Both Saskatchewan teams posted victories in the early draw as Rylan Kleiter defeated Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith 7-4 and Mike McEwen held off Nova Scotia’s Owen Purcell 8-6.
Kleiter won the provincial playdowns while McEwen pre-qualified for the 18-team event via ranking points. A finalist last year, McEwen has been battling a sore throat and chest congestion in recent days.
“Better the opening weekend than later on as you near playoffs and things like that,” said McEwen, who was feeling a bit better Sunday. “So if there’s a silver lining, that’s it I guess.”
Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard beat Yukon’s Thomas Scoffin 7-5 in the other early game. In Draw 5, Canada’s Brad Gushue edged Northern Ontario’s John Epping 6-5 and New Brunswick’s James Grattan defeated Nunavut’s Shane Latimer 8-3.
Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone beat B.C.’s Cameron de Jong 7-4 and Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers topped Alberta’s Kevin Koe 5-4 in an extra end. Carruthers used hammer to make a hit for the win.
“We’re not playing amazing but I’d say we’re playing pretty darn solid,” Carruthers said.
Gushue, Dunstone and Carruthers topped Pool A at 3-0 with Epping next at 2-1. McEwen and Mooibroek led Pool B entering the Sunday night draw with Alberta’s Brad Jacobs next at 1-0.
Round-robin play continues through Thursday and the Page playoffs are set for next weekend.
Northern exposure
Northwest Territories vice D’arcy Delorey would often use a territorial championship banner at the three-sheet Hay River Curling Club as inspiration in the early days of his curling journey.
Shirley King, a local curler from the town of about 3,000 on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, skipped her team to victory in 1989 to earn a berth in the national women’s championship.
“I remember looking at it and thinking, ‘Man, that’s cool,”‘ Delorey said Sunday. “Somebody from our club could actually get to the national level.’ And now hopefully we’ll have one hanging there.
“It would be something for our junior program kids to look at and think, ‘Yeah, that’s possible.'”
Delorey, who throws third for import skip Aaron Bartling, made his Montana’s Brier debut Sunday in a 12-2 loss to Ontario’s Sam Mooibroek. Despite the lopsided score, the players were all smiles afterward as they signed autographs and hugged friends and family who made the trip to Prospera Place.
Yellowknife’s Jamie Koe has played at nearly every Brier since his nationals debut in 2006. Bartling’s foursome, which includes second Norman Bassett and lead Eric Preston, upset the veteran skip last month by making late back-to-back steals for the win on home ice.
“It was just a big moment and just a flood of emotions to have that game when it mattered,” Delorey said.
The Hay River club has been like home to Delorey since a young age. Both his parents have served as president at the facility and his father handled icemaker duties.
“I was always at the club growing up even before I really started curling,” he said. “I started as a rink rat, as a junior, and just continued on.”
Delorey curled at the college level and later played on a number of different men’s teams. He has made five career appearances at the national curling club championships.
This 5,500-seat venue felt much different for his round-robin opener. The ice was quick with lots of swing, the rocks were sharp and the Brier energy was noticeable, Delorey said.
“A little bit of nerves for the first little bit,” he said. “But after that, it’s just curling when you get into the game.”
Bartling is the lone team member with Brier experience. He was an alternate for P.E.I.’s Eddie MacKenzie in 2021 when the nationals were played in a so-called bubble in Calgary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s just through-the-roof excitement,” Bartling said of his return.