friday, april 7, 2017 | an official publication of curling ... april 7, 2017 | an official...

Friday, April 7, 2017 | An Official Publication of Curling Canada and the World Curling Federation

Tickets available atthe box o�ce & onlineGET YOURStoday

PLAYOFF TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!

The final sprint

Playoff matchups setCanada’s Brad Gushue celebrates with his team after wrapping up top spot.

Sweden’s Niklas Edin

USA’S John Shuster

Switzerland’sPeter de Cruz

2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship | EYE OPENER – FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017

It’s show time!The stage has been set and the leading men

determined for the big weekend of stars on ice.

Getting top billing is Canada’s Brad Gushue. Also on the marquee at the 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts, is Sweden’s Niklas Edin.

They will be centre stage in the Page 1-2 playoff game Friday (7 p.m., MT) at Northlands Coliseum. For finishing first Canada will have the first-end hammer.

In the event’s final draw, Canada’s star continued to shine brightly with an 8-4 eight-end victory over Steffen Walstad of Norway. The ending resulted in, naturally, a standing ovation.

The win gave the Gushue gang of third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, alternate Tom Sallows, coach Jules Owchar and national coach Rick Lang a perfect

11-0 round-robin record.Sweden finished alone in second at 9-2 after

downing Netherlands 8-2 in eight ends Friday night.

Also prominent in the credits are Switzerland and the United States. They finished their round robins earlier in the day with 8-3 records. They will face off against one another in the Page 3-4 playoff game Saturday (2 p.m. MT).

The winner will take on the loser of Canada-Sweden in the semifinal later Saturday (7 p.m.). The bronze medal game is Sunday (noon) followed by the gold medal game (6 p.m.).

Canadian teams have won 28 consecutive games at the world men’s and women’s level. Gushue’s perfect 11-0 round robin comes on the heels of Rachel Homan running the table with an unblemished 13-0 record at the world women’s championship in Beijing. At the 2016 Ford Worlds in Basel, Alberta’s Kevin Koe won his last four games to take the title.

Although a perfect ending would be nice, Gushue just wants the W on Sunday, and he’s not talking about the bronze medal game.

“I’m 100 per cent genuine when I say I

don’t care about it. When I look back at all the Briers and worlds I couldn’t tell you anybody’s records. All that really matters is that your name is on the trophy,” said Gushue. “If we have some adversity and lose (Thursday night), or (Friday) night and we win, I’ll take it. It really doesn’t matter how we get there. Winning on Sunday is the main thing.”

Since losing to Canada 8-6 last Sunday evening the only blip on Sweden’s record was a 7-3 loss in eight ends to the United States Thursday afternoon.

“It’s been a good week. We’re winning every game, and we should have beat Gushue. (The U.S. loss) is the first game that was really a bad one,” said Edin.

Right below Canada on the heat meter is the United States. The Americans have won six straight heading into their 3-4 showdown with the Swiss.

The conclusion of the round robin had one other significant consequence, that being Great Britain has qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Gushue gets playoffs top billing

Canada’s Geoff Walker (left) and Brett Gallant put their backs into it as they work the brushes for Team Canada at the Ford World Men’s Curl-ing Championship on Thursday.

Sweden’sNiklas Edin

By GRANT GRANGEREye Opener Associate Editor

Feel the friction

Tickets from $22.50 curling.ca/tickets

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CANADA

1-2, 3-4 games Semi-final Final

SWEDEN

SWITZERLAND

USA

Today7 p.m.

Saturday2 p.m.

Saturday7 p.m.

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Loser of 1-2 Game

Page Playoffs

It’s been a good week for Switzerland’sPeter de Cruz.


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Mark Nichols says this season has been one for the ages.

Adversity breeds successIt’s been a curling season like no other for

Mark Nichols.It started with Nichols being thrust in a

role outside of his comfort zone. That’s because Brad Gushue’s hip was barking. Loud. Extremely loud. Gushue listened and decided to concentrate on rehabbing it. He wanted it to be better because he had a desperate desire to play in the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier in their hometown of St. John’s, N.L.

So when the season started it was Nichols holding the broom and throwing last rocks as he, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker and an assortment of spare thirds, most notably Calgary’s Charlie Thomas, set out on the cash circuit.

As it turned out, they were still pretty good even without Gushue. They maintained the team’s top position on the tour’s Order of Merit, and are second on the money list to Sweden’s Niklas Edin. Gushue even joked on Twitter when Nichols, et al, were rolling at the Canada Cup in Brandon in December that he might not have a spot to return to. But back he came. The next week, as a matter of fact, at a Grand Slam event

in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.Since his return, the Gushue gang won the

provincial title, like it always does, to advance to the Brier where they won their first national championship on home ice after more than a decade of knocking on the door.

This week at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts, they’ve looked even better running roughshod over their opponents en route to the playoffs.

“It’s been a different year,” admitted Nichols. “It’s been nothing like I’ve ever experienced. Through it all it’s made us a better team.

“The nucleus of this team has kind of just grown together. Through everything Brad’s been through and what Geoff (shoulder injury) went through with the Brier, switching out players at the beginning of the year, we’ve kind of maintained a really high level of performance, and now with Brad back it’s kind of built and built and now we’re here.”

Replacements jumping in and out of the lineup week to week was a big-time adjustment for Nichols.


A ‘different’ year for Nichols

See NICHOLSPage 15


Mob mentality

Yusuke Morozumi and his teammates successful pursuit of the first Olympic appearance

by a Japanese men’s curling team in nearly 20 years has been documented by unprecedented media coverage.

Every shot and every decision the team has been making has been closely watched by Japanese fans who have discovered the men’s team, although it’s been together for 10 years and was making its seventh appearance in a world championship this week in Edmonton.

The national television network, NHK, is here with a crew of 17 and broadcast each of Morozumi’s games. Even when the team played the early games here — at 2 a.m Japan time — the network established a million fans were watching back home.

“It is not (normally) this,” third Tetsuro Shimizu said of the group of Japanese media that interviewed every player after every game. “This is because we’re trying to qualify for the Olympics. That’s why we have lots of media.”

Japan hasn’t had a men’s curling team in the Olympics since Nagano in 1998 when they were in as the host country. Makoto Tsuruga, who skipped that team, is now part of the NHK broadcast team that’s here.

Tsuruga’s first game in Nagano was against Canada — they lost 7-4 to Mike Harris — and two brothers were in the stands watching that day – Yusuke and Kosuke Morozumi.

In addition to the NHK crew, there’s about 20 reporters and photographers from different media outlets covering the Japanese team.

Japanese media co-ordinator Yumiko Takeshita said there are also other media personnel here without accreditation.

The attention is unusual but the Morozumi brothers, along with Shimizu and second Tsuyoski Yamaguchi, are enjoying the increased exposure.

“We are OK with it because it’s just this half year. It’s no problem,” said Shimizu, although he did say the team is aware that everything they said and did

on the ice was being closely watched.And those fans, new and old, have

high hopes for the team.“Lot of expectations,” said Kosuke

Morozumi. “We don’t just want to go to the Olympics, we want to win. Our fans expect us to win a medal.”

Today they’re celebrating that they’ll now get their chance to play in the Olympics.

Even though they didn’t qualify for the Page playoffs in Edmonton, their performance here was good enough to lift them into the Olympics.

Coach Hatomi Nagaoka said the men are getting the extra attention only because of their chase for an Olympic

berth. “This is not normal for the men’s

team. It’s such a big, big issue to get qualified.”

The Olympic chase resulted in increased media interest at home and on the road for the men’s team.

“Even at the Japanese national championship we had a lot of coverage,” said Satoshi Sakamaki, vice-president of the Japan Curling Association, who’s hopeful the increased attention will continue beyond this season, now that Japan has the Olympic berth.

“Recently we have lots of TV, NHK doing lots of broadcasting. There is increasing popularity these days.”

The Japanese men’s team received a lot of media attention this week.

Japanese media swarms Olympic team

“Recently we have lots of TV, NHK doing lots of broadcasting. There is increasing popularity these days.”

— Satoshi Sakamaki, vice-president of the Japan Curling

Association

By JOHN KOROBANIKEye Opener Writer


SPORTS. We’ve got it covered,

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The Red, White and Blue has a touch of lime green mixed in at the 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts.

A bright lime green piece of fabric hangs from the back right pocket of United States second Matt Hamilton. It’s there every game. It’s not going anywhere, either. It’s been a mainstay of his outfit, no matter what jersey Hamilton and his skip John Shuster are wearing, for about three years.

The fabric, it turns out, is actually what we Canucks call a toque. It’s the same phosphorescent blinding lime green as some of the uniforms worn by the University of Oregon Ducks, Baylor University Cougars and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.

It was a gift from his girlfriend, now his fiancée, that’s turned into a cross between a good luck charm and an inside joke.

“I liked the colour,” said Hamilton.

“I’m a colourful person and I like the bright colours and it seemed to fit my personality.”

Hamilton says when he and Shuster first started playing together they had lime green jerseys. He’d been wearing his toque to curl with for quite a while, especially in cold curling clubs. It matched the jersey so he wore it all season as the team advanced to the U.S. championships.

But when they got to the nationals he wasn’t allowed to wear it on his head. All attire had to be matching and since Shuster sports a cap when he plays, Hamilton had to wear one that matched.

“So I put it in my back pocket and we won my first nationals event,” said Hamilton. “We got to worlds and I put in my back pocket because it was kind of a good luck charm. And (national coach) Derek Brown said ‘you can’t have that out there.’ And I said ‘yes I can!’ ”

Greentoquea good

luckcharm

World Men’s Curling Championship

HAMILTON


If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for? Happiness, health and fun.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Dream vacation, put away enough to live off, donate to charities…live the dream!

What is the one thing you wish you could do if given the chance? Play in the Masters.

Which sitcom character do you relate to? Chandler Bing.

Got a phobia you want to share? Snakes in toilets.What was your most embarrassing moment? Falling

on my face last season.Who’s your hero? Wayne Gretzky.What’s playing on your iPod right now? Ed Sheeran.If you could see one concert, what would it be? Garth

Brooks.What’s your favourite vacation destination? Any-

where warm.

If you could meet anyone, who would that be? Barack Obama.

If we’re buying, you’re having...? Beef Welling-ton.

Spotlight on: CanadaBally Haly Country Club and RE/MAX Centre (St. John’s) Coach: Jules Owchar

THIRD

Esse

ntial

s Age: 37Birthplace: Labrador City, NLResidence: St. John’sMarital status: Married to ColetteChildren: Beckett (2 years old), Baby #2 due in AprilEmployment: Business Owner, OrangeTheoryFitnessStarted curling at age: 7

nicholsmark

SKIP

Esse

ntial

s Age: 36Birthplace: St. John’sResidence: St. John’sMarital status: Married to KristaChildren: Hayley (9), Marissa (5)Employment: Business OwnerStarted curling at age: 13

gushuebrad

SECOND

Esse

ntial

s Age: 27Birthplace: CharlottetownResidence: St. John’sMarital status: Partner JocelynChildren: NoneEmployment: CurlerStarted curling at age: 4

gallantbrett

LEAD

Esse

ntial

s Age: 31Birthplace: Beaverlodge, Alta.Residence: St. John’sMarital status: Engaged to Laura CrockerChildren: NoneEmployment: Golf course maintenanceStarted curling at age: 11

walkergeoff

Formal name: Dominion of CanadaLocal name: CanadaLocation: North AmericaStatus: UN member countryCapital City: OttawaMain cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton,Calgary, HalifaxPopulation: 36,535,000Area: 9,997,140 sq. kmCurrency: 1 Canadian dollar = 100 centsLanguages: English, French, many othersReligion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, many others

CANADA AT THE WORLDSLast five years:2016: Kevin Koe (10-1 Gold)2015: Pat Simmons (10-1 Bronze)2014: Kevin Koe (8-3)2013: Brad Jacons (7-4 Silver)2012: Glenn Howard (10-1 Gold)Last championship — Kevin Koe (2016)World titles — 35Other notable male curlers from Canada: Russ Howard, Glenn Howard, Kevin Martin, Randy Ferbey, Pat Ryan, Rick Folk, Ed Lukowich, Ed Werenich, Don Duguid, Ron Northcott, Ernie Richardson.

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YOUR STORIES! Here’s what you’re saying at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship! Add your voice on social media and get the conversation going. #FWMCC2017

hnedohin Cheering @TeamGushue @CurlingCanada with these @ShPkcurlingclub juniors girls! Plus 2 @TeamShuster boys! Lucky lucky boys! #hotstuff #pride

PamBecotte Win for @BradGushue and Team Canada tonight at #fwmcc2017 #fordcurling #HurryHard

magnum_danger Fun at the World Men’s Curling Championships! #fun #fordcurling #curling

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Hurry Haaaaard!There’s so much more to explore.Journey through some of Edmonton’s hottest local taprooms, live music venues and underground haunts like El Cortez. To plan your perfect outing, visit exploreedmonton.com

When Brad Gushue and Team Canada walked off the ice after another lopsided, six-ender game Thursday morning it marked the eighth time in 10 games they had played eight ends or less and the sixth time they didn’t go past the seventh.

While Canada has been the focal point of lopsided results at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts, they’re not alone. While there’s been plenty of tightly-contested games, there’s been 20 games decided by six points or more, and several more with a five-point difference.

By contrast, there’s been only five extra-end games.

Not exactly what one expects to see at a world championship, where entry is restricted and the best teams on the planet are competing.

“I am and I’m not,” Gushue’s lead Geoff Walker said when asked if he’s surprised by the results here. “We’re playing really well and putting a lot of

pressure on teams.”And teams are cracking under the

pressure.“But I’m a little surprised because

these are the best teams in the world, the best teams from different countries, so I expected little tougher games from a few of them.”

Canada’s only two 10-end games were against the obvious teams — Niklas Edin of Sweden and Peter de Cruz of Switzerland.

Why all the blowouts?JOHN KOROBANIK

«

See WORLDSOPPOSITE PAGEBrad Gushue made quick work of opponents this week.


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In the end it really was a three-tier event — the four playoff teams, four more near the .500 mark and four also-rans who had only eight wins combined. Perhaps it’s time to consider going to a pool scenario.

One has to wonder, what happened to Norway and Scotland, two traditional teams expected to challenge for playoff berths? And to a lesser degree, Japan and China?

Gushue also admits he’s a little surprised by the results and the way his games in particular have gone, but that’s partly due to the way his team is playing.

“We’re playing at a very nigh level, but I’m a little surprised some of the teams haven’t played better against us.

Part of the reason for that is teams like Canada and Sweden put pressure on their opponents early, forcing mistakes and then capitalizing on them. Once behind, teams are trying shots that are low-percentage and as often as not, only lead to more problems for them.

“I’ve seem some different calls that, if you get into a Brier and we’re playing like this, you don’t see those calls, which have escalated into the five-enders,” said Gushue.

Perhaps, he suggested, other teams are simply trying too hard when they play top teams like Canada, overthinking things “because some of the strategy it seems they’re

getting a bit too complicated, which is good for us.”

Like in Canada’s game Thursday against Italy. Fourth end, Canada up 2-1 with last rock and Italy skip Joel Retornaz looking at four Canadian counters with his final stone. He drew into shot but Gushue could see it, eliminated it and counted five.

“He probably should have thrown a little more weight, try to get rid of one or two,” Walker said of Retornaz’s decision. “You don’t want to have Brad throwing that rock in that situation if you’re the other team.”

But it’s not just Canadian games. John Shuster of the U.S. had three short games he won by six points or more and Sweden had four lop-sided scores in their favour.

Gushue is probably right when he says part of the issue is teams are a little stressed before they even take to the ice.

“I think part of it is they look at how we’re playing and they look at the statistics, and they know they can’t have too many misses. And when you enter a game like that it’s a challenge.”

Gushue knows what it’s like from the other side from the days when he was playing Kevin Martin and Glenn Howard at the top of their games.

“You knew you couldn’t have many mistakes and that puts a lot of pressure on you. All of a sudden when you make one (mistake) your head starts spinning, ‘Oh my god this is the start of it.’”

For many of the teams here this week, it really was the beginning of the end.

WorldsFROM PAGE 10


W E A C K N O W L E D G E T H E S U P P O R T O F T H E G O V E R N M E N T O F C A N A D A

LINESCORESDraw 159 a.m.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total *USA (Shuster) 2 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 — 6Netherlands (van Dorp) 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 — 5

*Russia (Stukalskiy) 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 — 7Germany (Baumann) 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 — 9

*Japan (van Dorp) 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 — 5Switzerland (de Cruz) 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 — 6

*Canada (Gushue) 0 2 0 5 0 2 x x x x — 4Italy (Retornaz) 0 0 1 0 1 0 x x x x — 2

Draw 162 p.m.

Switzerland (de Cruz) 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 — 10*China (Liu) 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 — 2

Norway (Walstad) 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 2 0 x — 7*Italy (Retornaz) 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 x — 5

USA (Shuster) 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 2 x x — 7*Sweden (Edin) 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 x x — 3

Germany (Baumann) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 x — 1*Scotland (Murdoch) 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 3 x — 7

Draw 177 p.m.

*Scotland (Walstad) 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 — 7Russia (Stukalskiy) 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 — 6

Sweden (Edin) 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 x x — 8Netherlands (van Dorp) 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 x x — 2

Norway (Walstad) 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 x x — 4*Canada (Gushue) 1 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 x x — 8

Japan (Morozumi) 0 0 0 0 2 0 x x x x — 2*China (Liu) 3 2 1 1 0 2 x x x x — 9

* — Last rock

There were plenty of Brad Gushue fans in the stands Thursday evening.

STANDINGS

FINAL W LC a n a d a ( G u s h u e ) 11 0S w e d e n ( E d i n ) 9 2S w i t z e r l a n d ( d e C r u z ) 8 3U S A ( S h u s t e r ) 8 3C h i n a ( L i u ) 6 5S c o t l a n d ( M u r d o c h ) 6 5J a p a n ( M o r o z u m i ) 5 6N o r w a y ( W a l s t a d ) 5 6I t a l y ( R e t o r n a z ) 4 7G e r m a n y ( B a u m a n n ) 3 8N e t h e r l a n d s ( v a n D o r p ) 1 1 0R u s s i a ( S t u k a l s k i y ) 0 11

SCHEDULETODAY

1-2 PAGE PLAYOFF7 p.m.

Canada (Gushue) vs. Sweden (Edin)

W rld Scoreboard


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Gallant firingon all cylinders

While Canada has kept pace with perfection, Brett Gallant executed it for nearly two full games worth of shots.

The Canadian second had a streak of 38 shots in which statisticians at the 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts, gave Gallant a perfect score of four for the execution of the shots skip Brad Gushue asked him to make.

“I saw there that the stats were pretty good the last couple of games, but the back end (Gushue and third Mark Nichols) is playing really well, so I had a lot of easy shots, straightforward

peels because they were putting points up on the board. That made it easy for me. Still making them, though, is key,” said Gallant, who also credited lead Geoff Wallker for setting him up.

The streak ended Thursday morning with Gallant’s second shot of the second end of a 9-2 victory over Italy’s Joel Retornaz when he was given three out of four on a hit and roll.

“I struggled a little bit at the start of that game. The rocks were a little bit different and the ice was a little different this morning and some trickier shots. It was bound to end some time.”

Through the first 10 games of the round robin, Gallant has curled 96 per cent on hits, 83 per cent on draws and 92 per cent overall.


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What would you do if you won the lottery? Pinch my arm and wake up.

What is the one thing you wish you could do if given the chance? Fly like an eagle.

If you were stranded on an island, what are the three most important things that you think you would need? A rocking chair, Game of Thrones and refill on my hot chocolate.

What is your favourite day of the week? Sunday, fun day!

What is your favourite breakfast meal? Smoothie, the healthy but fruity kind.

Who or what inspires you? My sister, must have more than 24 hours a day!

What is your favourite colour and why? Purple – it’s just so pretty!

Describe your life in one word: Milk.What is your favourite fruit flavour? Wild straw-

berries – yum!What celebrity annoys you the most? Brad Gushue

– let someone else win too, will ya!?If you could go anywhere in the world, where

would you go and why? Hawaii, to help the Hawaii five-O guys

What three things can always be found in your refrigerator? Milk, milk and milk!

What superstition do you believe/practice? You get what you deserve.

Do you believe in the after-life? In heart but not in mind.

Favourite room in the house? Balcony, if that counts!?

Spotlight on: SwedenKarlstads Curlingklubb, Karlstad / Alt.: Henrik Leek / Coach: Fredrik Lindberg

THIRD

Esse

ntial

s Age: 25Birthplace: Karlstad, SwedenResidence: Karlstad, SwedenMarital Status: SingleEmployment: Full-time curlerHobbies: Disc Golf, poolHeros: Zlatan IbrahimovicSpeaks: English, Swedish

erikssonoskar

SECOND

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ntial

s Age: 22Birthplace: Stockholm, SwedenResidence: Karlstad, SwedenMarital status: SingleEmployment: Full-time curlerHobbies: Sports, gamesYears on team: OneSpeaks: English, Swedish

wranårasmus

LEAD

Esse

ntial

s Age: 27Birthplace: Sveg, SwedenResidence: Karlstad, SwedenMarital status: SingleEmployment: Full-time curlerHobbies: Football, hockeyHeros: Lionel MessiSpeaks: English, Swedish

sundgrenchristoffer

Formal name: Kingdom of SwedenLocal name: SverigeLocal formal name: Konungariket SverigeLocation: EuropeStatus: UN member countryCapital City: StockholmMain cities: Gothenburg, Malmo, UppsalaPopulation: 10,019,000Area: 449,960 sq. kmCurrency: 1 Swedish krona = 100 oreLanguage: SwedishReligion: Lutheran Protestant

SWEDEN AT THE WORLDSLast five years:2016: Niklas Edin (6-5)2015: Niklas Edin (8-3 gold)2014: Oskar Eriksson (7-4 Silver)2013: Niklas Edin (7-4 Gold)2012: Sebastian Kraupp (7-4 Bronze)Last championship — Niklas Edin (2015)World titles — 7Other prominent male curlers from Sweden — Peja Lind-holm, Steffan Hasselborg, Ragnar Kamp, Kjell Oscarius

FACTSQ&A

SKIP

Age: 31Birthplace: Örnsköldsvik, SwedenResidence: Karlstad, SwedenMarital status: SingleChildren: NoneEmployment: Full-time curlerHeros: Ronnie O’Sullivan, Novak DjokovicSpeaks: English, Swedish

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A r r K a n n R V. c o m

“You’re dealing with a different player, a different throw, a different personality every week,” said Nichols. “We’re pretty easy to get along with so it doesn’t make it that difficult on that side of it, but for me to move up to skip, and never having done it before at this level, a lot of people thought we might fall off a little bit. But we’ve been able to maintain it and now with Brad back we’re back to the level we were at.”

Last summer, Nichols could not have envisioned the season wouldn’t only live up to

expectations but exceed them.“Our goal this season was always to

focus on the Brier, make sure we’re ready for that. Not that what happens on tour doesn’t matter, but we had the Brier circled on our calendar. That was our main focus. If we had gone through the whole season not qualifying waiting for Brad to come back, I knew we could be to a point where we could compete at a Brier,” said Nichols, who admitted the key to the team’s current excellence was Gushue silencing the barking.

“He’s the best player in the world. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best player in the world and he’s playing like it right now. We had to get him back.”

NicholsFROM PAGE 4


Edmonton will host the 2020 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final. This builds on our standing as Canada’s triathlon city, and the success of hosting this event in 2014, which brought athletes from 73 countries to our city.

edmonton welcomes athletes, coaches, families & spectators to the 2017 ford world men’s curling championship.

proud host city

a salute to past champions

Glenn Howard (left) and his 2007 world championship team.

Howard delights record crowdsGLENN HOWARD

2007 Ford World Curling Championship

(Rexall Place)

There was no home town hero to sell like Matt Baldwin, Randy Ferbey or Kevin Martin in other Edmonton hosting successes, but when Ontario Brier champion Glenn Howard showed up wearing the Maple Leaf on his back at the 2007 Ford Worlds his team was embraced. The event drew a record 184,970 that still stands and Howard, Richard Hart, Brent Laing and Craig Savill rode the exceptional support to a gold medal, defeating Brad Gushue of Newfoundland in the final to win his first Brier as a skip to punch his ticket to Edmonton. Losing just one game in the round robin, Howard defeated Andy Kapp of Germany to win the title. Combining his years curling third for brother Russ, Glenn appeared

in 16 Briers, won four and followed with world championship gold on all four occasions. Glenn Howard has appeared in 196 games at the Brier, more than any other curler in history.

— Terry Jones, Postmedia

Local support ignites CanadiansTen curling teams have won

either a Canadian, Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Trials, or world

championship in Edmonton. Throughout the 2017 Ford World

Men’s Curling Championship, those teams will be featured in the Up Close and Personal portions of

the event, and daily in theEye Opener newspaper.

friday, april 7, 2017 | an official publication of curling ... april 7, 2017 | an official...

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