Many of the top teams from eastern Canada, along with Switzerland’s Marc Pfister are competing in the Dave Jones curling cashspiel, which got underway this afternoon at Halifax’s Mayflower Curling Club.

Twenty-four men’s teams, including defending Nova Scotia champion Jamie Murphy, will compete for their share of a $31,000 prize purse. Defending champ Brad Gushue is not entered, so there will be a new men’s champion. The field includes PEI’s Eddie MacKenzie and Jamie Newson rinks, along with Jeff Thomas from NL, and Nova Scotia teams skipped by  Shawn Adams, Paul Dexter, Mike Flemming, Brent MacDougall, Matthew Manuel, Robert Mayhew, Chad Stevens, Kendal Thompson and Stuart Thompson. New Brunswick teams are captained by Rene Comeau, Jason Roach and Wayne Tallon, while Michael Fournier is competing from Quebec. The final of this triple-knockout event with eight teams advancing to the playoffs is on Sunday.

The 15 team women’s draw includes PEI’s Robyn MacPhee rink, hot off a win at the Royal Lepage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic in Ontario, and a runner-up finish at the Lady Monctonian. 

Jill Brothers, the reigning Dave Jones champ as well as provincial and Lady Monctonian winner, tops the Nova Scotia field which also includes Mary-Anne Arsenault, Coralie Ayre, Emily Ball, Theresa Breen, reigning world junior champ Kristin Clarke, defending Canadian senior champ Colleen Jones, Kristen MacDiarmid, Mary Mattatall, Julie McEvoy and Colleen Pinkney. Melissa Adams and Rebecca Atkinson are the New Brunswick women’s  rinks taking part, along with the Samantha Peters squad from Ontario.

The women will play in three, five-team pools with six rinks going to the playoff round.

Livestream coverage of  games on Sheet 5 is available on Bell Aliant TV1: http://player.communitylive.ca/Player/GetEvent/2642

CurlingZone live results (Men’s): http://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Scores&eventid=4311

CurlingZone live results (Women’s): http://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Scores&eventid=4329