Brier 2010 Tankard Times March 6th

Issue 1 – Saturday, March 6, 2010 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association.

Let’s rock and roll!

■ Martin leaves Brier void Page 2

■ Brier facts and folklore Page 5

From left, Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue, Ontario’s Glenn Howard and Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton are ready to rock the house, down-home style, at the 81st Brier. Stone slinging begins today at the Halifax Metro Centre.

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Page 2

Tankard Times

Contenders rush to fill void left by Martin’s men But no asterisks attached to this Brier

LARRY WOOD Tankard Times Editor

A

Tim Hortons Brier without Kevin Martin?

The guy who won the last two Briers, his last 26 Brier matches, with unbeaten records unheard of at the legendary event since, well, the last time they played it at the Halifax Metro Centre?

The guy who mined gold and won 11 straight at the Vancouver Olympics last month and 34 of his last 39 games at the international level and

a world title two years ago?

Now that you mention it, yes.

Kevin Martin, to say nothing of his peerless combination of John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert, will be the missing links at the 2010 Brier when the rock’n and the roll’n on ice starts today.

But, it says here, the Brier at this Halifax icehouse will rock and roll on regardless, and without an asterisk attached to the name of the winner.

Everybody, in every sport, in every life, is replaceable, you understand.

Leave us check with last year’s Brier runnerup, who also will be representing Manitoba for a record eighth time at Halifax.

“Oh yeah,” Jeff Stoughton was telling Jim Bender of the Winnipeg Sun a while back. “It’s great that he (Martin) is not there, we don’t have to worry about him.”

Right. But, Stoughton added . . .

“You know, Kevin Koe’s team (Alberta) is awesome. They play us tough every time we play them, so they’re go-

Jeff Stoughton will be representing Manitoba at the Brier for a record eighth time at Halifax.

ing to be a top-four team just like we’re a top-four team.”

And that may or may not more or less settle that issue. The top four at the Brier advance beyond the preliminary round robin to the playoffs and a glance at this field results in four

teams sticking out above all others, strictly on the basis of experience and past history.

But strange things can transpire at Briers. You may recall the last one that was played immediately following the Olympic Games. It was staged in Regina, and the

winner was Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec. ’Twas, in fact, only the second time in the 81-year history of this fabled fracas that a team from Quebec had won the national men’s rock concert.

The Olympic gold medallist that year wasn’t on hand for the

Brier, either. But Martin was there. And Stoughton. And Glenn Howard.

Five skips from the current field, in fact.

Hence, this Brier will be no different from most of the last 80.

There’ll be stories galore and spectacular shots galore and maybe, just maybe, nobody will decide to run away with it as Martin ran away during the last couple.

Or even like Randy Ferbey ran away the last time the show visited the Metro Centre.

If a runaway happens, of course, the best bets to achieve it will be Stoughton or Howard.

Or maybe Brad Gushue, the 2006 gold medallist who won nine of 10 at the Metro Centre to qualify for the Games in the company of people like Stoughton, Howard, Martin, Ferbey, John Morris, et al.

Please see WOOD, Page 13

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 3

Net yield diff. (bu/ac)*

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Above, the Quebec team led by Serge Reid brings a rock into the house during Friday’s practice. At right, provincial skips call the practice shots at the Halifax Metro Centre.

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Tankard Times

Crystal ball time!

Rock Solid COVERAGE For complete coverage of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier, read sports reporter Monty Mosher’s stories daily.

The Tankard Times makes its fearless 2010 Brier picks Glenn Howard and Ontario: Tourney faves.

Proud sponsor of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier

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ONTARIO Coldwater & District Curling Club, Coldwater The skinny: Back in the Brier lists for the fifth straight year with 43 wins in the last four — one first, two seconds and one third-place finish. Has dominated its own province for a half-decade. Saliva test will be required if this unit misses the final four.

MANITOBA Charleswood Curling Club, Winnipeg The skinny: A Brier threat for 20 years, this team never has recorded a negative won-lost log. But the skip hasn’t tasted victory for more than a decade and is tiring of all those second-, third- and fourth-place finishes. If the stars align, this could be the Return of the Bison.

ALBERTA Saville Curling Centre, Edmonton The skinny: Likely to be the most overlooked team in the field, hence be warned! This team has been improving by the year which comes naturally because it knocks heads with the Martins and Ferbeys every week. And it beat Ferbey three times to get here.

NFLD/LABRADOR Bally Haly Golf & Curling Club, St. John’s The skinny: The Boys From The Rock have been less than consistent lately but this will be a home game for them. They won the Olympic trials in the same building and if they can shake off the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Games just past they must be considered a strong contender.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 5

The Snake, plug tobacco, and casting the first stone Here are 21 things you didn’t know about the Brier . . . and won’t find in the record books

ALEX ROBERTS

Tankard Times Columnist

T

he Brier, more than most annual sporting events, is steeped in tradition and folklore. Its records and numbers help to stitch together the history of this great annual Canadian curling competition.

Here are some weird and wacky Brier facts, superlatives, trivia, and milestones you probably won’t find in the official record book.

■ Many believe that the term ‘Brier’ is an old Scottish or Gaelic curling term. Actually, it is — or was — a tobacco product sold by the Macdonald Company, who sponsored the Brier from 1927 to 1980. Apparently, “Brier plug tobacco” included a small

heart-shaped piece of tin which was pressed into the tobacco — hence the “Brier.”

■ Each Brier curler can expect to lift or shove about 10,000 pounds of granite during the roundrobin — or slightly under five tons.

■ After the first draw of the 1946 Brier, smoking had to be prohibited in the arena for the rest of the competition because spectators complained that they could not see the scoreboards. Up to that point it was the first time in Brier history that smoking was restricted.

■ Contrary to what the official record books tell you, the first shutout in Brier history occurred at the 1951 competition.

In a playoff game for second place, British Columbia (A.M. Chess Chesser) skunked Saskatchewan (John Franklin) 8-0, in game that lasted only eight of the scheduled twelve ends.

■ During the 1958 Brier in Victoria, several of the players came down with the flu. Matt Baldwin, skip of the Alberta team was so ill he was forced to miss the final round-robin game on the advice of his doctor.

Against doctor’s orders he returned to skip the playoff game, leading Alberta to a 10-6 to win over Manitoba and the championship.

■ In his opening speech for the 1966 Brier held in Halifax, keynote speaker and Professor of Religion Dr. B. J. Hardie, presented a Biblically-inspired address based entirely on writings from the Old Testament. His opening line was: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.”

Ron Northcott, a.k.a.

The Owl.

Please see STONE, Page 15

Russ Howard: The only man to throw more than 3,000 rocks at the Brier.

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Tankard Times

ROAD TO THE TIM HORTONS BRIER

Island crew flush with Brier know-how Tankard Times Editor

V

eteran 52-yearold Rod MacDonald returns as skip of the Prince Edward Island champion for the second straight Brier and his seventh overall, thereby installing the Island entry as the most experienced in the current field.

MacDonald played in his first Brier back in 1978, manning the third position for brother Peter.

He returned at the lead position for Peter on two occasions before moving

to the teehead to win the Island title in four of the last six seasons.

His lineup is equally experienced. Third Kevin Champion also is bound for his seventh Brier and his sixth in a row, second Mark O’Rourke leads all Island-based Brier participants by earning his 10th trip to the national hacks, and lead Andrew Robinson is checking in for the third time.

Charlottetown’s MacDonald has averaged only three wins per year in three years as skip but has played the role of giant-killer on a couple of

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occasions. His Islanders defeated eventual 2006 winner Jean-Michel Menard and last year handed Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton a stunning round-robin defeat.

P.E.I. In the Island provincial Tankard last month at Alberton, the MacDonald troops sailed through the six-team round robin

undefeated and advanced directly to the championship final where they disposed of former champion Robert Campbell of Charlottetown 5-4 with a last-rock decision.

Campbell had control of the issue until MacDonald cracked a go-ahead deuce in the seventh end which proved the game’s turning point.

Finishing two games behind MacDonald with a 3-2 record, Campbell first eliminated Charlottetown’s John Likely 8-3 in a tiebreaker, then ousted Ed MacKenzie of Charlottetown 9-6 in the semi-final before getting

P.E.I.’s Rod MacDonald: Seventh Brier showing.

a second crack at the unbeaten team. Campbell had earlier lost 8-3 to MacDonald in the first round of the provincials.

Behind MacDonald at 6-0, Campbell was

5-3, MacKenzie and Likely were 3-3, Bill Hope of Charlottetown was 1-5 and Tom Fetterly of Summerside was blanked in a six-match struggle.

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Saturday, March 6, 2010

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From left, Kevin Martin, John Morris, Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy show off their Olympic gold medals during an autograph session Friday. They’ll be on hand for an Up Close and Personal session today at 10:15 a.m. for Brier ticketholders at the Metro Centre.

A rapturous ride for Martin quartet

TERRY JONES Sun Media Columnist

T

he two-hour autograph-signing session wrapped around the block.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said local legend Colleen Jones. “One woman was

crying. Another was shaking. And the lineup for these guys . . . ” It almost didn’t end.

“It had to be 1,000 feet long,” said John Morris, his Olympic gold medal stuffed in an old purple Crown Royal bag in his pocket when it was over. “We signed for the full two hours and we didn’t get through it,” he said.

“It was out the door and around the corner,” raved second Marc Kennedy.

Every minute since they won the gold a week ago at the Olympics in Vancouver to set the table for Sidney

Crosby and the record 14th gold medal with his overtime goal in the hockey game Sunday, it’s been a magic-carpet ride for Kevin Martin’s team which has now taken it from one coast to the other.

But the scene at the Metro Centre on Friday might end up being the most memorable in the non-stop memory-making moments which keep coming at this team.

“It was awesome.

Unbelievable,” said lead Ben Hebert.

Please see JONES, Page 14

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Page 8

Tankard Times

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THIS DATE IN BRIER HISTORY

Welsh ends up inches short of a great eight Alex Roberts For the Tankard Times

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1934: Gordon Campbell, representing the Hamilton Thistle Club, skipped Ontario to what was then a Brier record high score in a 26-2 rout of Nova Scotia. Ontario “stole” the last 20 points in this one-sided first draw encounter.

1946: After a three year lapse, the first post-Second World War Brier resulted in a three-way tie for first place between Alberta, Manitoba and Northern Ontario. In the playoff, Northern Ontario drew a bye and Alberta edged Manitoba in the semifinal 8-7. It was 2:30 in the morning when the final ended with Mani-

toba’s Bill Rose beating Tom Ramsey’s Northern Ontario team 8-6.

1947: There never has been an eight-ender in more than 40,000 ends of Brier play but Jimmy Welsh nearly led his Manitoba team to the “magical eight” against Prince Edward Island’s Jimmy Acorn. In the eighth end of the morning draw, with seven Manitoba counters in the rings, and a P.E.I. stone barely on the 12-foot, Welsh was a shade heavy on the last rock of the frame, and ended up counting seven.

The Manitobans went on to win the game 18-7, and with it clinched the Brier title for the 11th time in the first 18 editions.

1951: The first draw in a history-making Brier saw Halifax

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hosting its inaugural Canadian men’s curling championship, and Newfoundland playing in the Canadian men’s curling championship for the first time. The rookie Newfoundlanders, skipped by Thomas Hallet, lost their first Brier encounter by a 14-6 score to B.C., while Don Oyler’s Nova Scotia won 10 consecutive games on its way to Nova Scotia’s first national men’s curling title since 1927.

1959: Saskatchewan’s Ernie Richardson won his first of four titles with a convincing 12-6 sudden-death victory over Alberta.

See HISTORY, Page 14

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 9

your guide to what’s goin’ on

Get Ready for a “Swell” Time...

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OD

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Keith’s Patch is party central for the Brier, pulsating with excitement all week long as fans, volunteers – and at times, even the competitors – gather for a roaring celebration.

I ’S TIM ES BREWIN

The Season of Champions is experiencing overwhelming growth and popularity as Canada’s “roaring game” roars more than ever before. Hundreds of thousands of fans across the country have been drawn to the excitement, drama and strategy of our sport.

They’ve also discovered that curling comes with an incomparable party atmosphere!

The Party Line is a new feature for the Tankard Times… and it’s your guide to what’s goin’ on here at the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier. We’ll be bringing it to you every day to keep you on top of all the festivities here in Halifax.

The Patch features an appetizing array of food and all your favourite beverages. You can dance to the beat of a steady lineup of live entertainers. Plus, the host MC’s – Stuart Brown and Jim Jerome – will be leading the way with all kinds of crazy competitions and games.

Or, if you’re looking for a more relaxing atmosphere, try the Purple Heart Lounge.

You’ll find plenty of food and refreshments, and at times some great live entertainment.

So stay tuned to The Party Line and we’ll keep you in touch with every second of the fun!

on stage Sunday, March 7 – McGinty • 6:15 pm Shameless • 11:00 pm Monday, March 8 – Little Fish • 6:15 pm Signal Hill • 11:00 pm Tuesday, March 9 – The Chevelles • 6:15 & 11:00 pm Wednesday, March 10 – The Chevelles • 6:15 & 11:00 pm Thursday, March 11 – Da’ Rock • 6:15 pm Matt Minglewood Band • 11:00 pm Friday, March 12 – Blue Bay • 6:15 pm Sons of Maxwell • 11:00 pm Saturday, March 13 – Big Fish • 3:00 pm Mellotones • 11:00 pm Sunday, March 14 – Blueberry Grunt • 5:00 pm

Starting with these Swell Guys Take four musicians with diverse talents, an impressive list of professional achievements and extremely gregarious personalities… and what do you get? A group of really Swell Guys!

These Swell Guys just happen to be one of Halifax’s most popular acts, featuring Alex Vaughan (guitar and vocals), Ken MacKay (woodwinds and vocals), Pat Riley (bass and vocals) and Scott Ferguson (drums and vocals).

Individually, their talents represent an eclectic mix of musical backgrounds ranging from country, rock and blues to Dixieland and jazz.

They’ll be taking this engaging diversity to the stage tonight at 6:15 pm in Keith’s Patch.

Continued on page 10

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Tankard Times

And Then the Night Takes Flight!

Continued from page 9 If you’re in the mood for an encore with a bit of a twist, at 11:00 pm three of the same guys – Alex, Ken and Scott – will be joined in the spotlight by John Chiasson (bass and vocals) and Donna Scaglione (vocals), in the form of the Aviators.

Make sure you’re there to see this high-flying pop-rock band soar through a repertoire of hits from the best of today’s contemporary artists, as well as countless favourites from the past. The Aviators deliver a performance that suits all ages and tastes – setting the stage for the infamous party atmosphere that rocks the Patch all week long!

The Curling’s So Cool in the Patch!

The competition will be intense all week on the ice at the Metro Centre as Canada’s best curlers fight for the right to hoist the Tankard at the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier.

The action will also be fierce in Keith’s Patch for the Cool Curling competition where competitors will battle for great prizes, including cash - $500 for first, $250 for second and $150 for third.

There may be no other shot in curling packed with as much pressure as the cold draw to the button! Especially during the semi-finals in front of a capacity crowd at the Metro Centre.

Well, just imagine yourself trying to make it – using a golf ball and a new Odyssey White Ice putter. It’s a 93-foot putt with a $100,000 prize on the line!

Visit the Purple Heart lounge between now and Thursday, and enter the contest for your chance to be one of those competitors - contest closes Thursday at 8 pm.

Instant prize giveaways will be awarded… plus, out of all the entrants in the Purple Heart Lounge, one will emerge to putt for the big pot in the Metro Centre - with the chance to win the $100,000!

Cool Curling is the tabletop mini-version of the roaring game that’s become a huge hit in the Patch. The competition starts Monday at noon for the qualifying round which carries on through Thursday.

Eight qualifiers will be determined each of the four days to move on to the Friday playdowns. The field will be narrowed down to the final eight who face off Saturday in the Championship round.

Think you’re up to the challenge? Just drop by the Patch to register – and then find out just how “cool” you are under pressure!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 11

It’s Simply

Six Years After Today – 6:30 pm

In 2004 Mark Dacey earned a thrilling Brier victory representing Nova Scotia - and today he’ll be sitting down with his championship team to answer questions from the fans in the Purple Heart Lounge.

The Saskatoon-born Dacey has competed in six different Briers, wearing Nova Scotia colours in the past five. But the sweetest of them all was unquestionably the 2004 edition.

Returning to his home town, the Dacey crew defeated Randy Ferbey in the final, ending the Alberta team’s bid for a fourth consecutive title.

In addition to his success on the men’s stage, Dacey is also a two-time winner of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship.

Join him and his 2004 teammates – Bruce Lohnes, Rob Harris and Andrew Gibson – for an entertaining insight into the world of competitive curling.

Picture Perfect Hit Us With Your Best Shots!

Picture Perfect is the “fan’s eye” view from Halifax. When you’re capturing your favourite memories from the Tim Hortons Brier, send them in… they may just show up in The Party Line.

Email pictures to: partylinepics@curling.ca (Please note: Cameraphone images may not be of suitable quality to reproduce.)

Steele Ford Lincoln is very pleased to be Official Vehicle Supplier of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier.

Located at 3773 Windsor Street in Halifax, it is one of the longest-serving dealerships in our community with the original dealership being established in the 1930’s. Steele Automotive Group purchased the dealership nine years ago and has continued to strongly support

various community endeavours, charity and sports groups. The dealership’s 90 employees, through teamwork and dedication, have made Steele Ford Lincoln one of the largest Ford Lincoln dealerships in Canada. Everyone on the Steele team wishes all the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier participants the very best during the competition.

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Tankard Times

Page 12

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The 50/50 draws for the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier are based on the electronic system used at Saskatoon’s recent World Junior Hockey Championships – where five-figure payouts were standard, and the winning ticket for the gold medal game was nearly $150,000!

The new process allows fans to view real time pool updates on the video screen in the Halifax Metro Centre and Keith’s Patch. A 50/50 prize will be awarded for each Brier draw.

Here’s how it works:

Twenty-four Nova Scotia junior curlers were selected by a random draw to an honorary position with a Tim Hortons Brier team.

The junior stars receive: • the opportunity to participate in one practice with the team • introduction and march with the curlers in a pre-game ceremony • 3 tickets to one of the team’s round robin games • a gift package from the host committee Today’s feature stars are:

Team British Columbia • 3:00 pm

• four purchase outlets will be located in the Metro Centre and one outside Keith’s Patch • tickets may also be purchased from several vendors with handheld devices in the Metro Centre and Patch • tickets are printed at the point of sale and the total pot is automatically updated so you can watch it grow

Ethan Garnier • CFB Halifax Maria LeBlanc • Yarmouth Team Northwest Territories/Yukon • 7:30 pm Scott Callaghan • Jodi Vacheresse

The Purple Heart Lounge is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy a beverage and bite with friends – and, a great spot to make new friends.

Tonight at 11:00 pm you have the opportunity to experience Tony Quinn on stage in the lounge. Best described as a renaissance entertainer, Quinn delivers a versatile performance

CFB Halifax • Truro

featuring fast paced comedy and music, impersonations and musical treats.

A regular at the Halifax Waterfront’s weekly musical comedy matinee, Quinn has been a special guest of the Royal Canadian Air Farce, a co-host of CBC Radio’s Atlantic Airwaves and written and performed in a broad range of categories.

Saturday, March 6, 2010 Koe, with his Edmonton team, figures to round out the top four as far as crystal-ball gazers are concerned.

Strangely, the 35-yearold Koe, a petroleum industry land man who resides in Grande Prairie, will be skipping in his first Brier. His third, Blake MacDonald, played second back in 1999. His second, Carter Rycroft, played with Martin in 2000 and 2006, that last postOlympic affair. Lead Nolan Thiessen is a Brier rookie.

So why should Koe, the 2000 Mixed Nationals champ, be rated top-four?

He plays with the big guys on tour and in all the so-called Slams, that’s why. He was one of the top-four qualifiers for the December

Page 13

From Page 2

WOOD Olympic trials and held his own in that affair, finishing fourth behind Martin, Howard and Stoughton but not without one helluva fight.

One other thing. Koe plays out of the Saville Sports Centre, the same icehouse inhabited by Martin and Ferbey. The three of them have been knocking heads in Alberta playdowns for years.

In Alberta provincials last month, Ferbey couldn’t beat Koe in three altercations. Just like Ferbey couldn’t beat Martin the past two seasons. Which is to suggest, Koe is not to be discounted.

The Stoughton, Howard and Gushue lineups,

of course, involve no strangers. Stoughton won Briers in 1996 (three straight against Martin, you may recall) and 1999. Howard won a couple with brother Russ in the dark ages, then dominated the 2007 show at Hamilton.

Gushue, on the other hand, is 0-for-6 at the Brier. His best shot was in ’07 when he lost the final to Howard.

He and Koe, however, represent the young guard. Howard is 47.

Stoughton is 46. They’re a part of the old codgership in this field of combatants.

Howard is another who’ll be just as happy that Kevin Martin is a Brier spectator.

The Ontario team of Richard Hart, Brent Laing and Craig Savill hasn’t handled Martin’s

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the past two years at the Brier and suffered a devastating setback in the Olympic trials, to boot.

“We’re not over that (defeat) yet,” Howard said last month following his provincial victory.

The remaining eight provincial champs all promise to be the sort of teams capable of making it difficult for some, including each other, if not capable of the kind of consistency required to crank up a winning streak at the Brier.

Most notable among them may be 32-year-old Jamie Koe of Yellowknife, brother and former teammate of Alberta’s Koe, who’ll provide this Brier with its second brother-vs-brother teehead skirmish in as many years (Thursday morning).

CIMCO Refrigeration welcomes all participants and fans to the...

Fowler holds a very hot hand Larry Wood Tankard Times Editor

M

anitoba second player Rob Fowler, an automobile dealer out of Brandon, scored a spectacular and nearperfect 29-point performance at the Metro Centre on Friday during the pre-Brier Ford Hot Shots preliminary skills competition.

The top eight shotsmiths out of 48 qualified for today’s three-stage showdown starting at 1 p.m. The winner will receive a two-year lease on a 2010

Ford Taurus SEL FWD. Hometown skip Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc trailed Fowler with 25 points, while Fowler’s Manitoba skip Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg), Ontario skip Glenn Howard (Midland) and Newfoundland/Labrador second player Ryan Fry (St. John’s) each turned in a 24-point effort.

Rounding out the top qualifers were Saskatoon skip Darrell McKee, New Brunswick skip James Grattan (Oromocto) and Northern Ontario second Ryan Harnden (Sault Ste. Marie).

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Page 14 “We don’t have people lining up and down the street for us as a rule. We’re sure getting to feel like real celebrities. They forget that we’re not. We’re curlers.

It’s like when we brought our medal to the athletes village.

Figure skaters and speed skaters were giving us hugs. Now everywhere we go people are thanking us. I didn’t understand the sense of pride and the extent something like this could bring Canada together.”

Kennedy said everybody keeps thanking them while they sit there and can’t help but thank the fans back for creating such scenes for them to treasure forever.

“It’s the demographics.

We’re used to older fans. But these are young kids and teenagers. It’s a whole new group of fans. Nobody could prepare us for this. Not even Kevin. To see what we see in the fans’ faces, to see them this happy and this proud of our country.”

While there was a weekend

Tankard Times

From Page 7

JONES of Up Close And Personal appearances at the Brier Patch, more autograph sessions, the opening banquet and opening ceremonies, Martin says he doesn’t want it to stop.

“This is just so much fun,” The Old Bear raved. “It’s like the closing ceremonies. You don’t want it to end. We were out there feeling it’s so sad that it’s ending.”

But then it doesn’t end. It keeps going. First at home when they were met by a mob at the airport and now here where people lined up forever to meet them and touch their medals.

“It’s the closest we’re ever going to be to the Beatles,” said Kennedy.

These guys only had one complete full day at home.

Morris spent his first full-time day at work.

“I pulled a 24-hour shift at the Chestermere fire hall. I’d just found out I’d been hired full time. But I did get to a school with the medal and out to do a couple things. It took 50 minutes to stop and get a coffee and twoand-a-half hours to go out and get groceries,” he said.

Kennedy said he’ll always remember the hockey connection: “We were at the CanadaRussia game and then seven rows behind the American net where Sidney Crosby scored in the gold medal game . . . we hung out with Sid on Sunday night after he’d scored the goal.

He was the most down-to-earth guy. We drank some champagne together. He told us how he’d watched our game and gave us all signed game sticks from the tournament.”

It was like they’d done this 14-gold-medal thing together.

“It’s good that we won one more medal than the record,” said Martin. “Everybody who won one can feel that way.”

From Page 8

HISTORY: Big 100 However, a howling winter blizzard in Quebec City kept the attendance down at the Coliseum, in this the 30th rendition of the Brier.

1964: British Columbia won its second national curling championship with a last round 9-7 extra-end victory over P.E.I. Drawing against two B.C. counters, P.E.I. skip Art Burke sailed his last rock draw through the rings to give B.C. a two-point steal and the title.

1977: Brier games were shortened to 10 ends. They had been set at 12 ends since 1928.

1987: The legendary Bernie Sparkes, curling in the

Cheering hard in Halifax.

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last of his 12 Briers, skipped his B.C. foursome to an 8-5 win over Ontario. Sparkes went on to post an 8-3 record for second place in the round robin behind the eventual champions Ontario, skipped

by Russ Howard.

2003: Howard became the first skip to win 100 Brier games, when he manoeuvred his Moncton Beaver Curling Club foursome to a last round 8-6 win over Ontario at the Halifax Metro Centre.

2004: The four-rock freeguard zone rule was used at the Brier for the first in time Saskatoon, replacing the three-rock rule that had been used since the 1994 championship. Scoring immediately jumped and the number of blank ends fell by more than 25 per cent, with stolen ends up nearly 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

(Alex Roberts is a freelance writer based in Halifax)

Saturday, March 6, 2010 ■ During an eighthround game against Alberta at the 1928 Brier, Manitoba skip Gordon Hudson elected to throw his final stone through an empty house rather than take a single point. The blanking an end strategy, although not uncommon in the western provinces at the time, was virtually unheard of in the eastern provinces.

Hudson caused quite stir: with one reporter noting that it set off a “gasp of astonishment” from spectators. The strategy failed anyway, as he gave up a steal in the 12th end and lost the game 9-8.

■ In the early days of the Brier, teams brought their own granite. In fact, in the first Brier in 1927 they could be any weight, and varied from the low 30s to the

mid 40-pound range. In 1928 an agreement was reached to use “standard weight” rocks of 47.5 pounds. In 1935 rocks were further reduced to between 45 and 46.5 pounds.

■ Since the three-rock (1994) and four-rock (2004) Free Guard Zone rules were introduced at the Brier, scoring is up 20.6 per cent, blank ends have fallen by 64.3 per cent, ‘big ends’ (three or more points) are up 82.4 per cent and draws have gone from 49 per cent of rocks thrown to 57 per cent of rocks thrown.

■ The 1958 Brier was the first in which the average age of the curlers was under 30.

■ In 1951, Newfoundland joined the Brier family, and for the first time, there were byes in every round.

Page 15

From Page 5

STONE: Weird ‘n’ wacky ■ At the 1948 Brier in Calgary, a full-sized birch bark teepee was set up by the Sarcee First Nation. As part of the opening ceremonies, several Brier trustees were initiated as blood brothers by Chief David Crowchild. Brier Trustee and Senator John T. Haig was given the name “Big Weasel.”

■ For the first 13 years, the Brier was held at the Granite Club in Toronto where there were no dividers between the curling sheets. Some of the hard

throwers not only scattered rocks on their sheets, but often sent stones onto adjacent sheets, necessitating a watchful eye by all the curlers.

■ Famous Brier nicknames include: “Hellfire” Joe Heartwell, “the Snake” (Barry Fry), “the Wrench” (Ed Werenich), “the Owl” (Ron Northcott), “the Arrow” (Rod Hunter), “Pee Wee” (Bob Pickering), “the Friendly Giant” (Hec Gervais) and “the Digit” (Don Duguid).

■ Family rinks are no longer seen at the Brier, but in 1947, father Sandy Campbell of Avonlea Saskatchewan brought along sons Garnet, Glen and Lloyd. They went 6-4 and finished third.

■ Fourteen-time participant Russ Howard is the only Brier player to have thrown more than 3,000

rocks in men’s championship play – all as skip!

■ The biggest points comeback in Brier history occurred in 1965, when Nick Lashuk of Alberta (Calgary) spotted Bill Tracy of Quebec (Bagotville) a nine-point lead but came back to win 16-12.

■ At the early Briers, participants would often arrive on a special excursion train. The last Brier train was in 1962.

■ In the 1928 Brier, Alberta was actually represented by a Saskatchewan team. The Joe Heartwell skipped team from Rosetown, which had lost out in the Saskatchewan play-downs, entered the Alberta provincials which they won.

They went on to finish second at the Brier with an 8-3 record.

■ None of the so-

cial functions at the 1958 Brier in Victoria included the serving of alcoholic beverages, after it was discovered that the members of the Terry Braunstein team from Manitoba were underage. That team, by the way, including Ray Turnbull of TSN fame.

At the time, alcohol could not be served if anyone underage was present, and so the 1958 Brier was the only “dry” Brier in history.

■ 1940 was the first year that all of the Brier teams were decided by provincial playdowns.

Prior to 1940, many entries were “nominated” by their provincial curling committees.

(Alex Roberts is a freelance writer and a Brier historian based in Halifax)

The 5 Fishermen | 1740 Argyle Street Cap off your Brier vacation with an exquisite meal at The 5 Fishermen. Only the freshest seafood makes it on to your plate here – usually caught and cooked the same day. And every main course comes with a complimentary mussel bar that’s so good, it’s worth the price of your meal alone.

Look for insider’s tips every day during the Brier and visit us at the novascotia.com booth. And for more ideas on how to make the most of your vacation, visit novascotia.com/brier or follow us at twitter.com/cynatnovascotia.

Page 16

Tankard Times

2010 TIM HORTONS BRIER: THE PLAYING FIELD

Alberta

B.C.

Manitoba

Saville Sports Centre (Edmonton)

Kelowna Curling Club (Kelowna)

Charleswood Curling Club (Winnipeg)

Experience factor: 3 Skip: Kevin Koe (35-1) Third: Blake MacDonald (33-2) Second: Carter Rycroft (27-3) Lead: Nolan Thiessen (29-1) Alternate: Jamie King (36-1) Coach: John Dunn Runner-up: Randy Ferbey, Edmonton Last year’s record: Kevin Martin, Edmonton, 13-0, finished first

Experience factor: 3 Skip: Jeff Richard (30-1) Third: Tom Shypitka (47-2) Second: Tyler Orme (30-1) Lead: Chris Anderson (30-1) Alternate: Kevin MacKenzie (35-3) Coach: Gerry Richard Runner-up: Sean Geall, New Westminste Last year’s record: Sean Geall, New Westminster, 8-5, finished sixth

Experience factor: 19 Skip: Jeff Stoughton (46-8) Third: Kevin Park (45-5) Second: Rob Fowler (34-3) Lead: Steve Gould (37-5) Alternate: Randy Dutiaume (47-3) Coach: Norm Gould Runner-up: Mike McEwen, Winnipeg Last year’s record: Jeff Stoughton, Winnipeg, 10-5, finished second

Nova Scotia

Ontario

P.E.I.

New Brunswick

Nfld/ Labrador

Northern Ontario

Gage Golf & Curling Association (Oromocto)

Bally-Haly Country Club (St. John’s)

Soo Curlers Ass’n (Sault Ste. Marie)

Experience factor: 13 Skip: James Grattan (35-8) Third: Steven Howard (25-2) Second: Jason Vaughan (40-4) Lead: Peter Case (32-2) Alternate: Robert Vaughan (44-1) Coach: Dean Grattan Runner-up: Terry Odishaw, Moncton Last year’s record: Russ Howard, Oromocto, 6-5, finished seventh

Experience factor: 22 Skip: Brad Gushue (29-7) Third: Mark Nichols (30-7) Second: Ryan Fry (31-3) Lead: Jamie Korab (30-6) Alternate: Glenn Goss (52-4) Coach: Ken Bagnell Runner-up: Alex Smith, St. John’s Last year’s record: Brad Gushue, St. John’s, 8-4, finished fourth

Experience factor: 5 Skip: Brad Jacobs (24-3) Third: E.J. Harnden (26-2) Second: Ryan Harnden (23-2) Lead: Caleb Flaxey (26-2) Alternate: Rob Thomas (48-1) Coach: Tom Coulterman Runner-up: Matt Dumontelle, Sudbury Last year’s record: Mike Jakubo, Copper Cliff, 2-9, finished 11th

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Territories

Mayflower Curling Club (Halifax)

Coldwater & District C.C. (Coldwater)

Charlottetown Curling Club (Charlottetown)

Kenogami Curling Club (Kenogami)

Experience factor: 5 Skip: Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc (25-1) Third: Stuart MacLean (49-6) Second: J.B. Kent Smith (31-1) Lead: Philip Crowell (31-1) Alternate: Mark Robar (30-1) Coach: David MacLellan Runner-up: Doug MacKenzie, Halifax Last year’s record: Mark Dacey, Halifax, 2-9, finished 10th

Experience factor: 26 Skip: Glenn Howard (47-12) Third: Richard Hart (41-5) Second: Brent Laing (31-6) Lead: Craig Savill (31-6) Alternate: Steve Bice (27-2) Coach: Scott Taylor Runner-up: Bryan Cochrane, Ottawa Last year’s record: Glenn Howard, Coldwater, 9-4, finished third

Experience factor: 32 Skip: Rod MacDonald (52-7) Third: Kevin Champion (46-7) Second: Andrew Robinson (40-3) Lead: Mark O’Rourke (47-10) Alternate: Peter MacDonald (53-10) Coach: Pat Aylward Runner-up: Robert Campbell, Charlottetown Last year’s record: Rod MacDonald, Charlottetown, 2-9, finished 12th

Experience factor: 6 Skip: Serge Reid (46-1) Third: Francois Gionest (36-1) Second: Simon Collin (33-1) Lead: Steeve Villeneuve (48-1) Alternate: Pierre Charette (54-7) Coach: Paul Gagnon Runner-up: Martin Ferland, Trois-Rivieres Last year’s record: JeanMichel Menard, StRomuald, 7-5, finished fifth

Nutana Curling Club (Saskatoon)

Experience factor: 6 Skip: Darrell McKee (46-3) Third: Bruce Korte (42-3) Second: Roger Korte (39-3) Lead: Rob Markowsky (36-1) Alternate: Jason Jacobson (32-1) Coach: Gene Friesen Runner-up: Joel Jordison, Moose Jaw Last year’s record: Joel Jordison, Moose Jaw, 3-8, finished eighth

(player’s age and total Brier appearances, including 2010 and as a fifth player, in brackets)

Yellowknife Curling Club (Yellowknife)

Experience factor: 14 Skip: Jamie Koe (32-4) Third: Kevin Whitehead (31-3) Second: Brad Chorostkowski (36-6) Lead: Martin Gavin (43-2) Alternate: Jon Solberg (38-4) Coach: Terry Shea Runner-up: Chad Cowan, Whitehorse Last year’s record: Jamie Koe, Yellowknife, 3-8, finished ninth

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 17

Time out for Tim Hortons Brier trivia

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10. Brad Heidt, Saskatchewan 11. Harry Stevenson, Sydney.

12. John Malcolm.

1. Which of these Nova Scotia centres doesn’t fit in this list — Bridgewater, Yarmouth, Kent-

leads the way in medal finishes at the Hot Shots. That province and its leading

number of finishes?

7. The same province also shares the lead for most car winners. Name the other province with three winners.

8. Name the only double winner (Hint: He’s the only winner for his province.)

9. Name the very first winner of the Ford

Answers 6. Alberta with nine.

7. New Brunswick.

8. Steve Gould.

9. Ed Werenich, Ontario.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Name the one province with the best playoff record in the history of the Brier.

Hint: This province is the only one to boast a plus-11 wins-overlosses record in its total playoff games.

4. Not one Nova Scotia curler has finished first and won cars in the Ford Hot Shots competition which has prefaced the Brier every year since 1995. How many have finished second and/or third in the competition?

5. Name, finish, year?

6. One province

3. Alan Darragh, Dartmouth.

4. One. 5. Craig Burgess, third, 2005.

Tankard Times Editor

ville, Sydney, New Glasgow, Windsor, Truro, Amherst, Stellarton?

2. Why? 3. Name the skip and home club of the last Nova Scotia champ to compete for the Canadian title when the event was sponsored by Macdonald Tobacco.

QofD: Alberta.

1. Yarmouth 2. It has never sent a team to play in the Brier.

Larry Wood

Hotshots competition at the Brier, and his province.

10. Name the curler he defeated in the Hot Shots final, and that curler’s home province.

11. Murray Macneill of Halifax skipped the very first Brier winner in 1927. Name the skip and hometown of the second Nova Scotia champion team to play in the Brier?

12. Name the skip of the runnerup province when Macneill won that first Brier.

Page 18

Tankard Times

Facts and figures from the 81st Tim Hortons Brier Where Metro Centre, Halifax

Sweep Today’s Country Into Your House!

Proud sponsor of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier

FX1019.ca

History The Brier began in 1927 in Toronto and has been held every year with the exception of 1943-45 because of the Second World War. This will be the 81st edition of the Brier, which was last previously held at Halifax in 2003 in the Metro Centre.

Competition There will be 12 teams, one from each of the 10 provinces, Northern Ontario and the Yukon/ Northwest Territories. A round-robin preliminary format will be followed by a four-team Page playoff competition where the first-place team plays the second-place team, and the third-place team plays the fourth-place team. The winner of the 1 vs. 2 will advance directly to the championship final. A semi-final will be played between the loser of the 1 vs.

2 playoff match and the winner of the 3 vs.

4 playoff match. The winner of the semi-final meets the winner of the 1 vs. 2 playoff match in Sunday’s (March 14) final.

The Champions The winning team will win the MacDonald’s

Tankard Trophy and will represent Canada at the Capital One World men’s curling championship, from April 3 to 11, at the Olympic Ice Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Events ■ Friday, March 5: Ford Hot Shots skills preliminaries, 12:30 p.m.

■ Saturday, March 6: Opening ceremonies, 11:30 a.m.; Ford Hot Shots skills playoffs, 1 p.m.; Draw One, 3 p.m., Draw Two, 7:30 p.m.

Keith’s Patch The Keith’s Patch in the World Trade and Convention Centre will open at 12 noon on Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 14, and at 10 a.m. from Sunday, March 7 through Saturday, March 13.

Live bands appearing during the week: Aviators, Big Fish, Bittersweet, Blue Bay, Blueberry Grunt, Bob Lambert, Chevelles, Da Rock, Little Fish, Matt Minglewood Band, McGinty, Mellotones, Nuts, Persuaders, Sam Moon and The Wing, Shameless, Shawn Birt, Shaydid, Signal Hill, Sons Of Maxwell, Swell Guys, Tony Quinn.

TV Coverage

■ Sunday-Friday, March 7-12: Draws as 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

■ Friday, March 12: Draws will depend on the necessity of tiebreakers. The Page One-Two playoff match will be played at 7:30 p.m.

■ Saturday, March 13: Page Three-Four playoff match at 12 noon; Semi-final match at 7:30 p.m.

■ Sunday, March 14: Brier final match at 8 p.m.

TSN will provide comprehensive coverage of the Brier. All morning, afternoon and evening round-robin draws will be televised, followed by the Page playoffs on Friday night and Saturday, the semi-final on Saturday night and the final on Sunday night beginning at 8 p.m. AT.

The Internet All editions of the Tankard Times, plus draw-by-draw reports, results and all other Tim Hortons Brier information will be available visually at www.curling. ca or www.seasonofchampions.ca

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Page 19

2010 TIM HORTONS BRIER: TOURNAMENT DRAW

Time

Draw

Sheet A

Sheet B

Sheet C

Sheet D

Today

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

1 2

B.C. vs. Manitoba Y/NWT vs. N.B.

N.B. vs. N.S. Quebec vs. Ontario

Alberta vs. N. Ont. P.E.I. vs. Sask.

Y/NWT vs. N.L. N. Ont. vs. Manitoba

Sunday

10:30 a.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

3 4 5

Ontario vs. N. Ont. N.S. vs. Quebec N.L. vs. Alberta

Manitoba vs. P.E.I. N.L. vs. Sask.

N.Ont. vs. Y/NWT

Quebec vs Y/NWT B.C. vs. Ontario N.B. vs. Manitoba

Sask. vs. N.B. P.E.I. vs. Alberta N.S. vs. B.C.

Monday

10:30 a.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6 7 8

N. Ont. vs. Sask.

Ontario vs. N.S.

B.C. vs. Alberta Ontario vs. N.B. P.E.I. vs. N.L.

N.S. vs. N.L. Y/NWT vs. P.E.I. Quebec vs. B.C.

Manitoba vs. Quebec Alberta vs. Sask.

Tuesday

10:30 a.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

9 10 11

Y/NWT vs. Manitoba Quebec vs. P.E.I. N.B. vs. N.L.

Sask. vs. Quebec Alberta vs. N.S. N. Ont. vs. B.C.

N. Ont. vs. N.B. Ontario vs. Sask.

Manitoba vs. Alta.

Ontario vs. P.E.I. B.C. vs. N.L. N.S. vs. Y/NWT

Wednesday

10:30 a.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

12 13 14

Sask. vs. B.C. N.S. vs. N. Ont. Manitoba vs. Ontario

N.L. vs. Ontario N.B. vs. Alberta Y/NWT vs. Sask.

P.E.I. vs. N.S. B.C. vs. Y/NWT N.B. vs. Quebec

Quebec vs. Alberta N.L. vs. Manitoba P.E.I. vs. N. Ont.

Thursday

10:30 a.m.

3 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

15 16 17

Alberta vs. Y/NWT P.E.I. vs. N.B. N.L. vs. Quebec

N.S. vs Manitoba Quebec vs. N. Ont. B.C. vs. P.E.I.

N.L. vs. N. Ont. Sask. vs. Manitoba Alberta vs. Ontario

N.B. vs. B.C. Y/NWT vs. Ontario Sask. vs. N.S.

Tiebreakers Friday, March 12 One draw — 3 p.m.

Two draws — 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Three draws — 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Playoffs Friday, March 12 7:30 p.m. — Page Playoff 1-2 game

Saturday, March 13 Noon — Page Playoff 3-4 game 7:30 p.m. — Semifinal

Sunday, March 14 8 p.m. — Championship final

Page 20

Tankard Times

ROAD TO THE TIM HORTONS BRIER

Rookie carries Haligonian title hopes Larry Wood Tankard Times Editor

T

he old curling order appears to be changing in Bluenose country.

In 10 of the last dozen years, Nova Scotia’s representative at the Brier has been one of Mark Dacey, Shawn Adams and/or Paul Flemming.

Only recently, Brian Rafuse and Mark Kehoe managed to horn in on the monopoly. But Dacey was back last year, albeit a shadow of his former self, finishing with a 2-9 record.

This time around,

neither Dacey nor Adams, who had Flemming playing third, made it through one of the three provincial triple-knockout qualifying sections.

Meanwhile, 25-yearold Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc powered his way through the 16-team field without a defeat and will be the home Brier favourite at the Metro Centre, skipping veteran Stuart MacLean and rookies Kent Smith and Phil Crowell.

Runnerup to Dacey last year, Fitzner-LeBlanc won six straight for the Nova Scotia Purple Hearts.

In the A qualifying, the champs dumped fellow Halifax teams skipped by

Ian Juurlink 9-6, Brent MacDougall 8-4, Chris Sutherland 9-4 and James Murphy 8-5.

Clubmate Doug MacKenzie of Halifax Mayflower emerged from the B section, stopping Kehoe 7-2 in the final.

NOVA SCOTIA That decided the Page One-Two playoff teams and from there, Fitzner-

Precisely Put. When the margin of error is small, precision wins the game.

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LeBlanc disposed of MacKenzie 8-7, then bounced back in the championship final for a 6-3 decision after MacKenzie eliminated Murphy 6-4 in the semi-final.

Murphy and Juurlink survived the C group in preliminary play and Murphy stopped Juurlink 6-3 in the playoff opener.

Fitzner-LeBlanc stole singles in the third and fifth ends for a 3-0 lead on MacKenzie in the final.

After MacKenzie hit the board with a single in the sixth, Fitzner-LeBlanc answered with another pair and cruised home.

Adams, who lost the 1995 Brier final to Randy

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc’s crew powered its way through Nova Scotia playdowns without a defeat.

Ferbey at Edmonton, won three of six games while Dacey managed only one

win in four tries on home Mayflower freeze.

Behind Fitzner-LeBlanc’s perfect record, MacKenzie and Murphy were 6-3, Juurlink was 5-3 and Kehoe was 4-3.

Along with Adams at 3-3 were MacDougall and Sutherland.

At 2-3 were Haligonians Mark Robar and Sean Audas and Truro’s Peter Burgess.

At 1-3 with Dacey were Rafuse of Bridgewater and Ryan Garven of Halifax.

Teams of James Christianson (CFB Halifax) and Chad Stevens (Chester) were winless in three matches.