Of the four teams with PEI natives on them who curled in major cashspiels over the holiday weekend, only the Brad Gushue rink from St. John’s, which includes PEI’s Brett Gallant at 2nd stone, managed to pick up any cash in the championship round.
Gushue finished with a 4-2 win-loss record in triple knockout play in the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard, and advanced to the Monday quarter-finals, but lost 6-4 to Mike McEwen, who went on to win the event, beating Glenn Howard 5-1 in the final. McEwen picks up $15,000 for winning the cashspiel, while Gushue settles for $3,500.
Jonathan Brazeau photo: Mike McEwen rink wins Stu Sells Toronto Tankard
Gushue lost his “A” flight qualifier 8-7 to Brad Jacobs, and his “B” semi-final 6-5 to Greg Balsdon (who then lost his “B” final to Mike McEwen), and faced PEI’s Adam Casey in a last-chance “C” qualifier game late Sunday night. The game was tied 2-all after six ends of play, but Gushue recorded a triple in the seventh end for a 5-2 win. Casey finished play with a 3-3 win-loss record.
Meanwhile, at the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary, neither the team skipped by PEI native Geri-Lynn Ramsay, nor the Jessie Kaufman team, which includes Ramsay’s former Island teammate Erin Carmody, advanced to the championship round, with both teams finishing with 1-3 win-loss records. Rachel Homan was the event winner, scoring 5 points in the 3rd end in a 9-3 win over Chelea Carey.