A different kind of pressure

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This article was published 10/02/2022 (1497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reid Carruthers has played in a big game or two in his day.

But coaching a Scotties final? That’s a whole different level of stress.

“It’s not even close. Definitely the coaching,” Carruthers told the Free Press after he and skip Mike McEwen, second Derek Samagalski, and lead Colin Hodgson opened their week at the Viterra Championship at the Selkirk Curling Club with a 7-2 victory over Pinawa’s Richard Muntain on Thursday morning.

“I’m going to be really nice to (Team McEwen coach) Rob (Meakin) this week.”

Carruthers was wearing red and white in Thunder Bay, Ont., last week as he coached Kerri Einarson who ended up winning her third straight national championship. Hodgson was also there coaching his mixed-doubles partner, Chelsea Carey.

“Not being on the ice and not being able to influence what’s going on in the moment is difficult to do,” said Hodgson.

“… (But) I loved it. It’s really interesting to see some of the different things that you can bring to the table for a team that might not have thought about things in the same way. Seeing them implement it, that was exciting and what I really, really enjoyed about it… I learned a ton from Chelsea and the whole team.”

The Scotties and Viterra were initially scheduled for the same time, but when Curl Manitoba pushed back the men’s provincials to this week, it opened the door for Carruthers and Hodgson to accept their respective coaching opportunities.

Carruthers quickly learned what makes Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, and lead Briane Meilleur one of the most dominant teams in curling today.

“They’re very talented athletes. They work extremely hard. I think I had two weeks with them and five practices as a group. They were full out, two hours, full sweeping every shot, emptying the tank, really into the line calls, angry if they missed. The intensity was there which was really cool. They really just go for it on and off the ice. All the time they’re in go mode.”

While Carruthers, 37, and Hodgson, 31, still have a lot of playing left to do, they both hope to do more coaching at the elite level in the future. Although, they both acknowledged it’s not as easy as it looks.

“Every second end I could say something because they’d be down at the scoreboard with me and you have two timeouts, but you have very limited time. It almost forces you to say less because you have less time,” Carruthers said.

“You really have to make it count so it really makes you focus on what you’re seeing and eliminate some of the extra noise that sometimes when you’re on the ice playing you might be guilty of adding. I definitely wasn’t used to that coaching role and I was nervous back there, but it was a totally different perspective and I loved every minute of it.”

Carruthers can now say he’s won the Brier (2011), the Canadian mixed doubles (2017) and Scotties, but his teammate is quick to remind him that he hasn’t won it all.

“You gotta win the seniors still,” Hodgson said with a smile. “And the four-person mixed.”

Carruthers responded with “Well, I feel like with the grey hair I have coming in that I’m close for that senior title there.”

But before Carruthers can pursue that, he’s hoping his current group can win the Viterra and avoid heading to the Brier as Team Wild Card for a third straight year.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you go to that event and get to play in it… It’s such an honour to wear (the buffalo) logo on your back,” said Carruthers.

“It comes with a lot of pride. Anyone that’s playing in this event, they want it really bad. It’s just such a rich curling history in Manitoba so when you go to the Brier, you feel prepared after coming through this event that you’re ready to go and perform.”

CALVERT AVOIDS UPSET, WIEBE GETS REMATCH WITH GUNNLAUGSON

The top four teams at the Viterra — Jason Gunnlaugson, McEwen, Colton Lott (Winnipeg Beach), and Braden Calvert (Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club) — all received first round byes and went on to win their second round matchups.

But Calvert had the biggest scare of them all. Calvert was dealt a difficult draw with a meeting with an accomplished young team in Brett Walter late Tuesday night. Walter scored a pair in the 10th to force an extra end, but Calvert managed to prevail 6-5.

“I think with everyone shaking off rust, the more games you can get in is probably for the better. So having the bye, I definitely don’t think it was an advantage, but with that being said, it was good to get the win,” Calvert said “… It definitely came down to the nitty gritty there. We went into it thinking it would, though. That team is very solid.”

Calvert was off Thursday and will meet Deer Lodge’s Jordon McDonald in Friday’s early draw.

One of the most highly anticipated games on Thursday was Fort Rouge’s Ryan Wiebe and Assiniboine’s J.T. Ryan battling it out to see who would advance to play Gunnlaugson in the third round. Wiebe, who was the only team to beat Gunnlaugson at the 2020 Viterra, will have a chance to do it again this year as he outlasted Ryan 5-4. Wiebe and Gunnlaugson also play Friday’s morning draw.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31