Saskatchewan first into playoffs at the Brier
REGINA — Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen was a playoff early bird at the Canadian men’s curling championship on Wednesday.
Not only did the host province grab the first of six playoff berths with a day of pool play remaining, McEwen (6-1) secured the top seed in Pool B with a 9-3 win over Nunavut’s Shane Latimer on Wednesday evening.
The top three teams in each pool of nine advance to Friday’s round of six, from which Saturday’s four Page playoff teams emerge.
The top two seeds in each pool have the advantage of a second chance if they drop their first playoff game. McEwen will have choice of stones and last-rock advantage in the first end when Saskatchewan crosses over to meet the No. 2 seed in Pool A.
Saskatchewan caps its preliminary round today against Quebec’s Julien Tremblay (2-5).
“We want to finish 7-1,” McEwen said. “I want to enter Friday playing really well.”
The last Saskatchewan team to win the Brier was Rick Folk’s in 1980. McEwen has skipped a Manitoba team seven times and Ontario once, and has yet to win.
“Realistically chasing after this for probably 15 years with the mindset I was capable,” the skip said. “So just really grateful that even after all that time, I still feel I’m good enough. My team’s good enough.”
The 43-year-old from Winnipeg was recruited last year by current teammates Colton Flasch and brothers Kevin and Daniel March to join the Nutana Curling Club team from Saskatoon.
Defending champion Brad Gushue and Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith were both 5-2 behind McEwen.
Northwest Territories’ Jamie Koe dropped into a 4-3 tie with Aaron Sluchinski after the Alberta team downed Koe 10-4.
Smith fell 11-3 to Gushue in the morning, but recovered to with a 9-3 win over Kevin Koe at night. P.E.I. can secure the third playoff berth in the pool with a win over Jamie Koe.
“Knowing that we’re five and two going into the last day and control our own destiny is huge,” Smith said. ” If you would have gave us that at the start of the week, we would have took it and run with it by far.”
Gushue finishes against Sluchinski (4-3).
Northern Ontario’s Trevor Bonot, Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher and Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers (5-1) shared top spot in Pool A, with Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone (4-2) and B.C.’s Catlin Schneider (4-3) chasing the leaders.