Morris moves to Okanagan rink
John Morris has already found a new curling team, but his former rink is still maybe two weeks away from replacing him.
Morris, who announced last week that he was leaving Kevin Martin’s 2010 Olympic championship team after seven years in that powerhouse lineup, joined Jim Cotter’s Okanagan rink from Kelowna and Vernon, B.C., on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Morris will call the game and throw third rocks while Cotter will toss skip stones like he did with Pat Ryan in the 2005 Canadian curling trials.
The rest of the five-man crew, which will figure out during the fall how the front end will line up for the Capital One Road to the Roar pre-trials from Nov. 5-10 at Kitchener, Ont., includes Jason Gunnlaugson, Tyrel Griffith and Rick Sawatzky.
“I took the five-man team option back to the guys and we all quickly agreed that the addition of John’s experience and ability would substantially improve our team and take us to a new level,” Cotter said in a news release.
Marc Kennedy, the second on Martin’s team, wasn’t surprised to see Morris join Cotter’s rink so quickly.
“It’s a good fit for him,” said Kennedy. “I know Johnny loves the West Coast and he’s good friends with those guys. He’s fished with Rick Sawatzky a bunch and Jim is one of the nicest guys in the world, really easy to get along with.
“I think it was as much of a decision of him wanting to play with some guys he really gets along with,” Kennedy continued.
“Not only that, but Jim is a great player and he had a good run at the Olympic trials in 2005. He’s probably the best curler west of Alberta. I know Johnny has always had a lot of respect for him, so I’m not too surprised.”
Meanwhile, Kennedy said Martin’s team is working from “a short list of guys” to replace its former third.
“We’ve had mild success. We’re hoping (to have a replacement) as soon as possible, because there’s still a lot of stuff to do in the summer to get ready, so we would like to have somebody named within the next two weeks. But that depends on if somebody is going to say yes. It won’t be us delaying it, that’s for sure.”
Martin is one of six men’s teams already guaranteed of a berth in the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Olympic trials Dec. 1-8 at Winnipeg.
The other confirmed teams are Kevin Koe’s Calgary/Edmonton rink, Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., Jeff Stoughton and Mike McEwen of Winnipeg, and John Epping of Toronto.
The final two teams in the trials will qualify out of the 12-team pre-trials competition, which also includes reigning Canadian champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and 2006 Olympic champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L.