Green pride despite 37-year drought

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This article was published 05/03/2018 (2929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — It’s not that easy being green.

Indeed, that famous disclosure by Kermit the Frog decades ago holds oh-so-true for Saskatchewan squads that sweep into the Canadian men’s curling championship with the best of intentions, only to depart with nothing to show for it.

Not since 1980 has a team from the land of the living skies hoisted the Brier’s hallowed trophy. That’s when Rick Folk guided his Saskatoon team to both national and world championship titles.

The 37-year drought doesn’t sit well with fans from a curling-crazed province that produced the legendary Ernie Richardson and his famous family team, which captured four Briers and world championships during a remarkable five-year run from 1959 to 1963.

Some perspective here: Manitoba teams have secured seven national titles since Folk’s feat.

Winnipeg product Matt Dunstone, 22, is trying help stop the madness this week, although the window of opportunity is gradually sliding shut. He throws last rocks for Steve Laycock’s Saskatoon team, the sentimental favourite among the 16 here at Brandt Centre.

Dunstone, a former two-time Canadian junior champion, joined Laycock this past March, when second Colton Flasch chose to go his own way. Dunstone began the 2017-18 season as the second, but was thrust into thepressure-cooker role of delivering the final stones a few weeks before the Olympic trials in Ottawa this past December.

The opportunity to join an established, upper-echelon squad was simply too good to pass up, he said.

“Steve’s been one of the great skips in the game for a long time now and, being the age I am, I thought it’d be a great learning opportunity to see how a professional curling team is run,” Dunstone said. “I’ve learned a ton from these guys and I hope they’ve learned a little bit from me.”

Laycock throws third stones and makes the executive decisions, Kirk Muyres plays second and Dallan Muyres, Kirk’s brother, is the lead.

The foursome defeated a Flasch-skipped squad in early February in Estevan to secure a berth in the Regina rock-fest.

Dunstone is participating in his first Brier and is proud to be sporting a green jersey.

“I’ve said it before, but it really is a dream come true, one of those things you picture as a kid,” he said. “It’s very cool, playing in front of a crowd that’s really on our side. I got goosebumps when they started the ‘Let’s go, Saskatchewan’ chant.

“I can only imagine what this place is going to be like once we start stringing together some wins.”

Team Saskatchewan dropped its first two games of the Brier, including a 7-5 extra-end loss Sunday morning to Manitoba, skipped by Reid Carruthers, but rebounded to dump James Grattan of New Brunswick 9-4 on the evening draw.

Carruthers has Regina’s own Braeden Moskowy hurling third stones. Dunstone is buddies with all the fellows on Manitoba.

“I didn’t think about it as playing my own province. I was just playing Reid Carruthers like any other event,” he said. “But it’s definitely different wearing this colour and seeing (Moskowy) in his yellow colour. I thought we should have traded.”

Saskatchewan has had a few close calls, with runner-up honours going to Eugene Hritzuk in 1988, Randy Woytowich in 1991 and Brad Heidt in 1995. Its last, best shot at a title came 10 years ago, when Pat Simmons lost the semifinal in an extra end to Ontario’s Glenn Howard.

Laycock played lead on that team. He’s been to six Briers and has finished third twice, including 2015 as a skip.

He said recruiting Dunstone was really a no-brainer.

“Matt was one of the first people whose name came up when we were looking for a player. He’s a proven winner. I like when a guy can win in different situations. When a guy can do that, it’s a sign he’s the common denominator in that success,” Laycock said.

Dunstone’s junior squad of Colton Lott, Daniel Grant and Brendan MacCuish captured a Canadian crown in 2013 in Fort McMurray, Alta., and he duplicated the feat three years later in Stratford, Ont., with a lineup featuring Lott, Kyle Doering and Robbie Gordon.

Sandwiched in there, he guided the University of Manitoba men’s team — with Jim Coleman, Grant and Chris Gallant — to a Canadian collegiate title.

He’s widely considered one of the bright young stars of the game in Canada.

“The talent he brings to the team is incredible… He’s an amazing teammate, has taken all feedback and (is a) very coachable guy, he’s got a great future because of that,” Laycock said.

Does the 35-year-old Yorkton product tire of reminders about Saskatchewan’s losing ways?

“Look at any province that hasn’t had a Kevin Martin, Jeff Stoughton, Randy Ferbey or Glenn Howard playing for them. We’re all up against guys that have been super elite for 20 years,” Laycock said.

“It’s getting to be one of those things we now joke about. There are four guys on my team, I’m the oldest by quite a bit and I haven’t seen (a Brier go green) in my lifetime.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPJasonBell