BRANTFORD, ON (November 18, 2012) After a five-day battle that began with 68 teams, The Rogers Masters crowned Team Koe of Edmonton as men’s champions and Team Homan of Ottawa as women’s champions of the first event of the 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling season. Team Koe and Team Homan were awarded The Rogers Masters trophies and prize money this afternoon at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre in Brantford, ON. In total, a combined purse of $200,000 was distributed to competing teams.
Team Koe defeated Team Martin in a thrilling 6-5 semifinal victory Sunday morning before overcoming Vernon, B.C.’s Team Cotter 7-5 in the final. Skip Kevin Koe and teammates Patt Simmons, Carter Rycroft, and Nolan Thiessen went 4-1 in round-robin play, earning a total of $20,000 total for their success over the course of the tournament.
“This was my seventh Grand Slam final and my first win,” said Koe, who captured the world men’s curling championship in 2010. “It’s been a long time coming.”
In addition to winning The Rogers Masters, Team Koe now has the opportunity to win the $1 million bonus, should they win the next three events of the Grand Slam season. If Team Koe does not win the remaining three events, the top three men’s teams – based on the Grand Slam points system – will split a $100,000 purse.
On the women’s side, Ottawa’s Team Homan went undefeated for the entire tournament and clinched the championship title this afternoon. Comprised of skip Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle, the team went 5-0 in round-robin play before defeating Sudbury, ON’s Team Horgan in the quarter-finals. Team Homan beat out Scotland’s Team Muirhead by a 5-4 scoreline in the semifinals on Sunday morning, earning a berth in the finals against Winnipeg, MB’s team Carey. Homan came on strong in the final, defeating Carey by a 8-3 scoreline, and receiving $20,500 for their wins.
“We’ve been doing really well on the Slam side of the events, but it’s nice to finally win a final,” said Homan, a curling prodigy since the age of 13. “I think we picked the right one to win, and this is just an amazing feeling.”
With two events comprising the women’s 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling season – The Rogers Masters and The Players’ Championship – Team Homan is halfway to being awarded a $100,000 bonus should they clinch a win at the final event. If Team Homan does not win the The Players’ Championship, the top three women’s teams will split a $25,000 purse.
Immediately after it won the Masters, Homan’s team was joined by Walter Gretzky, who watched the tournament from start to finish. It had been the first time he had seen a tournament live.
“It’s just incredible, it’s amazing,” Gretzky said, while watching the final from ice level. “Here’s the one thing that truly fascinated me: When they make a beautiful shot, nobody screams, ‘All right, we did it.’ They’re just very calm about the whole thing. It’s not like somebody scoring a goal in the NHL or hitting a home run in baseball. That’s what surprised me more than anything. I never noticed it on TV like I have in person. I didn’t realize it. It’s no big deal for them to make a good shot.
“To see it like this, to be right beside it all while it’s actually happening and see the curlers talking is truly different.”
Homan and her team said it was “pretty cool” to meet the legendary father of the Great One.
“Him and Wayne, I guess have helped build this arena and I was really thankful we could play in this arena and have him watching. It’s quite an honour,” she said. “He’s pretty much a legend in Canada. It’s just unbelievable to meet him. He’s like, ‘Oh, you guys are awesome.’ It’s a pretty cool thing to hear from Walter Gretzky.”
“It was so fun to talk to him,” added Miskew. “He thinks that we are so good.”
Owned and operated by Sportsnet, the Grand Slam of Curling is an elite series of men’s and women’s curling events which are part of the World Curling Tour and feature the best teams from across Canada and around the world. In addition to The Rogers Masters, the 2012-13 series also includes The Canadian Open in Kelowna, B.C. (December 12-16, 2012), The National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S. (January 23-27, 2013), and The Players’ Championship in Toronto (April 16-21, 2013).