SUMMERSIDE – Tyler Smith drew lots of national media attention at the 2023 Tim Horton’s Brier in London, Ont., with the young skip out of the Crapaud Curling Club producing some spectacular shot-making. Smith is hoping to make it a three-peat when play opens Thursday at the P.E.I. Tankard men’s curling championships in Summerside. The final is scheduled for Sunday. Seven teams are entered in the modified, triple knockout event at the Silver Fox Entertainment Complex. The Tankard is held in conjunction with the Scotties women’s championship at the Silver Fox.
Smith is the top seed and early favourite in the event, and only graduated from the junior ranks in the 2020-2021 season. Last year, the Smith rink defeated Summerside’s Darren Higgins 9-5 to win the PEI Tankard title at his home Crapaud club, where Suzanne Birt claimed the ladies Scotties crown.
The Smith team last year included Adam Cocks at third, Alex MacFadyen at second and lead Edward White. Christopher Gallant, who replaced MacFadyen at second stone, is the younger brother of Brett Gallant, who won a Brier with Brad Gushue in 2017 out of St. John’s, NL. and now is in his second year with the Brandon Bottcher rink in Calgary.
In 2021, Smith, then just 22, moved up to skip P.E.I. from the third position for a game as skip Eddie MacKenzie was on the bench as the team’s alternate and alternate Aaron Bartling moved into the lineup at third. P.E.I.’s front end of lead Ryan Lowery and second Sean Ledgerwood remained unchanged.
Last year was Smith’s third straight Brier appearance. He skipped in 2022 when Team Smith was selected as P.E.I.’s Brier representative after the provincials were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Smith has the opening round bye and will face the winner of Jay vs. vanOuwerkerk in his first game.
Summerside Scotties organizers have announced there will be a small admission fee charged for spectators this week. For non-members of the Summerside Curling Club, it’s $5/day or $15 for four days; members of Summerside Curling Club, $3 per day or $10 for four days.
The 2024 Montana’s Brier, Canada’s national men’s curling championship, will be held from March 1 to 10 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Sask. Competition opens in Summerside on Thursday with draws at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, there are draws at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Sunday, draws are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. if necessary.
2024 P.E.I. Tankard teams
Defending champion Tyler Smith is playing out of the Crapaud Curling Club. He is joined by import Adam Cocks out of the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, who is playing third stone; Christopher Gallant, at second stone; and lead stone Edward White from the Summerside Curling Club.
Darren Higgins hopes home ice will help him get revenge on Tyler Smith this year as the Summerside curler is playing third stone this year with skip Tim Hockin. The Summerside rink includes Mike Spencer at second stone, lead Alex MacFadyen and alternate Jonathan Greenan. Hockin is seen as the team with the best chance for an upset.
Calvin Smith is also skipping a team out of Crapaud. He has junior Anderson MacDougall from Cornwall as mate, Tyson Smith at second stone and Nick Blanchard as lead. Susan Hubley is coaching the team.
Veteran Tyler Harris is skipping a team out of Crapaud and is joined by fellow Charlottetown curler Tyler MacKenzie at third stone, Daniel MacFadyen at second, while lead is Nathan Hardy from Crapaud. The team plays in the Tuesday men’s league in Crapaud.
Durable Blair Jay is back as skip with a Summerside team that includes mate Corey Montgomery, second Kent MacKay and lead Alan Montgomery. Jay also competed in the recent Masters last week in Montague.
Jamie Newson, who has a string of provincial mixed curling titles to his credit, is skipping a team based in Crapaud. He is joined by mate Chris Ellis, Jamie Stride, who is club manager in Crapaud, and lead stone Greg Ellis.
Rounding out the Tankard men’s field is talented skip Steve vanOuwerkerk, mate Nick vanOuerkerk, second Sam Ramsay, lead Patrick Ramsay and alternate Corey Miller. The team is affiliated with the Crapaud Curling Club.
Schedule, teams, draw and results can be found here: https://peicurling.com/results/#/events/17914.