The action moves from up west to down east, as the Final Eight qualifiers from the Labatt Tankard Open Playdowns in Alberton begin play Tuesday evening in the championship round at the Montague Curling Club. Six of the eight are from the Charlottetown Curling Club, including five-time Tankard and six-time Seniors winner Ted MacFadyen, making his sixteenth appearance in the Eights, along with Rod MacDonald, who has been on four Tankard-winning teams, two as skip, John Likely, who won as skip in 2002 and second back in 1985, two-time winner Mike Gaudet, reigning Mixed champ Bill Hope, and Jamie Newson.
Representing Summerside’s Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club is the Mel Bernard rink, who defeated defending champion MacFadyen in the final to win this year’s Senior Men’s championship.
Clair Sweet of the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary rounds out the Final Eight.
Team Rosters:
Qualifier 1: Rod MacDonald, Kevin Champion, Andrew Robinson, Mark O’Rourke, Peter MacDonald (5th), Pat Aylward (coach) – Charlottetown
Qualifier 2: John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon, Robert Campbell (5th) – Charlottetown
Qualifier 3: Jamie Newson, Tim Hockin, Darren Higgins, Matthew MacCarville – Charlottetown
Qualifier 4: Mel Bernard, Blair Jay, Doug Simmons, Earle Proud – Silver Fox
Qualifier 5: Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, David Murphy, Mike Coady, Al Ledgerwood (coach) – Charlottetown
Qualifier 6: Mike Gaudet, Eddie MacKenzie, Tyler Harris, Sean Clarey – Charlottetown
Qualifier 7: Bill Hope, Dennis Watts, Jeff Gallant, Phillip MacInnis – Charlottetown
Qualifier 8: Clair Sweet, Bob Matheson, Muncey Harris, Wayne Arsenault – Maple Leaf
Round robin play begins Tuesday at 7 pm, with Wednesday draws at 2 and 8 pm, and Thursday and Friday games at 2 and 7.
The top four teams from the round robin will advance to the Page playoff round on Saturday at 2 pm (if no tiebreaker games) or 7 pm (if tiebreakers).
The winner of the 1st vs 2nd place Page game will advance directly to the 3 pm Sunday final, while the loser of that game will play the winner of the 3rd vs 4th place Page game in the semi-final, which goes Saturday at 7 pm (if no tiebreakers), or Sunday at 10 am (if tiebreakers), with the winner of that semi going to the final. The PEI Labatt Tankard champion will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 7-15 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary.
Round robin draw:
Draw 1: Tuesday February 10th at 7 pm
Rod MacDonald (Ch’town) vs Clair Sweet (Maple Leaf), John Likely (Ch’town) vs Bill Hope (Ch’town), Jamie Newson (Ch’town) vs Mike Gaudet (Ch’town), Mel Bernard (Sil. Fox) vs Ted MacFadyen (Ch’town)
Draw 2: Wednesday February 11th at 2 pm
Gaudet vs MacFadyen, Newson vs Bernard, Sweet vs Hope, Likely vs MacDonald
Draw 3: Wednesday February 11th at 8 pm
Hope vs Newson, MacFadyen vs MacDonald, Bernard vs Likely, Sweet vs Gaudet.
Draw 4: Thursday February 12th at 2 pm
Likely vs Gaudet, Bernard vs Sweet, MacDonald vs Newson, Hope vs MacFadyen
Draw 5: Thursday February 12th at 7 pm
Macdonald vs Bernard, Gaudet vs Hope, MacFadyen vs Likely, Newson vs Sweet
Draw 6: Friday February 13th at 2 pm
Sweet vs Likely, Newson vs MacFadyen, Hope vs MacDonald, Gaudet vs Bernard
Draw 7: Friday February 13th at 7 pm
Bernard vs Hope, MacDonald vs Gaudet, MacFadyen vs Sweet, Likely vs Newson
Tiebreakers (if needed): Saturday Feb 14th at 9 am (only if two tiebreaker rounds needed), and 2 pm.
Page playoffs (1st vs 2nd and 3rd vs 4th place): Saturday Feb. 14th at 2 pm (if no tiebreakers) or 7 pm (if tiebreakers)
Semi-final (loser 1st vs 2nd against winner 3rd vs 4th): Saturday at 7 pm (if no tiebreakers) or Sunday at 10 am.
Final (winner Page 1st vs 2nd against winner semi-final) – Sunday February 15th at 3 pm.
Live scoring will be available at peicurling.com/tankard