(by Jason Simmonds)
WINNIPEG – Mike McEwen is hoping history does not repeat itself at the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling Players’ Championship this week.
McEwen and his Winnipeg-based rink of third stone B.J. Neufeld, second stone Matt Wozniak and lead Denni Neufeld will be one of eight men’s teams competing in Summerside from April 17 to 22.
“The last couple of years I would say the Players’ has not been our strongest event,” said McEwen in a phone interview on Friday afternoon. “We’ve kind of struggled towards the end of the year to find the consistency that we had in previous events.
“We are looking for the team of old to come out at the Players’ like the performances we had in October and November.
“Next to a national championship the Players’ has to be the next biggest prestigious event to win. It is arguably probably the most difficult.
“Where are you going to find a field where you have one through eight, nobody refused and they are all there as far as top teams in the world. It would be an amazing event to win.”
McEwen is expected to arrive in Summerside on Monday, with the rest of his team scheduled to fly out of Winnipeg early Tuesday morning. The McEwen rink’s first round-robin game is against Ontario’s John Epping on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“I’m excited (to come to P.E.I.),” said McEwen. “Going out to the Maritimes is something I haven’t been able to do a lot. I know my team is looking to experience P.E.I., for most of us the first time.
“Myself, I did go to the (2011) Scotties in Charlottetown, but didn’t really get to see too much outside the rink. . . And I love seafood.”