacobs, third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden, alternate Lee Toner, coach Caleb Flaxey
Club: Community First Curling Centre, Sault Ste. Marie Brier appearances: Jacobs 9th, Fry 9th, E.J. Harnden 8th, Ryan Harnden 8th
Brier championships: Jacobs 1, Fry 1, E.J. Harnden 1, Ryan Harnden 1
CTRS Ranking: 3 The Skinny: The 2014 Olympic gold medallists are having another strong season and are likely to be in the playoffs at week’s end. The 2013 Brier champions and world silver medallists were also runners-up at the 2015 Brier.
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The team: Skip Jamie Koe, third Chris Schille, second Brad Chorostkowski, lead Robert Borden, alternate Greg Skauge, coach Terry Shea Club: Yellowknife Curling Centre Brier appearances: Koe 11th, Schille 5th, Chorostkowski 13th, Borden 6th
Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 73 The Skinny: The younger brother of reigning world champion Kevin Koe always puts up a good fight at the Brier but it’s not easy to compete with the biggest of the big boys when coming out of Yellowknife.
NOVA SCOTIA
The team: Skip Jamie Murphy, third Jordan Pinder, second Scott Saccary,
lead Phil Crowell, alternate Alan Darragh, coach Bruce Lohnes Club: Halifax Curling Club Brier appearances: Murphy 2, Pinder 2, Saccary 0, Crowell 1 Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 25 The Skinny: Will play in the pre-qualifier for the second straight year after failing to advance last year. Strong contender to advance this year after rising to 25th in the CTRS rankings.
NUNAVUT
The team: Skip Jim Nix, third Edmund MacDonald, second Greg Howard, lead Darryl McGrath, alternate Howard Fick, coach Donalda Mattie Club: Iqaluit Curling Club Brier appearances: None Brier championships: None CTRS Ranking: No ranking The Skinny: Will be in tough to get past the pre-qualifier stage.
ONTARIO
The team: Skip Glenn Howard, third Richard Hart, second David Mathers, lead Scott Howard, alternate Adam Spencer
Club: St. George’s Golf and Country Club, Toronto
Brier appearances: G. Howard 17th, Hart 8th, Mathers 3rd, S. Howard 3rd
Brier championships: G. Howard 4, Hart 1, Mathers 0, S. Howard 0
CTRS Ranking: 11 The Skinny: Now 54, Glenn Howard is a four-time world champion who can, at very least, put a scare into the current favourites at this year’s event. Hart, 48, is a 1998 Olympic silver medallist (with Mike Harris) and won the 2007 world championship. They’ve combined with a much younger front end to stay competitive on the world tour.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
The team: Skip Eddie MacKenzie, third Sean Ledgerwood, second Matt Nabuurs, lead Robbie Doherty, alternate Phil Gorveatt, coach Al Ledgerwood Club: Charlottetown Curling Complex Brier appearances: MacKenzie 3, Ledgerwood 3, Nabuurs 0, Doherty 3 Brier championships: None CTRS Ranking: No ranking The Skinny: Will try to advance through the pre-qualifier against Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Yukon.
QUEBEC
The team: Skip Jean-Michel Menard, third Martin Crete, second Eric Sylvain, lead Philippe Menard, alternate Pierre Charette, coach Bob Menard Club: Etchemin Curling Club, Levis Brier appearances: Menard 11th, Crete 7th, Sylvain 11th, P. Menard 6th Brier championships: Menard 1, Crete 0, Sylvain 1, P. Menard 0 CTRS Ranking: 28 The Skinny: The 2006 Brier champion and world silver medallist is always a threat to get hot at the right time when he gets to the Brier.
SASKATCHEWAN
The team: Skip Adam Casey, third Catlin Schneider, second Shaun Meachem, lead Dustin Kidby, alternate Jamie Schneider, coach Pat Simmons Club: Highland Curling Club, Regina
Brier appearances: Casey 6th, Schneider 1st, Meacham 1st, Kidby 1st
Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 15 The Skinny: Casey has previously played for Newfoundland and P.E.I. at the Brier but this is his first time representing Saskatchewan. Although they have little Brier experience outside the skip position, they’ve had a good year.
YUKON
The team: Skip Craig Kochan (third stones), fourth Jon Solberg (fourth stones), second Ray Mikkelsen (vice-skip), lead Darrin Fredrickson, alternate Wade Scoffin, coach Larry Snow Club: Whitehorse Curling Club Brier appearances: Kochan 0, Solberg 3, Mikkelsen 1, Fredrickson 0 Brier championships: None
CTRS Ranking: 225 The Skinny: Solberg failed to get through the pre-qualifier last year and will have to try to go that route again. The fourth has some Brier experience on his side.