McEwen snags spot in fifth Canadian championship

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This article was published 28/02/2020 (2361 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KINGSTON, Ont. — Mike McEwen is credited with coming up with the concept of the wild-card game — well before he knew how badly he’d need it.

But for the second time in three years, a team skipped by the 39-year-old Winnipegger came through in the clutch on the eve of the Brier. McEwen slipped into the Canadian men’s curling championship after a 5-4 victory over living legend Glenn Howard of Ontario in the last-chance, play-in game Friday night.

McEwen used his final rock of the 10th end to draw for the decisive point, earning his fifth consecutive Brier appearance. His West St. Paul crew of third Reid Carruthers, second Derek Samagalski and lead Colin Hodgson will compete as Team Wild Card in the 16-team field at Leon’s Centre.

“That’s about as uncomfortable a game, other than a Brier final, that you can get. To play in that kind of atmosphere, I think that’s good experience for anybody,” said McEwen. “You’re the only sheet out there, the building was full of fans. That’s about as much pressure as you’re ever gonna get until you get to the final.

“I love that we won that and hopefully we can put that experience to work later in the week if we play well enough.”

The event begins today with draws at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. CT. McEwen battles a familiar foe, Matt Dunstone, a Manitoban who is skipping Team Saskatchewan, in the evening draw.

McEwen suggested to Curling Canada in 2017 that if the organization was going to introduce a new format at the Canadian men’s and women’s championships with two eight-team pools, the 16th entry should be determined by a wild-card game featuring the country’s top-ranked teams still without a provincial or territorial berth. 

McEwen was the Brier’s first-ever Team Wild Card two years ago in Regina after defeating Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris. Now, they join the Gunnlaugson quartet — Team Manitoba — in Kingston.

“That’s special. I was just the first one to blurt (the idea) out. I’m sure there’s a lot of smart people that run this enterprise that might have come up with it. Fortunately I’ve played in it two out of three times,” said McEwen.

“If you’re in this game, men’s or ladies, you’ve really earned it. You’ve busted your butt on tour and you’ve grinded it out on tour to be in this position. I think this game, with the format we have, is perfect to kick off the Brier, Friday night.”

Locked up 2-2 with Howard in the fifth end, McEwen hit a front rock too thick and missed a double-takeout, but made up for the mistake with a terrific draw to the top of the button with his last stone. Still with shot rock, Howard tossed a rocket to chip out the opposing red stone for a possible three but flashed and had to settle for one.

McEwen kept things clean in the sixth and seventh to post successive blanks, and then wielded hammer for a crucial deuce in the eighth to seize a 4-3 lead. Howard nearly slashed out two red stones with his last rock… nearly. Instead, McEwen was left with shot stone in the back 12-foot, and he gave it some company with a routine draw to the rings.

In the ninth, McEwen had a pair of rocks stacked up in the eight-foot, and Howard made them disappear with his hammer to score a single and even things 4-4. Coming home, a key double-peel by Carruthers opened things up for McEwen’s eventual game-winning draw. 

“I was really nervous before that one,” Carruthers admitted. “Come all the way to the Brier and you might have to go home. I feel bad for Glenn’s team because they’re obviously good friends of mine and they obviously played well. That was a really close game.” 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell