The playoff picture at this year's Brier as veterans and underdogs pull out the stops
In a Brier that has been full of twists and turns, includ‐ ing a number of unex‐ pected results, the playoff field is now set as the field of 18 teams has been trimmed to just six.
Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen, who placed first in Pool B with a 7-1 record, takes on Alberta's Brendan Bottcher in the 1 vs. 2 quali‐ fying game.
Team Canada's Brad Gushue is set to square off against Manitoba's Reid Car‐ ruthers, who placed first in Pool A with a 7-1 round-robin record, in another qualifying game.
Those four teams placed in the top two of their pools.
Manitoba's Matt Dun‐ stone grabbed the last play‐ off spot in Pool A with a win over Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday night.
Perhaps the most remark‐ able story circles around the Northwest Territories and the team from Yellowknife.
Skip Jamie Koe, in his 17th appearance at the national championship, was able to defeat Prince Edward Island in a dramatic extra end finish on Thursday afternoon to clinch third in Pool B and grab the final playoff spot.
It's just the second time in Brier history the Northwest Territories has qualified for the playoffs. Koe also clinched the other playoff berth in 2012.
"Pretty incredible mo‐ ment. It's just wild. Everyone came down to the ice after the game and were crying. Dad was crying. It got me going," Koe said, with tears in his eyes.
"We looked at the pools when we got here and won‐ dered if we could make the playoffs. It's surreal. We got it done. It just all came togeth‐ er."
Northwest Territories has received support from curl‐ ing fans all across the coun‐ try, especially in the North.
"People are rooting for us. We're one of the underdogs and we'll enjoy this moment," Koe said.
Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen rink earned the top spot in the pool with a 7-1 record.
It's been 44 years since Saskatchewan last won a Brier title - Rick Folk in 1980 the same year McEwen was born. The veteran skip, in his ninth Brier appearance, is brimming with confidence and feels this might just be the moment he wins his first title and snaps the Saskatchewan Brier drought.
"I can't imagine being any hungrier than I am. I got a lot to play for," McEwen said af‐ ter his final round robin game on Thursday after‐ noon. "I have two little girls that love to inspire, great family, support, great spon‐ sors of our team that allow us to actually go out and do this. And then by extension of my own teammates and their support networks, like we we just have a ton to play for."
McEwen says his team is focused and playing the best curling they've played all sea‐ son.
"I can't imagine anybody being hungrier than they al‐ ready are at this moment."
WATCH | A word from the hometown favourites:
Saskatchewan will be bol‐ stered by the support of a curling-crazed province's fan base. The Brandt Centre in Regina has been loud throughout the event when Saskatchewan is playing.
That's expected to hit a different level during the playoff games. Brad Gushue, in his 21st appearance at the Brier, is the defending cham‐ pion and riding a four-game winning streak going into Fri‐ day's playoff games.
He's won five of the last seven championships and is brimming with confidence.
But there are great expec‐ tations with being Team Canada by virtue of being last year's champion.
"Everybody wants to beat us. So that's the hardest thing. Everybody's going to bring their best against you when you wear the maple leaf," Gushue said. "And while it's a complete honour, it's also a challenge because everybody wants to beat you. Whoever makes the playoffs is going to want to be this when they're playing us and we're going to want to do the same to them."
Gushue won his second Brier title six years ago when the Brier was last held at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
WATCH | Will Gushue snag another win? He sure hopes so:
Dunstone, in his sixth Brier appearance, says de‐ spite having to fight their way into the playoffs he likes where the team is going into a Friday night elimination game.
"We did what we had to do but we still have a lot of work to do. Still alive. As long as we're still alive that's where we want to be," Dun‐ stone said.
"When we're going, we're as good as anybody. We're just going to go out and give 'er hell. I like where we're at."
Dunstone and Koe will play Friday evening in Regina.
Playoff games will be held Friday and Saturday with the semifinal and championship game being held on Sunday. The winner of this year's Brier will represent Canada at the men's world curling championship in Switzerland at the beginning of April.