‘A monkey off our back’

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This article was published 12/03/2012 (5157 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SASKATOON — He was the best at the Brier all week long. That wasn’t news.

But for the first time since 2007, Ontario’s Glenn Howard’s squad was also the best team on the ice in the Brier final. And that’s big news.

Howard snapped a three-game losing streak in Brier finals with a meticulous 7-6 deconstruction of an Alberta team who looked over-matched from the very first rock here in the final of the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier.

“Yeahhhhhh!,” Howard roared as he stepped into a mob of waiting reporters. “Son of a gun that feels good. I told you we’d bring our A-game and we did…

“It’s a great feeling and a little bit of a monkey off our back.”

Howard scored deuces in the first, fourth and sixth ends, held Alberta’s Kevin Koe to singles in the second and fifth ends and had a commanding 6-2 lead heading into the seventh end on a night when it was clear not even the mighty Richardsons themselves were going to deny Howard his fourth Canadian men’s curling championship and first since 2007.

Koe kept battling and Howard ultimately had to throw his last rock of the 10th end, but the final outcome was never really in doubt.

The victory was the 10th in a row at this event for Howard, who finished the week with a 12-1 record. The win over Koe also represented a measure of revenge for Howard, who was upset in the 2010 Brier final by Koe after going 12-0 through the week only to lose his last game.

“We were just a little bit off today,” said Koe, “and they played awesome.”

And none better than Ontario third Wayne Middaugh, who shot a sizzling 98 per cent in the final and was named MVP in winning his third Canadian title. It was the second Canadian men’s championship for both second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill and the first title for Howard alternate — and son — Scott Howard.

For all of Howard’s troubles in Brier finals over the years — he improved his career record to 4-7 with last night’s victory — he’s been nothing short of perfect on the world stage, winning world championships all three times he represented Canada in the past — in 1987 and 1993 as third for brother Russ and in 2007 as skip of his own team.

Howard said he likes his chances to make it four straight at the 2012 Worlds Men’s Curling Championship in Basel, Switzerland, Mar. 31-Apr. 8.

“Darn right, we’re going to give it a good shot,” said Howard. “I like the way we’re going. I don’t know if you know, but we’re 34-1 in our last 35 games. We’re on a bit of a run and I hope we can bring that into Basel.”

The right to represent Canada at the worlds is just the beginning of what the Howard foursome won Sunday night. In addition to Maple Leafs, the team also picks up $40,000 in appearance money as a Brier finalist, $144,000 in tax-free Sport Canada funding over two years, $40,000 in training money from the Own the Podium program and berths in the 2012 Canada Cup and 2013 Continental Cup.

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The win also puts him in the driver’s seat to claim the berth into the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials that will go to the leading points-getter on the Canadian Team Ranking System at the end of this winter. Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen had led that race almost the entire season until now.

The loss by Koe denied Alberta what would have been a sweep of the four major Canadian curling championships this winter.

LOOSEHAIRS — Total attendance at Credit Union Place was 177,226, making it the eighth-best attended Brier in history.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca