McEwen missing 1-man cheering section

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This article was published 08/03/2017 (3314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Mike McEwen doesn’t have one of his biggest fans in the crowd at Mile One Centre.

The Manitoba skip missed having his father’s support at the 2016 Brier in Ottawa and, unfortunately, he isn’t sharing the experience with his dad this week at the national men’s curling championship in St. John’s.

Ed McEwen died in November.

The senior McEwen’s illness kept him from making it to the nation’s capital to watch Mike make his Brier debut last March.

“He wasn’t well enough to go to Ottawa last year, so it’s tough because we’re back at the Brier again,” the 36-year-old said “We weren’t that close as I got older, but the one thing we could always talk about was curling.

“He loved curling. That’s the connection we shared.”

Mike, who was born and raised in Brandon — attending Crocus Plains High School and Brandon University — grips a piece of equipment with every stone he throws that has more sentimental than fundamental value.

It’s the stubby, duct tape-wrapped corn broom, officially called The Boss, he’s used in his tuck delivery for the past 20 years.

“It was my dad’s broom but I think it was nearly brand new,” Mike said. “It was in the garage in Brandon, and dad used it to sweep snow off the cars.”

Pfeifer stands in for Hebert

One of curling’s most decorated front-end players was inserted into the Team Canada lineup Tuesday morning and didn’t look entirely out of place.

Scott Pfeifer, fifth on Team Canada, filled in at lead for Ben Hebert, who has been hampered by a torn meniscus in a knee that requires surgery at the end of the season.

Admittedly, the four-time Brier winner and three-time world champion while serving as Randy Ferbey’s sharp-shooting second in the early 2000s didn’t play lights-out, but had a decent outing as defending champion Kevin Koe rolled to an 8-5 triumph over Jamie Murphy of Nova Scotia.

Pfeifer was fifth for Koe last year at the Ottawa Brier and the worlds in Basel, Switzerland, but hadn’t thrown a rock at the nationals since 2005 when he, Ferbey, David Nedohin and Marcel Rocque captured a fourth Canadian title in five years.

“There was definitely some rust on me there,” said Pfeifer, who threw 71 per cent. “You get to thow practice rocks after the games. But to come out on fresh ice, it’s a little daunting. The guys did a great job of cleaning up after me when I made a few mistakes.

“I’m a part-time player now. That was only my sixth or seventh game of the year,” Pfeifer added, noting Hebert should be good to go most games. “I hope I don’t have to play. Hopefully, Ben’s all ready to go every time, but I gotta be prepared.”

Sparing here isn’t like getting a call to fill in on a Tuesday night men’s league game.

‘It was in the garage in Brandon, and dad used it to sweep snow off the cars’Team Manitoba skip Mike McEwen, on the old broom he uses as a balance aid while throwing stones

“This is a big stage. Luckily, I have experience playing on arena ice. It helps with the comfort level,” Pfeifer said. “I can’t say I’m much of a competitive player at all anymore, but it’s a little like riding a bike. You never forget the thrill of being out there.”

Casey a cross-country asset

Adam Casey is gaining a reputation as a “have broom, will travel” kind of guy.

The 27-year-old curler from Charlottetown is competing in his fifth Brier, this time making the final decisions and throwing the last rock for Saskatchewan.

Casey made three Brier appearances with Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador (2012, ’13 and ’14) and then guided his own team to back-to-back Prince Edward Island championships in 2015 and 2016. His team finished a disappointing 2-9 in Ottawa last year and then parted company in the late spring, and Casey was a free agent — until Shaun Meachem of Regina reached out.

“It was just a call out of the blue. I didn’t know who they were and spent some time on the Internet and called a couple of people I knew that did play with them in the past and had good reviews,” Casey said. “My phone wasn’t ringing off the hook and I really looked at these guys as my best option to advance my career. It was a good fit.”

He’s feeling a solid connection with Meachem, third Catlin Schneider and lead Dustin Kidby. The team upended three-time defending champion Steve Laycock in the provincial final.

Casey is just the fifth Canadian curler to secure Brier berths with three different provinces or territories. He joins John Morris (Ontario, Alberta and B.C.), John’s dad, Earle Morris (Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario), Ryan Fry (Manitoba, N.L., and Northern Ontario), and Chris Schille (N.L., Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories).

“I guess that puts me as the front-runner to be the first guy to go to four,” Casey said. “No, no… I’m just kidding.

“Ideally, the same group of guys stay together six to eight years and kind of jell with each other.”

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