11°c Partly cloudy
8°c Light rain
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Burtnyk returns to Selkirk as No. 1
Defending champ is up against tough competition
Top seed Kerry Burtnyk won the 2001 provincial curling championship in Selkirk, emerging triumphant from an epic battle with Dale Duguid. He was named the number one seed this year. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS )
He won the Manitoba men's provincial curling final over Dale Duguid that year in a game at the Selkirk Recreational Centre that is regarded as perhaps the greatest provincial final in Manitoba curling history, so well-played that tapes of it are used today as teaching aids.
It was a career highlight for a man who has had so many of them. But it also put Burtnyk on a path that would see him later that same year forced to endure the unimaginable disappointment of losing both the final of the Brier and the final of the Canadian Curling Trials, missing a chance to go to the worlds and the Olympics by one game both times.
And if that wasn't enough, those two disappointments on the ice book-ended the cancer surgery on his head that Burtnyk also had to undergo that same summer.
Put it all together and 2001 was a year Burtnyk will never forget -- and one that he was remembering in detail Thursday with the announcement that his defending champion foursome will be the top seed next week when Burtnyk returns to Selkirk to play in the 2009 provincial men's curling championship.
"It was quite a year for me personally," said Burtnyk. "I will probably remember that year for the rest of my life."
But if you think they're bad memories, you'd think wrong. "I wouldn't say that," offered Burtnyk. "It was definitely a challenging year and it had some highs and lows. But I definitely would not describe it as a bad year at all. To be in the final of a Brier and an Olympic Trials in the same year is in itself quite an achievement.
"And to overcome a battle with cancer at the same time? I think there was a lot more good things that happened that year than bad things. But it really was highs and lows. Losing that Olympic Trials berth, curling-wise, was probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to overcome."
Indeed, eight years later, he's still trying to find that elusive Olympics berth and said Thursday that for him, winning in Selkirk next week is as much about earning points towards qualifying for this December's Trials as it is about getting back to the Brier.
But Burtnyk's not the only one in that hunt. Perpetual rival Jeff Stoughton was anointed the second seed yesterday and -- to no one's surprise -- young upstart Mike McEwen was named the third seed.
McEwen lost the semifinal to Burtnyk at last year's provincials, but is back this year stronger and more experienced after an excellent cash spiel season.
Burtnyk likes McEwen's chances in Selkirk -- "He's fully capable of beating anyone on any given day" -- and so too does McEwen. "We think we can win," said McEwen, "and we'd definitely be a good (Brier) rep."
But McEwen also acknowledges that he needs to bring a different attitude this year than he brought to that semifinal loss to Burtnyk last year.
"We need to play to win," said McEwen, "and not so much not to lose."
The seeds
TOP 10 seeds for the upcoming Safeway Provincial Men's Curling Championship, Feb. 18-22 at the Selkirk Recreation Centre:
1. Kerry Burtnyk, Assiniboine Memorial
2. Jeff Stoughton, Charleswood
3. Mike McEwen, Assiniboine Memorial
4. Peter Nicholls, Deer Lodge
5. Reid Carruthers, West Kildonan
6. David Bohn, Assiniboine Memorial
7. Allan Lyburn, Brandon
8. Terry McNamee, Brandon
9. Daley Peters, Beausejour
10. Dave Boehmer, Petersfield
TV coverage
GLOBAL has stepped aside and Shaw TV will be providing televised coverage of this year's Safeway Championship. Former CBC sports anchor Mike Beauregard and former Jeff Stoughton third Jon Mead will be in the booth, while Shaw TV sports reporter Jim Toth will host.
Here's the broadcast schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m.
Tape delay of 12:15 draw
Thursday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m.
Tape delay of 12:15 draw
Friday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
Tape delay of 12:15 draw
Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
Live playoff coverage on Shaw TV throughout Western Canada and Star Choice, Channel 299
Sunday, Feb. 22, 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m.
Live coverage of the semifinal and final on Shaw TV throughout Western Canada and on Star Choice, Channel 299
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 13, 2009 C3
More Columnists
- Back to Top
- Return to Columnists
Poll
Proudly brought to you by:
Most Popular Columnists
- No warning, consultation sounds like a city move
- Just treatment for mentally ill offenders an old idea
- Nani bringing skills to Manitoba
- Who is really getting railroaded?
- A life much too short won't be forgotten
- Enjoy winter? Sorry, that's not in the budget
- Penner's in a good place
- Time for you to make a stink over smelly co-worker
- His life made our world a better place
- Former Goldeyes star tried to take his life, but instead decided to face challenges head on
- Leaders refuse to give up on plan to improve ugly stretch of Route 90
- Good things come in small packages
- His life made our world a better place
- It's a 'disease,' the studies agree
- Jets could be greatly affected by deal
- Take a page from the European playbook
- Shy, kind and soft-spoken -- with the power to infuriate
- Strong growth in rural retail
- For Tim's mother, the issue is safety
- Football owes players some medical answers
- If we build it, look out
- Common courtesy decreasingly common
- Leaders refuse to give up on plan to improve ugly stretch of Route 90
- Majumder surprisingly frank -- and funny -- in HBO special
- Empty inside
- Katz versus Ford
- Can't share a vision when no one asks
- Some can't afford humane thing to do
- 'A special kind of sad'
- Riding changes could make Green blue
- His life made our world a better place
- Kelvin's Blossom Boys back for 100th anniversary
- Rob Lowe shooting Casey Anthony story here
- English language rules the world
- It's a 'disease,' the studies agree
- His life made our world a better place
- English language rules the world
- Strong growth in rural retail
- Long haul 'family' Every employee is a spoke in the wheel at Bison Transport
- Gluten-free doesn't mean bad taste
- Try cheese toast, caesar dressing at Like Hy's
- Where's our piece of N.D. oil boom?
- Rob Lowe shooting Casey Anthony story here
- Starring role in playoffs is payback for Zajac
- It's a 'disease,' the studies agree
- The birth of a banana republic
- His life made our world a better place
- Rail firm looks to grain
- Play's the thing to catch conscience of Parliament
- Hope turns to dust in Niger
- The prince and the paper
- You've got a Target? We're in
- 'A special kind of sad'
- Common courtesy decreasingly common
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.