The Open Playdowns portion of the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship gets underway Thursday evening at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Fourteen teams, ten from the Charlottetown Curling Club, two from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, and two from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, are entered in this triple knockout competition which will select eight teams for the Final Eight championship round, February 10-15 at the Montague Curling Club. Last year’s champions were the rink of Peter Gallant, Kevin Champion, Mark O’Rourke, and John Desrosiers. Gallant and Desrosiers are not competing in this event this year, but Champion and O’Rourke are members of the Rod MacDonald rink. The Playdowns wrap up Sunday evening. The winning team from the Final Eight will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 7-15 in Calgary. Live results from both the Playdowns and the Final Eight will be available at peicurling.com/tankard

Eight of the fourteen teams have been seeded in the draw as a result of cashspiel winnings this season.

Here are the team rosters and seedings (skip to lead – club):
#1 Mike Gaudet, Eddie MacKenzie, Tyler Harris, Sean Clarey – Charlottetown

#2 John Likely, Philip Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon, Robert Campbell – Charlottetown

#3 Rod MacDonald, Kevin Champion, Andrew Robinson, Mark O’Rourke, 5th Peter MacDonald, coach Pat Aylward – Charlottetown

#4 Kyle Stevenson, Ben Blanchard, Kyle MacDonald, Doug MacGregor – Charlottetown
#5 Bill Hope, Dennis Watts, Jeff Gallant, Phillip MacInnis – Charlottetown
#6 Jamie Newson, Tim Hockin, Darren Higgins, Matthew MacCarville – Charlottetown

#7 Robert Shaw, Tom Fetterly, Robbie Younker, Sandy MacPhee – Charlottetown
#8 Mel Bernard, Blair Jay, Doug Simmons, Earle Proude – Silver Fox

Unseeded:

Terry Arsenault, Kevin Ellsworth, Pat Aylward, Brian Marcipont – Silver Fox

Daryl MacDonald Glen Betts Lowell Morrison Joey Ellsworth – Maple Leaf
Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, David Murphy, Mike Coady, coach Al Ledgerwood – Charlottetown
Calvin Smith, Kevin Smith, Todd Gilbert, Richie Hughes – Charlottetown
Clair Sweet, Bob Matheson, Muncey Harris, Wayne Arsenault – Maple Leaf
Jeff Wilson, Lincoln Peters, Matt Praught, Nick VanOuwerkerk, 5th Brent Campbell, coaches Tom Peters and Robbie Roberts – Charlottetown

Here are the opening draws:

Thursday, January 29th, 6 pm

Mel Bernard (Silver Fox) vs Daryl MacDonald (Maple Leaf)

Bill Hope (Ch’town) vs Ted MacFadyen (Ch’town)

Rod MacDonald (Ch’town) vs Calvin Smith (Ch’town)

Friday, January 30th, 10:30 am

Kyle Stevenson (Ch’town) vs Clair Sweet (Maple Leaf)

Jamie Newson (Ch’town) vs Jeff Wilson (Ch’town)

Robert Shaw (Ch’town) vs Terry Arsenault (Silver Fox)

Friday, January 30th, 2 pm

Mike Gaudet (Ch’town) vs winner Bernard/MacDonald game (Thursday at 6 pm)

Friday, January 30th, 6 pm

John Likely (Ch’town) vs winner Shaw/Arsenault game (Friday at 10:30 am)