The Labatt Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship heads to western PEI for the 2010 season, with the six winners from the triple-knockout Open Playdowns, January 22-24 at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, advancing to the round robin Final Six portion, February 4-8 at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton.
Twelve teams are entered, nine from the Charlottetown Curling Club, and three from the Silver Fox. Eight teams are seeded in the Open Playdowns draw, based on cashspiel winnings throughout the season.
The 2009 winners, the Rod MacDonald rink, with third Kevin Champion, second Andrew Robinson, and lead Mark O’Rourke, along with fifth player Peter MacDonald, are back to defend their title. Last year, they edged out the John Likely foursome by a 7-6 score in the final. The Likely rink are also back this year.
Other entrants include last weekend’s PEI Legion championship winners and reigning PEI Seniors champs, the Mel Bernard rink from Summerside, along with eight-time (six as skip) Tankard winner Robert Campbell, five-time Tankard and six-time Seniors champ Ted MacFadyen, the 1994 Tankard winning Eddie MacKenzie/Mike Gaudet rink, and 1986 winner Grant Somers. Up-and-comers include 2003 Junior champion skip Tyler MacKenzie, and rinks skipped by Robert Shaw, Dave Ross, John Desrosiers, and three-time Canadian Mixed championship team member Tom Fetterly.
Open Playdowns draws go Friday at 1 and 6 pm, Saturday at 9 am, and 2 and 7 pm, and Sunday at 1 and 6 pm.
The 2010 PEI Tankard winning team will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 6-14 at the Halifax Metro Centre.
End by end results from both the Playdowns, and the Final Six, will be available at peicurling.com/tankard.
Here are the team rosters (fourth through lead):
Charlottetown Curling Club:
Robert Campbell, Steve Burgess, Jamie Newson, Rob Doherty
John Desrosiers, Dennis Watts, Jeff Gallant, Calvin Smith
John Likely, Mark Butler, Philip Gorveatt, Mike Dillon
Rod MacDonald, Kevin Champion, Andrew Robinson, Mark O’Rourke, fifth Peter MacDonald
Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, Bill Hope, Mike Coady, coach Al Ledgerwood (MacFadyen throws final rock, Hope calls the game)
Eddie MacKenzie, Mike Gaudet, Tyler Harris, Sean Clarey
Tyler MacKenzie, Steve vanOuwerkerk, Lincoln Peters, Nick vanOuwerkerk
Dave Ross, Nick Fraser, Paul Gaudet, Lester Wah
Robert Shaw, Sandy MacPhee, Robbie Younker, Doug MacGregor
Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside
Mel Bernard, Blair Jay, Douglas Simmons, Earle Proude
Tom Fetterly, Terry Arsenault, Tim Hawkin, Pat Aylward
Grant Somers, Barry Cameron, Corey Montgomery, Justin Richard
Here are the opening draws (triple-knockout format):
Friday January 22 at 1 pm:
Ted MacFadyen vs John Desrosiers, Mel Bernard vs Grant Somers, Robert Shaw vs Dave Ross, Tyler MacKenzie vs Tom Fetterley.
Friday January 22 at 6 pm:
Robert Campbell vs winner Robert Shaw/Dave Ross game, Eddie MacKenzie vs winner Tyler MacKenzie/Tom Fetterly game, Rod MacDonald vs winner Ted MacFadyen/John Desrosiers game, John Likely vs winner Mel Bernard/Grant Somers game.