Slam win continues to elude Gushue and Co.
As usual, they made it to the playoffs, but lost in semifinal round of Canadian Open
Brad Gushue’s two-year run of playoff appearances in Grand Slam of Curling events continued in Yorkton, Sask, over the weekend.
Unfortunately, so did his streak of failing to win a Slam.
Gushue and teammates Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker lost 7-4 to John Epping’s rink in a Saturdaynight semifinal at the Meridian Canadian Open in Yorkton.
It was the team’s only loss in five games in the competition.
The St. John’s rink has made the playoffs in every Pinty’s Grand Slam event in the last two years. The last time they didn’t make it past the preliminaries was the 2018 Canadian Open.
However, since winning the Elite 10, which opened the 2018-19 Grand Slam schedule, Gushue and Co. haven’t had a victory, a stretch of 10 Slams.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t been successful. In fact, the Gushue rink is solidly in second place in the Pinty’s Cup standings, which are based on points awarded for Grand Slam finishes. Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. rink, who took on Epping in Sunday’s Canadian Open final, and who already has two Slam wins this season, lead the Pinty’s Cup points race.
Next up on the Grand Slam schedule is the Players Championship in Toronto. That early April event will also provide Gushue a last shot at something he doesn’t yet possess, a place in the Humpty’s Champion Cup.
The Champions Cup, to be held April 21-26 in Olds, Alta., will feature the winners of Grand Slams and some of the most competitive World Curling Tour events this season.
But the Gushue team’s immediate focus will be the Tankard Newfoundland and Labrador men’s championship, set to begin Jan. 28 at the Re/max Centre in St. John’s. Gushue, who will be skipping one of nine rinks entered in the Tankard, will be looking for his 14th straight berth in the Brier Canadian men’s championship and his 17th overall.