(By Jim Bender ,Winnipeg Sun)
Photo: Mark Nichols will move to Winnipeg to join the Jeff Stoughton crew. Nichols won Olympic gold in 2006 with Brad Gushue’s rink. SUE REEVE/THE LONDON FREE PRESS
Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton has added a curler with a gold-medal touch to his squad as he takes aim at qualifying for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Mark Nichols, who won Olympic gold at third for Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue in 2006, will replace Steve Gould at lead, Stoughton confirmed Monday.
Nichols and his wife, Colette, will move to Winnipeg, so Stoughton’s new foursome will be eligible to win another Manitoba title.
“It is cool that he’s been there and won,” Stoughton said. “It was one of those things where we were looking for a guy who we felt could play that position. His name came up because he’s been off for a year and we wouldn’t be disrupting any other men’s teams.”
There had been speculation that Tyler Forrest would leave the William Lyburn squad to join Stoughton after Forrest played with him at a World Curling Tour spiel in Victoria, B.C.
But Nichols also played lead for Stoughton at the Players’ Championship in Summerside, P.E.I.
“After taking last year off, he found out that he still had a desire to play,” said Stoughton, also supported by third Jon Mead and second Reid Carruthers. “It’s always fun to have someone new and he’s a young guy with the same goals we have, and he fits in very well.”