The Labatt Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championships get underway Thursday at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, with the winning team advancing to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 5-13 in London Ontario.

Fifteen teams, all from the Charlottetown Curling Club and the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, are entered, including  the Rod MacDonald rink , last year’s champions, the Robert Campbell foursome, last year’s runners-up,  and the Mel Bernard team, reigning Masters and Legion champions. Previous Tankard winning skips entered include 2008 and 2009 winner Peter Gallant, joined by his son Brett, a former Canadian Junior champion, throwing fourth rocks, along with 2002 winner John Likely. Kevin Champion, who won as third seven of the past eight years, has moved up to skip for this year’s competition. 2004 winner Mike Gaudet is back as third stone to Eddie MacKenzie. Other teams entered include the Barry Cameron,Tom Fetterly, and Grant Somers rinks from the host Silver Fox, and the John Desrosiers, Bill Hope, Dave Ross, Calvin Smith, and Rob Warren teams from the Charlottetown Curling Club.

The teams will play a triple knockout format, with draws at 9 am and 2 and 7 pm Thursday through Sunday, followed by Monday draws at 2 and 7 pm, and a two game championship round on Tuesday, also at 2 and 7. The winners from the three triple knockout sections will advance to the championship round. If the same team wins all three sections, the championship round will not be needed. If a team wins two sections, they will play in both championship games, and win the title if they take either.

Eight teams were seeded in the draw, based on cashspiel winnings this season, as follows:

#1 Robert Campbell, #2 Peter Gallant, #3 Rod MacDonald, #4 Eddie MacKenzie, #5 Kevin Champion, #6 John Likely, #7 John Desrosiers, and #8 Rob Warren.

Here are the opening draws (C=Charlottetown Curling Club, S=Silver Fox)

Thursday Feb. 3 at 9 am:

Ice 1: Peter Gallant  (C) vs Tom Fetterly (S)
Ice 2: John Desrosiers (C) vs Calvin Smith (C)
Ice 3: Rod MacDonald (C) vs Barry Cameron (S)
Ice 4: John Likely (C) vs Mel Bernard (S)

Thursday Feb. 3 at 2 pm:

Ice 1: Eddie MacKenzie (C) vs Bill Hope (C)
Ice 2: Kevin Champion (C) vs Grant Somers (C)
Ice 3: Rob Warren (C) vs Dave Ross (C)

Friday Feb. 4 at 9 am

Ice 2: Robert Campbell (C) vs winner Warren/Ross game from 2 pm draw.

Complete draw, and end by end results at peicurling.com/tankard

Here are the team rosters:

Team Rosters