Tonight Jennifer Jones is getting a second chance due to the WCF rule that gives the loser of the 3-4 game a shot at the bronze medal.
If she misses out on this opportunity by losing to Denmark’s Angelina Jensen, then Jones will do something that has only happened four times before — leave Canada without any medal at the World Women’s Championship.
Canada’s women’s teams have been extraordinarily successful at bringing home some kind of medal from the world’s but there have been those few occasions without any success and there’s been one common denominator in those four previous failures. And that common denominator is there again this year.
The common denominator is simple — the last name Jones.
All four of those rinks that have failed to bring Canada home a medal in the past 30 Women’s World Championships have been skipped by a woman with the last name Jones, just like this year’s crew.
In 1982, in Geneva, Switzerland, Colleen Jones’s young team from Halifax found itself in a four-way tie for second at 6-3. Back then, the top four teams made the playoffs with 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3 in the semis.
Now, in games played between those four who were tied, Scotland and Sweden were 2-1 while Norway and Canada were 1-2. In other situations, Scotland and Sweden would have been given second and third and played off against each other in a semifinal while Norway and Canada would have played in a tiebreaker with the winner advancing to play first place Denmark, skipped by Marianne Jorgenson, in the other semi.
However, organizers instead put the four teams through a series of tiebreakers.
In the tiebreakers, Scotland, skipped by Isobel Torrance, defeated Canada 8-6, while Sweden, skip by Elisabeth Hogstrom topped Norway 6-4. That left Scotland and Sweden in second and third to face off in one semifinal while Norway and Canada would then play in a tiebreaker to decide who would play Denmark (where have we heard this scenario before?)
Jones lost to Norway, Trine Trulsen (with Dordi Nordby at third) 8-6 and was eliminated, leaving Canada without a medal for the first time.
From 1983 to 1998, Canada won a medal of some colour every year.
In 1999, after a 17-year drought, Colleen Jones won a second Scott Tournament of Hearts crown and headed back to the world’s, this time in St. John, New Brunswick.
This time, for the first, and only time in World Women’s history, Canada didn’t even make tiebreakers as Jones finished in fifth with a dreadful 4-5 record. What was sad was that Jones started 3-1 with just a 9-5 loss to Japan’s Akiko Katoh as her only blemish in her first four games before losing four of her final five games to finish out of the playoffs. She was actually at 3-5 and out of the playoffs when she won her last game against Denmark.
After finally winning a world title in 2001, Colleen Jones returned again in 2002, this time in Bismarck, N.D. In a three-way tie for fourth at 5-4, Jones watched Switzerland’s Manuela Kormann defeat Denmark’s Lene Bidstrup in the first tiebreaker.
The Canadians then knocked out the Swiss 6-5 in the second tiebreak only to lose to Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden in the semifinal. She then lost to Norway’s Nordby in the bronze medal game to come home empty-handed a third time.
In her last two worlds, Jones would medal — a silver to the U.S. in 2003 and a gold in 2004. But, in 2005, Canada was again represented by a Jones and would again come up empty-handed.
This was the first world championship for skip Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg. Held in Paisley, Scotland, it would definitely not be memorable for Jennifer Jones.
In this event, this first world’s to have 12 teams and a page playoff, Jones finished third at 8-3 but lost to Norway’s Dordi Nordby in the 3 vs. 4 game. In 2005, the bronze medal went to the loser of the semifinal and thus Jones did not get a second chance to win a medal, like she is getting tonight.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
50 years of fire on ice
While seniors curlers will be wrapping up soon in Summerside, P.E.I., another group of curlers will be invading the island to play for a national championship. This event will be in Charlottetown.
The trophy at stake? The hydrant.
Yes, the winners will be presented a red fire hydrant, the annual prize for winning the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship.
This will be the 50th championship and as such, it is an event with a long history.
The championship’s long list of winners includes a handful of familiar curling names.
The biggest name that jumps out is the five-time winner of the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship, representing Southern Ontario, Ed Werenich was the winning skip in 1978, ’79, ’80, ’82 and ’84.
Another major name of note was Werenich’s third in the first four of those five championships, Neil Harrison, who won the Brier with the Wrench in 1983.
After winning four crowns as the vice, Harrison took over the skipping reins and won another six titles on his own (1988,’91,’94, 2000, ‘01 and ’07) giving him one more win as a skip than the Wrench.
While Harrison owns the firefighters record for most championships at any position with 10, neither he nor Werenich holds the record for most victories at the national firefighters’ championship as a skip.
That honour goes to a curler whose name isn’t nearly as recognizable to the average curler as Werenich’s and Harrison’s but he is the hydrant king all the same.
Jim Henderson of Alberta has been the winning skip at the Canadian Firefighters’ Championship on seven different occasions — 1992, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, 2003 and 2005. On each occasion he was representing the Edmonton Fire Department. Overall, he has eight crowns (Henderson was the third for skip Larry LaFleur from the Smokey Lake Fire Department in 2004).
After Harrison’s total of 10 titles, is Henderson with eight and Southern Ontario’s Frank McCourt, who also has eight (he played lead for Werenich when he won his last two titles in 1982 and 1984 and he played with Harrison in a variety of roles for all six of his victories).
In 2008, McCourt finished third playing second for Southern Ontario skip Shane McCready.
Southern Ontario’s Jim McGrath, who was with Werenich for all five of the Wrench’s titles plus Harrison’s first two, is next with seven titles. McGrath curled for Ontario in three Briers as well — he was lead for Bob Charlebois in 1971, Joe Gurowka in 1976 and Werenich in 1981.
Besides Werenich and Harrison, there are a couple other names on the list of champions familiar to Brier fans.
Howie Brazeau represented the Northwest Territories/Yukon twice in 1976 and 1978 at the MacDonald Briers, finishing 5-6 both times. He won back-to-back firefighters’ championships in 1976 and 1977.
John McCorrister, who won the firefighters crown as the skip of Manitoba in 1964, was the second on Mac Scales Manitoba rink that was runners-up to the Richardsons in the 1960 Brier.
Doug Wyatt won three firefighters’ crowns as the skip of Saskatchewan in 1966, ’70 and ’71 and skipped the Saskatchewan reps at the Brier to a 6-4 record in 1972.
Two-time firefighters’ champ Rod Montgomery of Moose Jaw (1993 and ’99) represented Saskatchewan at the 1996 and 1998 Briers (he also was Joel Jordison’s fifth man at this year’s Brier).
Last year’s champion skip, Steve Moss of the Northwest Territories, has represented the Northwest Territories/Yukon at five Briers, including two 0-11 appearances in 2001 and 2005. Moss’s third at last year’s firefighters championship was former Canadian and World junior champion Chris Haichert, who played second for Pat Simmons at two Briers (2005 and 2006).
Among the list of this year’s competitors at 50th edition of the Canadian Firefighters’ Championship, one name jumps out at you.
Skipping the Alberta entry, from the Chestermere Fire Department is none other than John Morris.
However, since the firefighters’ championships wraps up on April 4, the same day the World Men’s Curling Championships starts in Moncton, Morris likely won’t be there at the end even if his team is in the final.
The trophy at stake? The hydrant.
Yes, the winners will be presented a red fire hydrant, the annual prize for winning the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship.
This will be the 50th championship and as such, it is an event with a long history.
The championship’s long list of winners includes a handful of familiar curling names.
The biggest name that jumps out is the five-time winner of the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship, representing Southern Ontario, Ed Werenich was the winning skip in 1978, ’79, ’80, ’82 and ’84.
Another major name of note was Werenich’s third in the first four of those five championships, Neil Harrison, who won the Brier with the Wrench in 1983.
After winning four crowns as the vice, Harrison took over the skipping reins and won another six titles on his own (1988,’91,’94, 2000, ‘01 and ’07) giving him one more win as a skip than the Wrench.
While Harrison owns the firefighters record for most championships at any position with 10, neither he nor Werenich holds the record for most victories at the national firefighters’ championship as a skip.
That honour goes to a curler whose name isn’t nearly as recognizable to the average curler as Werenich’s and Harrison’s but he is the hydrant king all the same.
Jim Henderson of Alberta has been the winning skip at the Canadian Firefighters’ Championship on seven different occasions — 1992, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, 2003 and 2005. On each occasion he was representing the Edmonton Fire Department. Overall, he has eight crowns (Henderson was the third for skip Larry LaFleur from the Smokey Lake Fire Department in 2004).
After Harrison’s total of 10 titles, is Henderson with eight and Southern Ontario’s Frank McCourt, who also has eight (he played lead for Werenich when he won his last two titles in 1982 and 1984 and he played with Harrison in a variety of roles for all six of his victories).
In 2008, McCourt finished third playing second for Southern Ontario skip Shane McCready.
Southern Ontario’s Jim McGrath, who was with Werenich for all five of the Wrench’s titles plus Harrison’s first two, is next with seven titles. McGrath curled for Ontario in three Briers as well — he was lead for Bob Charlebois in 1971, Joe Gurowka in 1976 and Werenich in 1981.
Besides Werenich and Harrison, there are a couple other names on the list of champions familiar to Brier fans.
Howie Brazeau represented the Northwest Territories/Yukon twice in 1976 and 1978 at the MacDonald Briers, finishing 5-6 both times. He won back-to-back firefighters’ championships in 1976 and 1977.
John McCorrister, who won the firefighters crown as the skip of Manitoba in 1964, was the second on Mac Scales Manitoba rink that was runners-up to the Richardsons in the 1960 Brier.
Doug Wyatt won three firefighters’ crowns as the skip of Saskatchewan in 1966, ’70 and ’71 and skipped the Saskatchewan reps at the Brier to a 6-4 record in 1972.
Two-time firefighters’ champ Rod Montgomery of Moose Jaw (1993 and ’99) represented Saskatchewan at the 1996 and 1998 Briers (he also was Joel Jordison’s fifth man at this year’s Brier).
Last year’s champion skip, Steve Moss of the Northwest Territories, has represented the Northwest Territories/Yukon at five Briers, including two 0-11 appearances in 2001 and 2005. Moss’s third at last year’s firefighters championship was former Canadian and World junior champion Chris Haichert, who played second for Pat Simmons at two Briers (2005 and 2006).
Among the list of this year’s competitors at 50th edition of the Canadian Firefighters’ Championship, one name jumps out at you.
Skipping the Alberta entry, from the Chestermere Fire Department is none other than John Morris.
However, since the firefighters’ championships wraps up on April 4, the same day the World Men’s Curling Championships starts in Moncton, Morris likely won’t be there at the end even if his team is in the final.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Schopp-ing around
Just two more World Women’s Championship appearance after this year and the grand old lady of German curling, Andrea Schopp will be tied atop the leaderboard for appearances at the World Women’s Curling Championship.
First appearing at the worlds in 1985 in Jonkoping, Sweden, where she finished fifth after losing a tiebreaker to Scotland’s Isobel Torrance (Canada’s Linda Moore won the crown), Schopp has made 15 subsequent appearances bringing her total to 16. The person on top of the list? Why, none other than Dordi Nordby with 18.
Schopp has one world title on her resume — the 1988 crown when she defeated Thunder Bay’s Heather Houston in the final.
Since then she’s won a bronze medal (1989) and that’s it for hardware. Most of her subsequent world appearances have ended with finishes in the middle of the table.
This year, will probably be no different , as she sits 4-5 at the end of the fifth day in South Korea.
Interestingly, in all of those 16 appearances, Schopp has always skipped the German entry.
The skip from Garmisch-Partenkirchen also has three Olympic appearances on her resume — a fourth (1988) and a gold (1992) when curling was a demonstration sport and an eighth place finish in 1998.
First appearing at the worlds in 1985 in Jonkoping, Sweden, where she finished fifth after losing a tiebreaker to Scotland’s Isobel Torrance (Canada’s Linda Moore won the crown), Schopp has made 15 subsequent appearances bringing her total to 16. The person on top of the list? Why, none other than Dordi Nordby with 18.
Schopp has one world title on her resume — the 1988 crown when she defeated Thunder Bay’s Heather Houston in the final.
Since then she’s won a bronze medal (1989) and that’s it for hardware. Most of her subsequent world appearances have ended with finishes in the middle of the table.
This year, will probably be no different , as she sits 4-5 at the end of the fifth day in South Korea.
Interestingly, in all of those 16 appearances, Schopp has always skipped the German entry.
The skip from Garmisch-Partenkirchen also has three Olympic appearances on her resume — a fourth (1988) and a gold (1992) when curling was a demonstration sport and an eighth place finish in 1998.
The rise of the dragon
As China sits in first place at the conclusion of the penultimate day of round robin play at the 2009 World Women’s Curling Championship, it is stunning to witness China’s quick climb up the world ladder, considering the fact the country’s first participated in a Pacific Curling Championship in 2002.
China’s first foray into international women’s curling was in November 2002 in Queenstown, N.Z., for the Pacific Curling Championships. In that spiel, China, skipped by Qingshuang Yue looked like it was brand, new to curling with a record of 0-8 in the five-team, double round robin.
The scores weren’t terrible for China, losing by two points to Australia and one point to Japan, but it also lost 12-6 and 10-6 in its two games versus the host Kiwis, and 14-3 in its first game versus Australia.
The next year, the Chinese won two games, both against Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and finished fith of six teams, with skip Kelu Song.
The next year, 2004, marked the arrival of Bingyu Wang and the rise of the curling dragon.
Wang skipped a rink that included former skip Yue at second, Wang’s rink lost a close final 9-8 at the Pacific Championships that november in Chuncheon, South Korea.
This gave China its first berth at the worlds and started Wang on her steady climb to the top.
Starting with a respectable 4-7 and seventh place out of 12 teams in Paisley, Scotland that year, Wang and crew followed with records of: 6-5 (fifth) in 2006 and 5-6 (seventh) in 2007 before last year’s stunning breakthrough of a 10-3 record and a silver medal.
At the Pacific Championships, Wang has led China to two silvers (2004, ’05) and three golds (2006-08).
With this kind of speedy progress, one would think it would just be a matter of time before China won a world crown and that could happen as soon as Sunday.
China’s first foray into international women’s curling was in November 2002 in Queenstown, N.Z., for the Pacific Curling Championships. In that spiel, China, skipped by Qingshuang Yue looked like it was brand, new to curling with a record of 0-8 in the five-team, double round robin.
The scores weren’t terrible for China, losing by two points to Australia and one point to Japan, but it also lost 12-6 and 10-6 in its two games versus the host Kiwis, and 14-3 in its first game versus Australia.
The next year, the Chinese won two games, both against Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and finished fith of six teams, with skip Kelu Song.
The next year, 2004, marked the arrival of Bingyu Wang and the rise of the curling dragon.
Wang skipped a rink that included former skip Yue at second, Wang’s rink lost a close final 9-8 at the Pacific Championships that november in Chuncheon, South Korea.
This gave China its first berth at the worlds and started Wang on her steady climb to the top.
Starting with a respectable 4-7 and seventh place out of 12 teams in Paisley, Scotland that year, Wang and crew followed with records of: 6-5 (fifth) in 2006 and 5-6 (seventh) in 2007 before last year’s stunning breakthrough of a 10-3 record and a silver medal.
At the Pacific Championships, Wang has led China to two silvers (2004, ’05) and three golds (2006-08).
With this kind of speedy progress, one would think it would just be a matter of time before China won a world crown and that could happen as soon as Sunday.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The nomadic, curling cop
Since the 2009 Canadian Police Curling Championships is underway in St. John's, N.L., I feel it’s important to shine a spotlight on those championships and specifically the one curler who has been the most dominant at those championships over a span of 25 years.
Garth Mitchell has skipped the national polic curling champion on five different occasions. The amazing thing is that Mitchell has done this while curling out of three different provinces.
Mitchell won his first crown in 1984 while representing Nova Scotia at the police championships held in Winnipeg.
There would be a 15-year drought for Mitchell until he won his second crown, this time for P.E.I. at the police championships held in Regina in 1999.
The 2000s would bring Mitchell three more crowns — all of them while curling out of a third province, Ontario.
Starting in 2004, Mitchell skipped a rink of Don Shane, Jeff Corey and Troy Izlakar to three crowns in four years winning in Hamilton in 2004, Calgary in 2006 and Moncton in 2007. In actuality, Mitchell’s fifth crown, in 2007, was actually won while carrying a fourth banner, as his team was Team Canada, as the defending champions, and not Team Ontario.
As Team Canada in 2005, Mitchell’s rink finished second in the round robin, lost the 1-2 page playoff game to Ontario, defeated Alberta in the semifinal before losing the final to Ontario 7-4.
In 2008, as Team Canada, Mitchell repeated the pattern from 2005, except it defeated B.C. in the semifinal and lost to Alberta in the 1-2 playoff and the final. The score in the final was 8-7.
Mitchell and his rink are back this year as Ontario, looking for a fourth crown as a rink and a sixth for Mitchell.
Interesting side note: two members of Mitchell’s championship teams would win another without him before he started the winning streak in Ontario. Paul Saulnier, Mitchell’s third from the P.E.I. championship squad, skipped P.E.I. to national crown in 2002, while Jim Delaney, the lead for Mitchell from the 1984 Nova Scotia rink, was Saulnier’s vice-skip with the P.E.I. rink.
As for Mitchell, no skip has won more police curling championships in the event's 50+ year history.
Garth Mitchell has skipped the national polic curling champion on five different occasions. The amazing thing is that Mitchell has done this while curling out of three different provinces.
Mitchell won his first crown in 1984 while representing Nova Scotia at the police championships held in Winnipeg.
There would be a 15-year drought for Mitchell until he won his second crown, this time for P.E.I. at the police championships held in Regina in 1999.
The 2000s would bring Mitchell three more crowns — all of them while curling out of a third province, Ontario.
Starting in 2004, Mitchell skipped a rink of Don Shane, Jeff Corey and Troy Izlakar to three crowns in four years winning in Hamilton in 2004, Calgary in 2006 and Moncton in 2007. In actuality, Mitchell’s fifth crown, in 2007, was actually won while carrying a fourth banner, as his team was Team Canada, as the defending champions, and not Team Ontario.
As Team Canada in 2005, Mitchell’s rink finished second in the round robin, lost the 1-2 page playoff game to Ontario, defeated Alberta in the semifinal before losing the final to Ontario 7-4.
In 2008, as Team Canada, Mitchell repeated the pattern from 2005, except it defeated B.C. in the semifinal and lost to Alberta in the 1-2 playoff and the final. The score in the final was 8-7.
Mitchell and his rink are back this year as Ontario, looking for a fourth crown as a rink and a sixth for Mitchell.
Interesting side note: two members of Mitchell’s championship teams would win another without him before he started the winning streak in Ontario. Paul Saulnier, Mitchell’s third from the P.E.I. championship squad, skipped P.E.I. to national crown in 2002, while Jim Delaney, the lead for Mitchell from the 1984 Nova Scotia rink, was Saulnier’s vice-skip with the P.E.I. rink.
As for Mitchell, no skip has won more police curling championships in the event's 50+ year history.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Canada Cup history
Sorry about the absence folks, but your Curling Historian is back.
I’ve got some Brier-related wrap-up tidbits still to come but with us knee-deep in the Canada Cup, it’s worth taking a look at the history of that event as it relates to what’s going on in Yorkton.
Now off until Sunday’s final, Calgary’s Shannon Kleibrink is on the verge of doing something no women’s rink has ever done before — win the Canada Cup twice.
Since the event’s birth in 2003, six different skips have won the crown in six years.
The winners have been:
2003 — Sherry Middaugh, Ontario;
2004 — Colleen Jones, Nova Scotia;
2005 — Shannon Kleibrink, Alberta;
2006 — Cathy King, Alberta;
2007 — Jennifer, Jones, Manitoba;
2008 — Stefanie Lawton, Saskatchewan.
The only two skips left who can keep this tradition of parity alive are Marie-France Larouche and Cheryl Bernard, who meet tonight in the semifinal.
What’s interesting is the runner-up of the women’s Canada Cup has been different every time and that will continue this year since none of the three remaining skips have been Canada Cup runner-up.
The runners-up have been:
2003 — Kelley Law, B.C.;
2004 — Sherry Anderson, Sask.;
2005 — Jan Betker, Sask.;
2006 — Jennifer Jones, Man.;
2007 — Cathy King, Alberta;
2008 — Kelly Scott, B.C.
While parity has been the definition of the women’s side of the Canada Cup, Albertan dominance has been the order of the day on the men’s side.
No team from outside Alberta has won the cup and only once has a team skipped by somebody with a name other than Martin or Ferbey won the Canada Cup.
The winners have been:
2003 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2004 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2005 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2006 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2007 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2008 — Kevin Koe, Alberta.
Interestingly, besides Ferbey’s four, Carter Rycroft has also won the crown three times, with Martin in ’05 and ’06 and Koe last year.
It looks like there’s a very good chance this domination by Martin/Ferbey will continue this year. Ferbey is in Sunday’s final and Martin plays Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton in tonight’s semifinal.
As for the runners-up, the team’s have either been from Ontario or Alberta.
The runners-up have been:
2003 — John Morris, Ontario;
2004 — John Morris/Kevin Koe, Alberta;
2005 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2006 — Glenn Howard, Ontario;
2007 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2008 — Kevin Martin, Alberta.
Unless Stoughton gets the win tonight, this will also hold to form.
Interesting side note, one man has lost the Canada Cup final four times without winning once.
That man is John Morris in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008.
If Martin wins tonight and loses to Ferbey in Sunday’s final, Johnny Mo can make it five for five in final losses.
I’ve got some Brier-related wrap-up tidbits still to come but with us knee-deep in the Canada Cup, it’s worth taking a look at the history of that event as it relates to what’s going on in Yorkton.
Now off until Sunday’s final, Calgary’s Shannon Kleibrink is on the verge of doing something no women’s rink has ever done before — win the Canada Cup twice.
Since the event’s birth in 2003, six different skips have won the crown in six years.
The winners have been:
2003 — Sherry Middaugh, Ontario;
2004 — Colleen Jones, Nova Scotia;
2005 — Shannon Kleibrink, Alberta;
2006 — Cathy King, Alberta;
2007 — Jennifer, Jones, Manitoba;
2008 — Stefanie Lawton, Saskatchewan.
The only two skips left who can keep this tradition of parity alive are Marie-France Larouche and Cheryl Bernard, who meet tonight in the semifinal.
What’s interesting is the runner-up of the women’s Canada Cup has been different every time and that will continue this year since none of the three remaining skips have been Canada Cup runner-up.
The runners-up have been:
2003 — Kelley Law, B.C.;
2004 — Sherry Anderson, Sask.;
2005 — Jan Betker, Sask.;
2006 — Jennifer Jones, Man.;
2007 — Cathy King, Alberta;
2008 — Kelly Scott, B.C.
While parity has been the definition of the women’s side of the Canada Cup, Albertan dominance has been the order of the day on the men’s side.
No team from outside Alberta has won the cup and only once has a team skipped by somebody with a name other than Martin or Ferbey won the Canada Cup.
The winners have been:
2003 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2004 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2005 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2006 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2007 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2008 — Kevin Koe, Alberta.
Interestingly, besides Ferbey’s four, Carter Rycroft has also won the crown three times, with Martin in ’05 and ’06 and Koe last year.
It looks like there’s a very good chance this domination by Martin/Ferbey will continue this year. Ferbey is in Sunday’s final and Martin plays Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton in tonight’s semifinal.
As for the runners-up, the team’s have either been from Ontario or Alberta.
The runners-up have been:
2003 — John Morris, Ontario;
2004 — John Morris/Kevin Koe, Alberta;
2005 — Randy Ferbey, Alberta;
2006 — Glenn Howard, Ontario;
2007 — Kevin Martin, Alberta;
2008 — Kevin Martin, Alberta.
Unless Stoughton gets the win tonight, this will also hold to form.
Interesting side note, one man has lost the Canada Cup final four times without winning once.
That man is John Morris in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008.
If Martin wins tonight and loses to Ferbey in Sunday’s final, Johnny Mo can make it five for five in final losses.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
When they were just pups
Time to take a trip back in time 13 years to the other big city in Alberta — Edmonton.
In 1996, 13 teams gathered in the Alberta to vie for the Maple Leaf junior men’s curling championship.
The reason this championship is notable, is due to the fact that five of the 13 skips at that championship were in Edmonton for the junior championships.
In that event, Ryan Fry skipped Manitoba, Brad Gushue skipped Newfoundland, Jamie Koe skipped N.W.T., Jean-Michel Menard skipped Quebec and Joel Jordison skipped Saskatchewan. This week, all but Fry were at the Brier skipping their respective provinces. Fry was at the Brier playing second/vice for Gushue’s Newfoundland rink.
Of the five teams, Fry was tops at 9-3 and the only one to make the playoffs. Koe was tied for fourth at 7-5, and Gushue, Jordison and Menard tied each other for ninth at 5-7.
Fry was crushed in the final by Northern Ontario’s Jeff Currie 8-3.
In 1996, 13 teams gathered in the Alberta to vie for the Maple Leaf junior men’s curling championship.
The reason this championship is notable, is due to the fact that five of the 13 skips at that championship were in Edmonton for the junior championships.
In that event, Ryan Fry skipped Manitoba, Brad Gushue skipped Newfoundland, Jamie Koe skipped N.W.T., Jean-Michel Menard skipped Quebec and Joel Jordison skipped Saskatchewan. This week, all but Fry were at the Brier skipping their respective provinces. Fry was at the Brier playing second/vice for Gushue’s Newfoundland rink.
Of the five teams, Fry was tops at 9-3 and the only one to make the playoffs. Koe was tied for fourth at 7-5, and Gushue, Jordison and Menard tied each other for ninth at 5-7.
Fry was crushed in the final by Northern Ontario’s Jeff Currie 8-3.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Quebec-Manitoba preview into the past
Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard and Jeff Stoughton of Manitoba are about to battle in a tie-breaker at the Brier and it’s time to look at some interesting factoids about the playoffs and the two provinces.
Since the advent of the playoffs in 1980, the two provinces have only been in a handful of tie-breakers (not including regular playoff games).
Manitoba has played in four tie-breakers. In 1982, Mel Logan defeated New Brunswick’s Charlie Sullivan Sr. before losing to Al Hackner and Northern Ontario in the semifinal. In 2000, Stoughton defeated Ontario’s Peter Corner.
Vic Peters played in the other two and they happened in the same year. In 1993, after a four-way tie for top spot (back when there were only three playoff berths), the CCA put together what was essentially the forerunner to the page playoffs to determine who the three would be.
Peters, who was upset because he felt his wins against the other three teams in the round robin should ensure him a spot in the final, lost its first game to Ontario’s Russ Howard. He then played Northern Ontario’s Rick Lang in the battle of the first round losers (B.C.’s Rick Folk defeated Lang), with the winner being eliminated. Peters lost that game and he was out.
As for Quebec, it has played in two tiebreakers, both in the same year. In 1985, Quebec’s Don Aitken defeated Al Delmage of the N.W.T./Yukon before losing to Saskatchewan’s Eugene Hritzuk in the second tie-breaker.
As for head-to-head in the playoffs, Manitoba and Quebec have only met five times in the playoffs and they all happened in a four-year span.
It started with the semifinal in 1998, when Guy Hemmings of Quebec beat Dale Duguid of Manitoba. The following year, Hemmings lost twice, in the 1-2 and again in the final, to Stoughton. In 2000, Stoughton lost to Quebec’s Francois Roberge in the 3-4 game. And finally, in 2001, Manitoba’s Kerry Burtnyk defeated Hemmings in the 3-4 game.
As for personal records in the playoffs, in six previous Briers, Stoughton has made the playoffs four times and played two games in each one.
In 1996, he defeated Kevin Martin twice, in the 1-2 and the final. In 1999, it was the two wins over Hemmings.
In 2000, he won the tie-breaker before losing to Roberge. In 2007, It was a 6-3 win over Martin in the 3-4 game before losing to Ontario’s Glenn Howard 8-4 in the semifinal.
Menard has made the playoffs twice. In 2005, he lost to Nova Scotia’s Shawn Adams in the 3-4 game. In 2006, he lost to Glenn Howard in the 1-2 game, defeated Nova Scotia’s Mark Dacey 7-6 in the final and defeated Howard in the final 8-7.
Since the advent of the playoffs in 1980, the two provinces have only been in a handful of tie-breakers (not including regular playoff games).
Manitoba has played in four tie-breakers. In 1982, Mel Logan defeated New Brunswick’s Charlie Sullivan Sr. before losing to Al Hackner and Northern Ontario in the semifinal. In 2000, Stoughton defeated Ontario’s Peter Corner.
Vic Peters played in the other two and they happened in the same year. In 1993, after a four-way tie for top spot (back when there were only three playoff berths), the CCA put together what was essentially the forerunner to the page playoffs to determine who the three would be.
Peters, who was upset because he felt his wins against the other three teams in the round robin should ensure him a spot in the final, lost its first game to Ontario’s Russ Howard. He then played Northern Ontario’s Rick Lang in the battle of the first round losers (B.C.’s Rick Folk defeated Lang), with the winner being eliminated. Peters lost that game and he was out.
As for Quebec, it has played in two tiebreakers, both in the same year. In 1985, Quebec’s Don Aitken defeated Al Delmage of the N.W.T./Yukon before losing to Saskatchewan’s Eugene Hritzuk in the second tie-breaker.
As for head-to-head in the playoffs, Manitoba and Quebec have only met five times in the playoffs and they all happened in a four-year span.
It started with the semifinal in 1998, when Guy Hemmings of Quebec beat Dale Duguid of Manitoba. The following year, Hemmings lost twice, in the 1-2 and again in the final, to Stoughton. In 2000, Stoughton lost to Quebec’s Francois Roberge in the 3-4 game. And finally, in 2001, Manitoba’s Kerry Burtnyk defeated Hemmings in the 3-4 game.
As for personal records in the playoffs, in six previous Briers, Stoughton has made the playoffs four times and played two games in each one.
In 1996, he defeated Kevin Martin twice, in the 1-2 and the final. In 1999, it was the two wins over Hemmings.
In 2000, he won the tie-breaker before losing to Roberge. In 2007, It was a 6-3 win over Martin in the 3-4 game before losing to Ontario’s Glenn Howard 8-4 in the semifinal.
Menard has made the playoffs twice. In 2005, he lost to Nova Scotia’s Shawn Adams in the 3-4 game. In 2006, he lost to Glenn Howard in the 1-2 game, defeated Nova Scotia’s Mark Dacey 7-6 in the final and defeated Howard in the final 8-7.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Club hopping
Club hopping
In the history of the Brier, there have been six skips who have won multiple championships and represented different curling clubs at different times in winning those titles.
Of those, seven skips, two have won separate titles for three different curling clubs and, surprise, surprise, they’ve come from the city of champions — Edmonton.
Randy Ferbey was the first one to do it, winning for the Ottewell in 2001 and 2002, the Avonair in 2003 and the Granite in 2005.
Next up was Kevin Martin who has won each of his three Briers while representing a diffferent curling club — the Avonair in 1991, the Ottewell in 1997 and the Saville Sports Centre in 2008.
The other multi-club winners as skips have been:
Rick Folk, Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon in 1980 and Kelowna Curling Club in 1994;
Ed Lukowich, Medicine Hat Curling Club in 1978 and Calgary Winter Club in 1986;
Hec Gervais, Alberta Avenue CC in 1961 and the St. Albert CC in 1974;
Ernie Richardson, Regina Civil Service Curling Club in 1959 and 1960 and the Regina Curling Club in 1962 and 1963;
Ab Gowanlock, Glenboro, Man. CC in 1938 and Dauphin CC in 1953.
The five-winningest all-time curling clubs are:
The (late) Strathcona CC of Winnipeg — 7 (last one in 1949 by Ken Watson);
The Winnipeg Granite CC — 7 (last one in 1992 by Vic Peters);
The Ottewell CC, Edmonton — 5 (last one by Randy Ferbey, in 2001);
The Edmonton Granite CC — 4 (last one by Randy Ferbey in 2005);
The Calgary CC — 4 (last one by Ron Northcott in 1969).
In the history of the Brier, there have been six skips who have won multiple championships and represented different curling clubs at different times in winning those titles.
Of those, seven skips, two have won separate titles for three different curling clubs and, surprise, surprise, they’ve come from the city of champions — Edmonton.
Randy Ferbey was the first one to do it, winning for the Ottewell in 2001 and 2002, the Avonair in 2003 and the Granite in 2005.
Next up was Kevin Martin who has won each of his three Briers while representing a diffferent curling club — the Avonair in 1991, the Ottewell in 1997 and the Saville Sports Centre in 2008.
The other multi-club winners as skips have been:
Rick Folk, Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon in 1980 and Kelowna Curling Club in 1994;
Ed Lukowich, Medicine Hat Curling Club in 1978 and Calgary Winter Club in 1986;
Hec Gervais, Alberta Avenue CC in 1961 and the St. Albert CC in 1974;
Ernie Richardson, Regina Civil Service Curling Club in 1959 and 1960 and the Regina Curling Club in 1962 and 1963;
Ab Gowanlock, Glenboro, Man. CC in 1938 and Dauphin CC in 1953.
The five-winningest all-time curling clubs are:
The (late) Strathcona CC of Winnipeg — 7 (last one in 1949 by Ken Watson);
The Winnipeg Granite CC — 7 (last one in 1992 by Vic Peters);
The Ottewell CC, Edmonton — 5 (last one by Randy Ferbey, in 2001);
The Edmonton Granite CC — 4 (last one by Randy Ferbey in 2005);
The Calgary CC — 4 (last one by Ron Northcott in 1969).
Battle of blood
As the brothers Howard face off this morning, we delve into the Brier’s rich past to look at the last time two brothers squared off at a Brier.
No, the Howards are not the first set of brothers to square off.
The last time this happened was in 1995 at the Brier in Halifax.
In Draw 11 of that Brier, the top two teams in the standings at that point — defending champions from British Columbia at 5-1 and the unbeaten team from Manitoba at 6-0 — faced off.
The teams were skipped by two former champions — Kerry Burtnyk from Manitoba and Rick Folk from B.C.
But it was at the third where the family battle could be found.
Pat Ryan, a Brier-winning skip in his own right, was playing third for Folk and Jeff was playing third for Burtnyk.
In that game, B.C. scored a deuce in 10 to force an extra where Manitoba got its single to continue undefeated.
Head-to-head, Pat outclassed his brother curling 84 per cent to Jeff 75 per cent
B.C. spiralled out of control from there, dropping to 5-2 and finishing 6-5 and out of the playoffs. Manitoba won the Brier, making Jeff and Pat the first brothers to win the Brier for three different provinces.
According to The Curling News, there have been two other affaires des freres: in 1942 brothers Gord (Ontario) and Donnie (B.C.) Campbell faced off during the round robin. Both teams finished runners-up to Ken Watson’s Manitoba rink with identical 7-2 records.
The other match up was in 1970 when Hap (skip for New Brunswick) and Roger (Newfoundland lead) Mabey met in the round robin.
No, the Howards are not the first set of brothers to square off.
The last time this happened was in 1995 at the Brier in Halifax.
In Draw 11 of that Brier, the top two teams in the standings at that point — defending champions from British Columbia at 5-1 and the unbeaten team from Manitoba at 6-0 — faced off.
The teams were skipped by two former champions — Kerry Burtnyk from Manitoba and Rick Folk from B.C.
But it was at the third where the family battle could be found.
Pat Ryan, a Brier-winning skip in his own right, was playing third for Folk and Jeff was playing third for Burtnyk.
In that game, B.C. scored a deuce in 10 to force an extra where Manitoba got its single to continue undefeated.
Head-to-head, Pat outclassed his brother curling 84 per cent to Jeff 75 per cent
B.C. spiralled out of control from there, dropping to 5-2 and finishing 6-5 and out of the playoffs. Manitoba won the Brier, making Jeff and Pat the first brothers to win the Brier for three different provinces.
According to The Curling News, there have been two other affaires des freres: in 1942 brothers Gord (Ontario) and Donnie (B.C.) Campbell faced off during the round robin. Both teams finished runners-up to Ken Watson’s Manitoba rink with identical 7-2 records.
The other match up was in 1970 when Hap (skip for New Brunswick) and Roger (Newfoundland lead) Mabey met in the round robin.
Monday, March 9, 2009
A legend 31 years in the making
It was delightful this morning, as I caught part of the sixth draw, to hear the wonderful P.E.I. lilt from the mouth of veteran Rod MacDonald, the skip of Prince Edward Island.
Interesting note about Rod, he started his Brier career before any other curler (not counting fifths) in this year’s event, even before Russ Howard. Howard’s first Brier was in Calgary in 1980.
For MacDonald, the debut came two years earlier in Vancouver. While a young fourth from Alberta by the name of Ed Lukowich was the focus of that Brier, a young team from P.E.I. was running up a solid 5-6 record (the Island’s best record in five years) with 20-year-old third Rod MacDonald playing for Peter MacDonald.
Since then, Rod has made five more appearances as a player, including this year, and two others as a fifth.
In 1981 and 1996 he played as a lead for Peter again — making the playoffs in 1996, eliminating Ed Werenich in a tiebreaker before losing to Don Westphal of Quebec in the 3-4 game.
Since then he’s been a fifth twice, in 2004 for Mike Gaudet and 2007 for Peter Gallant, and a skip twice in 2005 (4-7) and 2006 (3-8).
Including the fifths, there’s one player whose Brier experience stretches further back than Rod’s and that is the aforementioned Peter MacDonald, playing fifth for Rod. His first Brier was in 1976 as a second for Ken MacDonald of P.E.I.
Interesting note about Rod, he started his Brier career before any other curler (not counting fifths) in this year’s event, even before Russ Howard. Howard’s first Brier was in Calgary in 1980.
For MacDonald, the debut came two years earlier in Vancouver. While a young fourth from Alberta by the name of Ed Lukowich was the focus of that Brier, a young team from P.E.I. was running up a solid 5-6 record (the Island’s best record in five years) with 20-year-old third Rod MacDonald playing for Peter MacDonald.
Since then, Rod has made five more appearances as a player, including this year, and two others as a fifth.
In 1981 and 1996 he played as a lead for Peter again — making the playoffs in 1996, eliminating Ed Werenich in a tiebreaker before losing to Don Westphal of Quebec in the 3-4 game.
Since then he’s been a fifth twice, in 2004 for Mike Gaudet and 2007 for Peter Gallant, and a skip twice in 2005 (4-7) and 2006 (3-8).
Including the fifths, there’s one player whose Brier experience stretches further back than Rod’s and that is the aforementioned Peter MacDonald, playing fifth for Rod. His first Brier was in 1976 as a second for Ken MacDonald of P.E.I.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tough road to climb
For teams wishing to unseat the Howard/Martin combo, it will not be easy considering the fact everybody else has at least one loss and they are at 3-0.
Here's the really bad news for the other 10 teams, no matter where you finish, if you're not in the 1-2 playoff game on Friday you're pretty much SOL. On top of that, it's best to be in first place.
Since the page playoff system was instituted in 1995, no team at the Brier has ever come from the 3-4 game to win the Brier.
Sure it's been done at the Scotties (it's becoming Jennifer Jones's M.O.) but it just doesn't happen at the Brier.
In those 14 Briers, the first place team has been the winner of the Brier all but three times. The other three — Jeff Stoughton in 1996, Kevin Martin in 1997 and J.M. Menard in 2006 — were all second place and the first two had won the 1-2 playoff game.
As an added bonus, the winner of the 3 vs 4 game has won the semifinal only four times —
2001, fourth place Manitoba (Burtnyk) won the semi over second place Ontario (Middaugh) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2003, third place Nova Scotia (Dacey) won the semi over second place B.C. (Ryan) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2005, third place Nova Scotia (Adams) won the semi over second place Manitoba (Dutiaume) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2008, third place Ontario (Howard) won the semi over second place Saskatchewan (Simmons) but lost to first place Alberta (Martin) in the final.
So if anybody wants a chance they have to muscle past either of the top two before we get to the playoffs.
Here's the really bad news for the other 10 teams, no matter where you finish, if you're not in the 1-2 playoff game on Friday you're pretty much SOL. On top of that, it's best to be in first place.
Since the page playoff system was instituted in 1995, no team at the Brier has ever come from the 3-4 game to win the Brier.
Sure it's been done at the Scotties (it's becoming Jennifer Jones's M.O.) but it just doesn't happen at the Brier.
In those 14 Briers, the first place team has been the winner of the Brier all but three times. The other three — Jeff Stoughton in 1996, Kevin Martin in 1997 and J.M. Menard in 2006 — were all second place and the first two had won the 1-2 playoff game.
As an added bonus, the winner of the 3 vs 4 game has won the semifinal only four times —
2001, fourth place Manitoba (Burtnyk) won the semi over second place Ontario (Middaugh) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2003, third place Nova Scotia (Dacey) won the semi over second place B.C. (Ryan) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2005, third place Nova Scotia (Adams) won the semi over second place Manitoba (Dutiaume) but lost to first place Alberta (Ferbey) in the final;
2008, third place Ontario (Howard) won the semi over second place Saskatchewan (Simmons) but lost to first place Alberta (Martin) in the final.
So if anybody wants a chance they have to muscle past either of the top two before we get to the playoffs.
11 years later
As we roll into Day 2 at the 2009 Brier, it's interesting to look at something I've gone into earlier in this blog, junior champions having success at the adult level.
Specifically, there is one world junior championship squad that has its fingerprints all over this Brier and the
past couple Briers as well.
What's interesting is that four members of that championship squad is at this Brier, as well as the 2008 Brier, but on three different rinks.
The skip from that rink is on Kevin Martin's Alberta rink — specifically, John Morris. The third and lead from that rink (not second and lead as erroneously identified this morning by TSN's Cathy Gauthier) were Craig Savill (this year's Ford Hot Shot) and Brent Laing, the lead and second respectively on Glenn Howard's Ontario rink.
And the guy everybody forgets about was the fifth on that championship team (dramatic pause), a very young looking Brad Gushue, who, of course, is the skip of Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, Brad never lived in Ontario, where the Morris rink was from, but as the young skip at the 1998 Canadian Karcher Juniors, whose team finished 4-8 although he was ranked fourth among skips, he was chosen by the Ontario crew to join them in Thunder Bay at the worlds.
One interesting side note that is to get to that world championship, Morris and co. had to win a tie-breaker over New Brunswick's Rob Heffernan, a semifinal over Manitoba's Mike McEwen and then a final over Carter Rycroft of Alberta. The interesting part is that the second on the team that lost to Morris is the same man playing second with him now, Marc Kennedy.
Besides Kennedy, Morris, Gushue, Savill and Laing, there are a couple of other competitors from that Canadian junior championship held in Calgary (coincidence, I think so) in 1998.
Jamie Koe, the skip for the Northwest Territories in 1998 is back to Calgary as the NWT/Yukon skip and Andrew Gibson, the lead for Nova Scotia in 1998 is the second for Mark Dacey's Nova Scotia rink this week.
Specifically, there is one world junior championship squad that has its fingerprints all over this Brier and the
past couple Briers as well.
What's interesting is that four members of that championship squad is at this Brier, as well as the 2008 Brier, but on three different rinks.
The skip from that rink is on Kevin Martin's Alberta rink — specifically, John Morris. The third and lead from that rink (not second and lead as erroneously identified this morning by TSN's Cathy Gauthier) were Craig Savill (this year's Ford Hot Shot) and Brent Laing, the lead and second respectively on Glenn Howard's Ontario rink.
And the guy everybody forgets about was the fifth on that championship team (dramatic pause), a very young looking Brad Gushue, who, of course, is the skip of Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, Brad never lived in Ontario, where the Morris rink was from, but as the young skip at the 1998 Canadian Karcher Juniors, whose team finished 4-8 although he was ranked fourth among skips, he was chosen by the Ontario crew to join them in Thunder Bay at the worlds.
One interesting side note that is to get to that world championship, Morris and co. had to win a tie-breaker over New Brunswick's Rob Heffernan, a semifinal over Manitoba's Mike McEwen and then a final over Carter Rycroft of Alberta. The interesting part is that the second on the team that lost to Morris is the same man playing second with him now, Marc Kennedy.
Besides Kennedy, Morris, Gushue, Savill and Laing, there are a couple of other competitors from that Canadian junior championship held in Calgary (coincidence, I think so) in 1998.
Jamie Koe, the skip for the Northwest Territories in 1998 is back to Calgary as the NWT/Yukon skip and Andrew Gibson, the lead for Nova Scotia in 1998 is the second for Mark Dacey's Nova Scotia rink this week.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Looking to end a Rock-y drought
The second draw wraps up with the boys from the Rock (and one Buffalo boy) off to a what looked like a good start only to gas it in the 10th by giving up 3.
For the Newfoundlanders, while this is a tough start, it's against a great team and so they are far from done. But even then, it will not be easily for Newfoundland to not just win, but overcome a serious drought.
Of the nine provinces/regions that have won a Brier before, none has gone longer since winning the Tankard than Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thirty-three years is a long time and that's how long it has been.
Jack MacDuff shocking victory in Regina in 1976 is the stuff of Brier legend and we'll get into it at a later date.
But since then it hasn't been like Newfoundland has been wandering in the wilderness like it had been before then.
Newfoundland made its debut at the Brier in 1951.
Prior to 1976, it's best performance had been 4-6 (the Territories joined in 1975). The Newfs finished 4-6 four times (1958, Bud Fisher; 1970, Les Bowering; 1971, Bob Cole — yes that Bob Cole; and 1973, Jim Ward).
In the early days, the Brier was tough on the newest province.
From 1951 to 1964, Newfoundland finished 0-10 or 1-9 every time except 1958 and 1959 when Fisher went 3-7.
Up to 1975, Newfoundland won zero games four times, one game 10 times, two games four times and three games on three occasions, to go with the four four-win Briers. That's a record of 43-208.
After MacDuff won the Brier with a 9-2 record, Newfoundland was turned around as a province.
Since then, Newfoundland hasn't been Manitoba or Alberta but much better than before the Regina Brier watershed.
Since then, Newfoundland has gone 3-8 or worse only 10 times in 34 Briers.
Including MacDuff's win, it has gone 6-5 or better 13 times. Since 1980, it has made tie-breakers or playoffs on six occasions, although Gushue's final loss in 2007, is the only final appearance.
Gushue's boys will have to prove they can hold to a win better though if they're going to finally break this drought.
For the Newfoundlanders, while this is a tough start, it's against a great team and so they are far from done. But even then, it will not be easily for Newfoundland to not just win, but overcome a serious drought.
Of the nine provinces/regions that have won a Brier before, none has gone longer since winning the Tankard than Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thirty-three years is a long time and that's how long it has been.
Jack MacDuff shocking victory in Regina in 1976 is the stuff of Brier legend and we'll get into it at a later date.
But since then it hasn't been like Newfoundland has been wandering in the wilderness like it had been before then.
Newfoundland made its debut at the Brier in 1951.
Prior to 1976, it's best performance had been 4-6 (the Territories joined in 1975). The Newfs finished 4-6 four times (1958, Bud Fisher; 1970, Les Bowering; 1971, Bob Cole — yes that Bob Cole; and 1973, Jim Ward).
In the early days, the Brier was tough on the newest province.
From 1951 to 1964, Newfoundland finished 0-10 or 1-9 every time except 1958 and 1959 when Fisher went 3-7.
Up to 1975, Newfoundland won zero games four times, one game 10 times, two games four times and three games on three occasions, to go with the four four-win Briers. That's a record of 43-208.
After MacDuff won the Brier with a 9-2 record, Newfoundland was turned around as a province.
Since then, Newfoundland hasn't been Manitoba or Alberta but much better than before the Regina Brier watershed.
Since then, Newfoundland has gone 3-8 or worse only 10 times in 34 Briers.
Including MacDuff's win, it has gone 6-5 or better 13 times. Since 1980, it has made tie-breakers or playoffs on six occasions, although Gushue's final loss in 2007, is the only final appearance.
Gushue's boys will have to prove they can hold to a win better though if they're going to finally break this drought.
Ahead to a century
On Thursday afternoon, barring injury, one player at the Brier will reach 100 career games as the penultimate draw of the round robin wraps up. This will surpass the likes of Rick Lang and Don Walchuk and equalling Randy Ferbey.
This is not a former champion like Jeff Stoughton, Mark Dacey or Bruce Lohnes, who will all be more than 10 games short of the century mark at the end of the Brier.
No, it’s little heralded P.E.I. lead Mark O’Rourke, who, besides Ferbey, will also equal fellow Islander Peter Gallant.
Sure, O’Rourke has never won a Brier, and may never will (although Brett Gallant gives P.E.I. a bright future), but his dedication and consistency shown in making now 11 Briers is very impressive.
O’Rourke has been a main member on now nine occasions. He was also a fifth twice. In 1996, he did not play and in 2006 he played in one game.
While some people who’ve played in that many show some versatility in playing a variety of possessions, prior to today, O’Rourke had played one game as a third in 1997, and 88 as a second.
Today was his very first game as a lead. Now he just needs to throw fourth stones and he’s gone around the horn.
O’Rourke plays for P.E.I., which other than Territories, has been the most unsuccessful province since the advent of the playoffs in 1980.
In 29 Briers since 1980, P.E.I. has made tie breakers three times (1985, 1995 and 1996). In 1996, the team made the 3 vs 4 game.
Of those three playoff teams, O’Rourke’s been on two of them.
In 1995, he was part of the P.E.I. team skipped by Robert Campbell that lost a tie-breaker 7-4 to Ontario’s Ed Werenich. In that game, O’Rourke actually outcurled two-time world champion Ontario second Pat Perroud, 85 per cent to 84 per cent.
In 1996, O’Rourke played fifth for the Peter MacDonald who defeated Newfoundland’s Mark O’Driscoll in a tie-breaker before losing to Quebec’s Don Westphal in the 3 vs. 4 game.
This is not a former champion like Jeff Stoughton, Mark Dacey or Bruce Lohnes, who will all be more than 10 games short of the century mark at the end of the Brier.
No, it’s little heralded P.E.I. lead Mark O’Rourke, who, besides Ferbey, will also equal fellow Islander Peter Gallant.
Sure, O’Rourke has never won a Brier, and may never will (although Brett Gallant gives P.E.I. a bright future), but his dedication and consistency shown in making now 11 Briers is very impressive.
O’Rourke has been a main member on now nine occasions. He was also a fifth twice. In 1996, he did not play and in 2006 he played in one game.
While some people who’ve played in that many show some versatility in playing a variety of possessions, prior to today, O’Rourke had played one game as a third in 1997, and 88 as a second.
Today was his very first game as a lead. Now he just needs to throw fourth stones and he’s gone around the horn.
O’Rourke plays for P.E.I., which other than Territories, has been the most unsuccessful province since the advent of the playoffs in 1980.
In 29 Briers since 1980, P.E.I. has made tie breakers three times (1985, 1995 and 1996). In 1996, the team made the 3 vs 4 game.
Of those three playoff teams, O’Rourke’s been on two of them.
In 1995, he was part of the P.E.I. team skipped by Robert Campbell that lost a tie-breaker 7-4 to Ontario’s Ed Werenich. In that game, O’Rourke actually outcurled two-time world champion Ontario second Pat Perroud, 85 per cent to 84 per cent.
In 1996, O’Rourke played fifth for the Peter MacDonald who defeated Newfoundland’s Mark O’Driscoll in a tie-breaker before losing to Quebec’s Don Westphal in the 3 vs. 4 game.
First draw wraps up
Well, the first draw of the 2009 and history doesn't bode well for the four who were defeated.
In the previous 29 Briers in the playoff era, the champion has played in the first draw 23 times
So there's a good chance the winner took the ice this afternoon and an even better chance they were won of the four winners.
In those 23 games, the eventual winner won all but six times.
So it should not be a surprise that of those four winners, three of them — Kevin Martin, Alberta; Jeff Stoughton, Manitoba; and Jean-Michel Menard, Quebec — are former Brier champs.
Now, keep in mind that since 1992, just 66 per cent of the field plays in the first draw, with the four-sheet format (before then it was all but two teams from 1980 to 1990 with five sheets and everybody played with six sheets in 1991). So of those six winners who didn't play in the opening round, five have been since 1992 (that's 30 per cent, just about right).
So that gives a little hope to the four teams (N.L., Ontario, N. Ontario and B.C.) who didn't play in the opening draw. Remember, Martin didn't play in the opening draw last year.
So, while history says that there is a good chance Martin, Menard, Stoughton or P.E.I.'s Rod MacDonald will win the Brier, it's not a done deal. But if any of the four playing their first game tonight want to be the Brier champ, they have to win this evening. Of those six champs to sit out the opening draw, they all won in the second draw.
That means, the champ won its opening game 23 out of 29 times.
Now of those six opening round losses by the future winners, four have taken place since the CCA adopted the four-sheet format in 1992. So that's a little hope for Jamie Koe, Joel Jordison, and former champs Mark Dacey and Russ Howard.
There's one other thing that Howard's New Brunswick crew can take to heart — of those six opening round losses, Howard owns two of them. In 1987 B.C.'s Bernie Sparkes topped Ontario's Howard 8-5. In 1993, Manitoba's Vic Peters beat Howard 5-4. And Peters was the previous year's winner, like Martin.
Hmmm, interesting little factoid.
Well, enjoy the second draw.
In the previous 29 Briers in the playoff era, the champion has played in the first draw 23 times
So there's a good chance the winner took the ice this afternoon and an even better chance they were won of the four winners.
In those 23 games, the eventual winner won all but six times.
So it should not be a surprise that of those four winners, three of them — Kevin Martin, Alberta; Jeff Stoughton, Manitoba; and Jean-Michel Menard, Quebec — are former Brier champs.
Now, keep in mind that since 1992, just 66 per cent of the field plays in the first draw, with the four-sheet format (before then it was all but two teams from 1980 to 1990 with five sheets and everybody played with six sheets in 1991). So of those six winners who didn't play in the opening round, five have been since 1992 (that's 30 per cent, just about right).
So that gives a little hope to the four teams (N.L., Ontario, N. Ontario and B.C.) who didn't play in the opening draw. Remember, Martin didn't play in the opening draw last year.
So, while history says that there is a good chance Martin, Menard, Stoughton or P.E.I.'s Rod MacDonald will win the Brier, it's not a done deal. But if any of the four playing their first game tonight want to be the Brier champ, they have to win this evening. Of those six champs to sit out the opening draw, they all won in the second draw.
That means, the champ won its opening game 23 out of 29 times.
Now of those six opening round losses by the future winners, four have taken place since the CCA adopted the four-sheet format in 1992. So that's a little hope for Jamie Koe, Joel Jordison, and former champs Mark Dacey and Russ Howard.
There's one other thing that Howard's New Brunswick crew can take to heart — of those six opening round losses, Howard owns two of them. In 1987 B.C.'s Bernie Sparkes topped Ontario's Howard 8-5. In 1993, Manitoba's Vic Peters beat Howard 5-4. And Peters was the previous year's winner, like Martin.
Hmmm, interesting little factoid.
Well, enjoy the second draw.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Cowtown moves into second
As the 48 curlers of the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier head on to the ice to start the action at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Saturday, Calgary will move into sole possession of second place on the list of all time Brier hosts.
As the host of the first 13 Briers (1927-1939) and number 15 (1941), Toronto has a firm grip on first place on the list of all-time Brier hosts with 14.
With the start of this year's event, Calgary's total rolls up (Timmy's anyone?) to six, well shy of Hogtown, even though the Ontario capital hasn't hosted a Brier in almost 70 years.
The Brier has previously called Calgary home in 1948, 1961, 1980, 1997 and 2002.
The Victoria Arena was the locale for the first Alberta Brier in 1948. The next two were held in the Stampede Corral (the first home of the Calgary Flames). The last two, like this year's, were held in the Saddledome.
If anybody's looking for any omens, in those five previous Cowtown Briers, Alberta won three of them (1961 — Edmonton's Hec Gervais, 1997 — Edmonton's Kevin Martin, and 2002 — Edmonton's Randy Ferbey).
The other two were also won by western rinks — B.C.'s Frenchy D'Amour in 1948 and Saskatchewan's Rick Folk in 1980, the first of the playoff years.
Ironically, in those years, Alberta was represented by Calgary rinks.
Scotty McLaws from the Calgary Glencoe finished tied for sixth with Nova Scotia in 1948. In his only Brier appearance, two-time world junior champ Paul Gowsell of the Calgary Winter Club finished third after losing the semifinal to Northern Ontario's Al Hackner.
While this may bode well for Martin seeing as though Edmonton rinks fare well in Calgary and his rink is based out of the Saville Centre, half of the team is from Calgary (John Morris and Ben Hebert). Who knows what that'll do to them?
As for Calgary's exclusive hold on second place, that will last all of a year as Halifax has been picked to host the 2010 Brier. That will be the sixth time for the Nova Scotia capital. The other cities that have hosted five times (Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatoon) will all likely get No. 6 before Calgary sees No. 7.
As the host of the first 13 Briers (1927-1939) and number 15 (1941), Toronto has a firm grip on first place on the list of all-time Brier hosts with 14.
With the start of this year's event, Calgary's total rolls up (Timmy's anyone?) to six, well shy of Hogtown, even though the Ontario capital hasn't hosted a Brier in almost 70 years.
The Brier has previously called Calgary home in 1948, 1961, 1980, 1997 and 2002.
The Victoria Arena was the locale for the first Alberta Brier in 1948. The next two were held in the Stampede Corral (the first home of the Calgary Flames). The last two, like this year's, were held in the Saddledome.
If anybody's looking for any omens, in those five previous Cowtown Briers, Alberta won three of them (1961 — Edmonton's Hec Gervais, 1997 — Edmonton's Kevin Martin, and 2002 — Edmonton's Randy Ferbey).
The other two were also won by western rinks — B.C.'s Frenchy D'Amour in 1948 and Saskatchewan's Rick Folk in 1980, the first of the playoff years.
Ironically, in those years, Alberta was represented by Calgary rinks.
Scotty McLaws from the Calgary Glencoe finished tied for sixth with Nova Scotia in 1948. In his only Brier appearance, two-time world junior champ Paul Gowsell of the Calgary Winter Club finished third after losing the semifinal to Northern Ontario's Al Hackner.
While this may bode well for Martin seeing as though Edmonton rinks fare well in Calgary and his rink is based out of the Saville Centre, half of the team is from Calgary (John Morris and Ben Hebert). Who knows what that'll do to them?
As for Calgary's exclusive hold on second place, that will last all of a year as Halifax has been picked to host the 2010 Brier. That will be the sixth time for the Nova Scotia capital. The other cities that have hosted five times (Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatoon) will all likely get No. 6 before Calgary sees No. 7.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Oh Canada, this doesn't quite add up
With Sunday night's win, Jennifer Jones and Jill Officer have won their fourth national crowns together. However, what's interesting here is that next month's world women's championship in Gangneung, South Korea will only be the third world championship appearance for the duo. On the flip side, when they return to defend the crown in Sault Ste. Marie next year, it will be the fourth appearance for the pair as members of Team Canada in a Canadian championship.
How did these oddities come to pass?
Well, the initial blame falls on the shoulders of former Brier runner-up Shawn Adams of Nova Scotia, his teammates from 1993 and some alcohol.
From the time the world boys' juniors started in 1975, Canada always sent the previous year's champion to represent Canada at the worlds. Thus, for example, Paul Gowsell won the national titles in 1975 and 1977 and the world junior titles in 1976 and 1978. The rational for sending the previous year's winner, at least according to the CCA's website, is because of a scheduling conflict between the two events.
The website goes on to say that it was changed in 1994 with the current year's junior champions being sent to the world's just a month later because of a change in the CCA's scheduling of its championships that year.
However, this doesn't hold water as the only reason when you consider the fact that in 1984, Saskatchewan's Jamie Schneider played in the world's and defended, unsuccessfully, his 1983 Canadian junior crown by playing in the 1984 Pepsi Juniors.
That brings us back to Adams. It's not clear how much of a factor Adams and his team had on the decision to change when the national champions were sent to the world's but there is a connection.
In 1993, Kim Gellard of Ontario won the junior women's while Adams and Nova Scotia won the boys' title. After the championship, Adams' rink was caught drinking by officials (although some, if not all of them were of age in Quebec, where the championships were held). Adams rink was promptly suspended by the CCA, thus eliminating them from representing Canada in 1994.
To solve this, the 1994 junior men's champ Colin Davison went to the world's that year in Sofia, Bulgaria and that has been practiced ever since.
But there was still a problem on the women's side of the equation since Gellard's team had done nothing wrong.
So, Gellard & Co. headed to Bulgaria in 1994. There was, however, a need to harmonize the women's side with the men and that brings us back to Jennifer Jones.
While Davison was winning the pass to Bulgaria in 1994 over Kevin Koe, Jones' team, which included Officer, simply won the national title — no trip to Bulgaria. Instead, they got a trip to Regina.
Regina was the host of the 1995 Canadian Junior Championships where Jones & Co. would be Team Canada. If they won then they would get to go to the worlds. If they lost, then no world championships for them.
The problem was they were not part of the entire tournament. They were automatically ranked first and given a direct pass to the semifinals without playing one round-robin game. That year Team Canada would play the third-place team from the round-robin in one semifinal while first and second played in the other semi.
Brought in completely cold, Jones' rink were demolished by the third place squad also from Manitoba skipped by a diminutive Kelly MacKenzie (now Kelly Scott).
Interesting footnote to that playoff, which MacKenzie won in the final, is that all four skips in that playoff were at the 2008 Scotties in ... wait for it ... Regina!
Jones was skipping Manitoba, Scott (MacKenzie) was skipping Team Canada, Marie France Larouche, the Quebec skip in 1995 was skipping Quebec last year and Kirsten Harmark, the Ontario skip in 1995, is now Kirsten Wall and was playing third last year for Ontario's Sherry Middaugh.
So, no world championship for Jones and Officer in 1995 and next year in the Sault will mark their fourth appearance at a Canadian championship as Team Canada — 1995 juniors and 2006, 2009 and 2010 Scotties.
How did these oddities come to pass?
Well, the initial blame falls on the shoulders of former Brier runner-up Shawn Adams of Nova Scotia, his teammates from 1993 and some alcohol.
From the time the world boys' juniors started in 1975, Canada always sent the previous year's champion to represent Canada at the worlds. Thus, for example, Paul Gowsell won the national titles in 1975 and 1977 and the world junior titles in 1976 and 1978. The rational for sending the previous year's winner, at least according to the CCA's website, is because of a scheduling conflict between the two events.
The website goes on to say that it was changed in 1994 with the current year's junior champions being sent to the world's just a month later because of a change in the CCA's scheduling of its championships that year.
However, this doesn't hold water as the only reason when you consider the fact that in 1984, Saskatchewan's Jamie Schneider played in the world's and defended, unsuccessfully, his 1983 Canadian junior crown by playing in the 1984 Pepsi Juniors.
That brings us back to Adams. It's not clear how much of a factor Adams and his team had on the decision to change when the national champions were sent to the world's but there is a connection.
In 1993, Kim Gellard of Ontario won the junior women's while Adams and Nova Scotia won the boys' title. After the championship, Adams' rink was caught drinking by officials (although some, if not all of them were of age in Quebec, where the championships were held). Adams rink was promptly suspended by the CCA, thus eliminating them from representing Canada in 1994.
To solve this, the 1994 junior men's champ Colin Davison went to the world's that year in Sofia, Bulgaria and that has been practiced ever since.
But there was still a problem on the women's side of the equation since Gellard's team had done nothing wrong.
So, Gellard & Co. headed to Bulgaria in 1994. There was, however, a need to harmonize the women's side with the men and that brings us back to Jennifer Jones.
While Davison was winning the pass to Bulgaria in 1994 over Kevin Koe, Jones' team, which included Officer, simply won the national title — no trip to Bulgaria. Instead, they got a trip to Regina.
Regina was the host of the 1995 Canadian Junior Championships where Jones & Co. would be Team Canada. If they won then they would get to go to the worlds. If they lost, then no world championships for them.
The problem was they were not part of the entire tournament. They were automatically ranked first and given a direct pass to the semifinals without playing one round-robin game. That year Team Canada would play the third-place team from the round-robin in one semifinal while first and second played in the other semi.
Brought in completely cold, Jones' rink were demolished by the third place squad also from Manitoba skipped by a diminutive Kelly MacKenzie (now Kelly Scott).
Interesting footnote to that playoff, which MacKenzie won in the final, is that all four skips in that playoff were at the 2008 Scotties in ... wait for it ... Regina!
Jones was skipping Manitoba, Scott (MacKenzie) was skipping Team Canada, Marie France Larouche, the Quebec skip in 1995 was skipping Quebec last year and Kirsten Harmark, the Ontario skip in 1995, is now Kirsten Wall and was playing third last year for Ontario's Sherry Middaugh.
So, no world championship for Jones and Officer in 1995 and next year in the Sault will mark their fourth appearance at a Canadian championship as Team Canada — 1995 juniors and 2006, 2009 and 2010 Scotties.
You've got to start somewhere
Well, I'm kicking off this new blog just two days after the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts wrapped up and four days before the start of the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier. This is the heart of the season. With that in mind, I need to start somewhere so I might as well start with a look at the now completed Scotties and a couple of historical points.
One thing I've noticed is that it seems much more common for women curlers who've won a national junior crown to have success at the adult level than it is for male champions.
A look at the rosters of the 12 teams that just finished competing in Victoria shows no less than 16 former Canadian junior champions filling out the 48 rosters spots (a full one-third of the spots).
In fact, the entire New Brunswick team was made up of members of two different championships (1991 and 2005).
These players were spread out on seven different teams. Only N.W.T/Yukon, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Nova Scotia did not have any of these players.
Here are the 16 in question with their maiden names, if necessary, the position they played when they won the junior crown and the province they played for in Victoria along with the position.
Darcy Kirkness (Robertson) — Manitoba skip 1984; Manitoba third
Barb Kirkness (Spencer) — Manitoba third 1984; Manitoba skip
Barb Fetch (Enright) — Manitoba lead 1984; Manitoba lead
Marla Geiger (Mallett) — B.C. lead 1987; B.C. skip
Cathy Overton(-Clapham) — Manitoba skip 1989; Team Canada third
Denise Cormier (Nowlan) — N.B. third 1991; N.B. third
Jennifer Jones — Manitoba skip 1994; Team Canada skip
Jill Officer — Manitoba second 1994; Team Canada second
Marie-France Larouche — Quebec skip 1999; Quebec skip
Nancy Belanger — Quebec third 1999; Quebec third
Stefanie Miller — Sask. skip 2000; Sask. skip
Marliese Miller — Sask. third 2000, Sask. skip 2003; Sask. third
Robyn MacPhee — P.E.I. second 2001, third 2002; P.E.I. fourth
Andrea Kelly — N.B. skip 2005; N.B. skip
Jodie deSolla — N.B. second 2005; N.B. second
Lianne Sobey — N.B. lead 2005; N.B. lead
On the flip side, there doesn't seem to be as many competing and winning at the Brier and I'll look at that in one of my upcoming posts.
One thing I've noticed is that it seems much more common for women curlers who've won a national junior crown to have success at the adult level than it is for male champions.
A look at the rosters of the 12 teams that just finished competing in Victoria shows no less than 16 former Canadian junior champions filling out the 48 rosters spots (a full one-third of the spots).
In fact, the entire New Brunswick team was made up of members of two different championships (1991 and 2005).
These players were spread out on seven different teams. Only N.W.T/Yukon, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Nova Scotia did not have any of these players.
Here are the 16 in question with their maiden names, if necessary, the position they played when they won the junior crown and the province they played for in Victoria along with the position.
Darcy Kirkness (Robertson) — Manitoba skip 1984; Manitoba third
Barb Kirkness (Spencer) — Manitoba third 1984; Manitoba skip
Barb Fetch (Enright) — Manitoba lead 1984; Manitoba lead
Marla Geiger (Mallett) — B.C. lead 1987; B.C. skip
Cathy Overton(-Clapham) — Manitoba skip 1989; Team Canada third
Denise Cormier (Nowlan) — N.B. third 1991; N.B. third
Jennifer Jones — Manitoba skip 1994; Team Canada skip
Jill Officer — Manitoba second 1994; Team Canada second
Marie-France Larouche — Quebec skip 1999; Quebec skip
Nancy Belanger — Quebec third 1999; Quebec third
Stefanie Miller — Sask. skip 2000; Sask. skip
Marliese Miller — Sask. third 2000, Sask. skip 2003; Sask. third
Robyn MacPhee — P.E.I. second 2001, third 2002; P.E.I. fourth
Andrea Kelly — N.B. skip 2005; N.B. skip
Jodie deSolla — N.B. second 2005; N.B. second
Lianne Sobey — N.B. lead 2005; N.B. lead
On the flip side, there doesn't seem to be as many competing and winning at the Brier and I'll look at that in one of my upcoming posts.
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