The last time Eddie (Spuds) MacKenzie skipped a Prince Edward Island unit at the Brier, that unit played the full 10 ends in only three of 11 round-robin games.
That was a mere two years ago, at London, Ont.
“Our on-ice performance was less than ideal,” Spuds admitted after finishing dead last with a 1-10 record and being out-scored 100-32.
“We’re not only curling on the wrong side of the inch, we’re on the wrong side of the foot,” he said.
CCA photo: Eddie MacKenzie
Now, Eddie and a slightly revamped lineup from Charlottetown Curling Complex is back, having won the Island title again by stealing a point in an extra end to leapfrog former champ Rod MacDonald by a 7-6 score in a blizzard-delayed final.
MacKenzie’s first Brier appearance was in 1994 at Red Deer, as third for Mike Gaudet. That team finished 2-9.
“I didn’t make it back to a Brier (for 17 years) which was definitely another great experience despite the results,” Spuds told Sunmedia columnist Terry Jones following his victory at Crapaud.
“But after my last Brier, it was pretty obvious to me that to be in Brier contention we’d have to play on arena ice more often. I hadn’t played in an arena for 17 years and the transition obviously wasn’t smooth.
“The Edmonton Brier will be our seventh time playing in an arena over the last two years. We won a World Curling Tour event last year on arena ice and won the Curl Atlantic Championship this year on arena ice, so hopefully we’re better prepared.”
Hopefully, too, there’ll be less controversy.
At London, the outclassed Island team was supposedly fined $2,000 by the Canadian Curling Association for conceding a game after five ends. The Brier rules stipulate a team must complete six during round-robin play. Spuds and Co., were trailing 11-1 to Glenn Howard at the half.
Ontario vice-skip Richard Hart told Spuds that if he wanted to quit, the Ontario team would split any CCA fines that might be incurred.
“As for that fine,” MacKenzie told Jones. “Richard Hart did make me out a cheque. But I’ll let the Canadian Curling Association comment on whether or not it had to be cashed.”
Oops! Not to mention . . . tilt!
MacKenzie, 40, took four years away from curling after the 1994 Brier, residing in Calgary and working in the oil patch and at assorted other labour jobs. He slowly eased his way back into competitive curling on the Island upon his return.
MacKenzie has opted for youth with 23-year-old Anson Carmody, a member of Brett Gallant’s national junior champs of 2009, taking over at third from Gaudet, who skipped the Islanders to a 3-8 record at last year’s Brier. The front end consists of 23-year-old Alex MacFadyen, back from two years ago, and 43-year-old lead Sean Ledgerwood.
“We went undefeated through our provincials (10-team triple knockout) this year but it took a week,” Spuds recalled. “We had three days of play, two days of snowstorm, and then two days to finish up once everybody dug themselves out. It was the only time I was involved in a Tankard that had games cancelled due to snow.
“It was tough to keep the momentum going. We know we can play the game well, but for us it will be more important to just try to peak the week of the Brier, throw the rocks as well as we can and let the chips fall where they may. Obviously we’ll have to hit lightning in a bottle to make the playoffs considering the strength of this Brier field.”
Since Peter MacDonald last had a plus-.500 record (7-6) and made it to the playoffs in 1996, Islanders have recorded a lot of Brier records from 1-1, 2-9, 3-8, 4-7 to 5-6.
The MacKenzie crew knocked off Allan Inman of 8-1, former champion Robert Campbell 9-3 and MacDonald 6-5 in an extra end to win the A section of the Island playdown. Then Spuds again defeated MacDonald (7-2) in the A-B playoff prior to the final.
MacDonald, a four-time winner over the last decade, won the B section with an 11-8 conquest of Gaudet.
In C, Jamie Newson shaded Blair Weeks 9-8 while Gaudet ousted Campbell 10-6. In the sudden-death C final, Newson prevailed 9-7 over Gaudet by stealing a deuce in an extra end. MacDonald pasted Newson 8-2 in a semi-final that lasted six ends.
The final standings (all Charlottetown teams unless otherwise noted): MacKenzie 5-0, MacDonald 4-2 Gaudet 4-3, Newson 4-3, Campbell 3-3, Weeks 3-3, Robert Shaw 2-3, Mel Bernard of Summerside 1-3, Inman of Crapaud 0-3, Ted MacFadyen of Cornwall 0-3.
Click to download the Tankard Times – 1st Issue – March 2nd, 2013 (PDF)