The action moves from up west to down east, as the Final Eight qualifiers from the Labatt Tankard Open Playdowns in Alberton begin play this 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.
Game time tonight is 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.