After disappointing 2016, Murphy makes the Brier

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This article was published 04/03/2017 (3214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Jamie Murphy’s been on the other side and knows just how painful saying goodbye can be before things even get going.

Murphy’s Nova Scotia team earned the right to join 11 other squads at the 2017 Brier after surviving the much-maligned and now officially extinct four-team pre-qualifying round at the Canadian men’s curling championship.

Nova Scotia upended Craig Kochan of Yukon Territories 9-6 Saturday afternoon to slip into the main Brier draw.

The very same format kept them out a year ago. Murphy, third Jordan Pinder, second Scott Saccary and lead Phil Crowell lost the 2016 qualifying final in Ottawa on the last rock to Jamie Koe of Northwest Territories.

“We’re four guys who work for a living but curling’s our passion, so it was hard to come to this event (2016 in Ottawa) and leave after three days,” he said. “We’re happy to get through this time.

“I feel for those guys. I know what it’s like to get that close,” Murphy added. “It’s bittersweet because I hate to see those guys go home.”

The three-year experiment — used at the Brier and the Scotties national women’s championship — of a four-team playoff between the lowest-seeded provinces and territories is finally over.

Starting in 2018, all provinces and territories will be represented, along with Team Canada, Northern Ontario and a 16th team to be named later. Fields will be split into eight-team pools, and four teams from each pool will advance to a championship round.

Murphy was also the last Nova Scotia skip to play in the full Brier. He lost 11 straight contests in 2014, forcing the province into a pre-qualifying event they couldn’t get through — until now.

“We feel a lot of support from the players and the fans — the roars have been great. We felt it from a lot of people that wanted Nova Scotia back in this thing,” he said. “We’re happy to be the one to do it.

“Technically, we haven’t even played our first game, yet,” he joked. “It’s gonna be a long week, but I’d rather it be a long week than none, for sure. We’ve played four games, the fatigue factor could certainly get in there, but the boys ahead of me are in good shape and, hopefully, they can drag me along for the ride.”

In fact, his front end dragged his final stone of the extra end right to the button Saturday night for a count of one and a 6-5 victory over Glenn Howard of Ontario.

Jacobs climbs ladder

Brad Jacobs wondered Saturday if winning the annual Hot Shots skills competition was a blessing or burden.

The Northern Ontario skip and former Olympic gold medallist registered 21 of a possible 25 points in a five-shot showdown with Quebec third Martin Crête, who managed 12 points in the final.

The 31-year-old from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., earned a two-year lease on a 2017 Ford Escape SUV. Crête picked up $2,000 for finishing second.

Reminded that Ontario skip Rachel Homan won the Hot Shots and the Scotties national women’s title a few weeks ago in St. Catharines, Ont., Jacobs flashed a grimace.

“That’s right… now it could be a curse,” he said, adding, “but curses are made to be broken.”

He knocked off his own third, Winnipegger Ryan Fry, in the Hot Shots semifinal. The two held the brooms and called line for each other.

Jacobs vows he neither iced Fry wide nor delayed in urging on the sweepers.

“No, no… I actually told myself earlier I’d probably try harder on Fry’s line calls than my own,” he said with a chuckle.

“You want to do the best you can for a teammate.”

Later, Jacobs and Fry combined with brother Ryan and E.J. Harnden to defeat John Morris of British Columbia 9-7 in the opening draw for both teams.

In the Hot Shots, the five tricky shots included two that replicated famous tosses made by Northern Ontario’s Al Hackner in the 1985 Brier final and Saskatchewan’s Sandra Schmirler in the final of the 1997 Olympic Trials.

The Hackner shot was a skinny double-takeout against Alberta’s Pat Ryan to score two in the 10th end, forcing an extra end, in which Hackner stole the winning point.

The Schmirler shot, a steep in-off, scored a pivotal three against Alberta’s Shannon Kleibrink. Schmirler eventually won, and continued on with a gold-medal performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

“The Hackner shot’s tough, you have to hit it so thin,” Jacobs said.

— Jason Bell