Memories of throwing stones on the Rock

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This article was published 09/03/2017 (3431 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Cathy Gauthier remembers the rink, the shot, the euphoria and the excruciating pain.

The Winnipegger, Canadian Curling Hall of Famer and curling commentator with TSN stepped into Mile One Centre nearly a week ago and memories from a dozen years ago came flooding back.

Gauthier had the best view in the downtown arena of one of curling’s all-time scintillating shots. Playing lead for Team Manitoba, she and Jill Officer were the brushers for Jennifer Jones, who was down 6-4 and needed a miracle to dislodge the shot stone of Ontario’s Jenn Hanna from the button in the last end of the 2005 Scotties national women’s curling championship final in St. John’s.

Jones launched a granite missile, which deflected off Ontario’s guard outside the rings, slid across the house, slammed out the trouble stone and came to rest for a count of four and a stunning comeback.

Gauthier said thoughts of that week, that moment, in the Newfoundland capital still evoke chills.

“When I walked in, I had a little moment to myself,” she said. “It was emotional.”

Gauthier, the winner of four provincial and Canadian women’s titles and the 2015 world senior women’s crown, said the St. John’s Scotties was a spectacular event, and the Jones crew was treated like family.

“This is a very special place,” she said. “I remember it was a long way to go for a Scotties, but once we were here it was really incredible. And then to win it all… there’s nothing better.”

The week-long event did have an unpleasant side as well. That week, several players came down with nasty colds and the Manitoba women were not immune to the bug.

“I was so sick and I remember the last three days I couldn’t hear anything,” said Gauthier. “When I got on a plane to go home and we landed in Halifax, it wasn’t good — really brutal pain. We landed in Toronto and my ear drum burst and I passed out. I remember waking up in the airport and them saying I couldn’t fly the rest of the way.

“It took me three days to get home by train. We pulled into the station, I heard the bagpipes and I started to cry. They had bagpipers there and the team had come to greet me.”

The Scotties triumph would be the final chapter of Gauthier’s brilliant career. In fact, she knew even before the dramatic finish that she was done. 

“I remember standing there, looking at the big Jumbotron as Jen made her way down on the last shot, and they had a list of all the things that go to the winner — there was about 12 things — and to the loser there were just rings. And I remember thinking, ‘I’m OK with either.’ I wanted her to make that shot, but I already knew in my head that it was the end of the road for me.

“So, it made winning that much better.”

Ten years later, Gauthier came out of retirement to play seniors, winning provincial and national titles and a gold medal at the worlds in Sochi, Russia, playing front end for Lois Fowler.

About a dozen family and friends of Team Manitoba have made the long trip to the nation’s most easterly city this week to support Mike McEwen’s buffalo crew.

Included in the group is Mike’s wife, Dawn, who’s been in this arena before. She played second for Jenn Hanna’s Ottawa team that suffered that crushing defeat to Jennifer Jones in ’05. Jones is also here, supporting her husband, Brent Laing, second for Kevin Koe’s defending Brier championship foursome. She has her kids with her and is keeping a low profile.

The Jones team of Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and McEwen, perennial favourites at the national Scotties, failed to make it out of Manitoba this season. The five-time Canadian champion lost the semifinal to Darcy Robertson, who eventually fell to Michelle Englot 8-6 in the final.

Jones has skipped in a dozen Scotties Tournament of Hearts since 2002, including 10 of the last 11. Her team won Olympic gold in 2014 and has already locked down a spot in the 2017 Canadian Olympic Trials in December in Ottawa.

Mike McEwen said in addition to being a truly proud spouse, he’s also had the privilege of seeing first-hand how Team Jones, the World Curling Tour’s second-ranked women’s squad, runs its business.

“I’ve been fortunate to be dragged around all over the world with them, and I’ve had amazing experiences from a fan’s perspective,” he said.

“The big payoff for me is personal growth and curling growth by having that direct feed to their team, tapping into what they do. 

“They’re pioneers as far as their preparation, what happens behind the scenes and all the work they put in to become better. It’s an advantage to have that contact with a team that does things world class, all the time,” McEwen added.

“I’ve brought some of those things into my own team, so that’s been something extra from the relationship that I never thought would have helped my men’s curling career.”

 jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell