Canada’s Gushue wins third straight Brier title with win over McEwen’s Team Saskatchewan

Article content

Brad Gushue has added another Brier championship to his resume.

On Sunday evening in Regina, Gushue and Team Canada captured their third straight Canadian men’s curling championship with a 9-5 win over Mike McEwen and Team Saskatchewan in front of 5,734 fans at the Brandt Centre.

Article content

“This moment is awesome,” Gushue told reporters on the ice after the win. “This is what it’s all about. This is why I play, this is why I love the game.

Article content

“I love this moment; to see it all come to fruition after the hard work this week, this is so cool.

“It isn’t about how many,” continued Gushue. “It’s about this moment here.”

With the win, Gushue and his Newfoundland and Labrador rink have tied Randy Ferbey’s record of three straight championships. Team Saskatchewan was looking for its first Brier in 44 years.

After becoming the winningest skip in Brier history last year in London, Ont. with his fifth title, Gushue, along with third Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker have also tied Ferbey for most Brier championships all time with six. Second E.J. Harnden, who joined the team last year, has won his third overall.

After beating Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher in the Page 1-2 playoff game on Saturday night, Gushue earned a direct ticket to the final, where he met McEwen and company, who beat Bottcher 7-3 earlier on Sunday in the semifinal.

For Saskatchewan — also featuring third Colton Flasch, second Kevin Marsh and lead Daniel Marsh — it’s a tough loss after the team put together three straight must-win victories following a loss in the Page 1-2 qualifier on Friday night.

Article content

Article content

“It hurts we didn’t have our best game,” said McEwen, who curled 89 per cent in the match. “But Brad was stellar the first four ends and he nailed us in the first four ends.

“We have everything to be proud of what we did in six months. This is a great team and we’re not done yet.”

Saskatchewan hasn’t won a Brier since Rick Folk claimed the title in 1980. The last Saskatchewan team that made a final was in 1995 when Brad Heidt and his Kerrobert rink lost to Manitoba’s Kerry Burtnyk.

For McEwen, it’s the best finish in his Brier career in his nine appearances. The Winnipeg product — who is skipping in Saskatchewan for the first time in his career — previously finished third in 2017.

Gushue and company will now represent Canada at the 2024 World Men’s Curling Championship, which is set to get underway March 30 in Switzerland. The team also will also take home $108,000 out of the $300,000 purse, while McEwen and company get $60,000.

Gushue will also be back as Team Canada at next year’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C. with the winner there earning the right to wear the maple leaf in Moose Jaw at the 2025 world championship.

Article content

Game summary

Canada (Gushue) 9, Saskatchewan (McEwen) 5

After a blank in the first end, Gushue opened the scoring with a draw a deuce to take the early 2-0 lead.

In the third, McEwen narrowly missed on his first, leaving Gushue with a draw to sit two with his last. McEwen was forced to make the takeout to score one, making it a 2-1 game.

With his last in the fourth, McEwen attempted a long double take out but was just off the mark, opening the door for Gushue, who split a guard into the house to score three and go up 5-1.

Gushue continued to put the pressure on in the fifth. After making a double takeout with his last, McEwen was forced to draw for a single point to make it 5-2.

In the sixth, Saskatchewan put the pressure on Canada as McEwen and company put themselves in position to steal. Already sitting two, McEwen made a draw to sit three with his last.

Gushue was able to follow McEwen’s draw path and tapped the Saskatchewan stone just far enough to give up a steal of two, making it a 5-4 game after six ends.

In the seventh, Saskatchewan continued to apply pressure as they sat two after McEwen’s last. However, Gushue was able to make the double takeout to score two and put Canada on top 7-4.

Article content

It was Canada applying pressure in the eighth as Gushue threw his first to sit four. McEwen made a takeout to sit shot rock with his first before Gushue took that rock out to sit three.

McEwen was then forced to draw for a single, making it a 7-5 game.

In the ninth, Canada was able to eliminate any guards Saskatchewan tried to put up before Gushue made a runback to score two and secure the win.

Attendance

With 5,734 spectators at the championship final, the total Brier attendance for the 10-day event was 101,401 spectators over the 24 total draws.

The 2018 Brier in Regina had a total attendance of 110,555. At the 2006 Brier in Regina, the total attendance was 125,971.

tshire@postmedia.com

Article content