Gushue enters 2022 Tim Hortons Brier playoffs undefeated

Gushue said after a couple of years playing with little or no fans in the stands because of COVID-19, it’s been refreshing to play in front of a crowd at the ENMAX Centre this week.

“It’s great. Even having 10 people in the stands is better than what we had in the bubble last year, and to have a good crowd that’s excited to be here like it is this week – it’s fun.”

Last year, the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier was played inside of a ‘bubble’ at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park behind closed doors, meaning there were no fans in the stands.

At that event, Gushue’s Team Canada placed fourth, barely missing the playoffs. The 2021 Brier was eventually won by Team Alberta, skipped by Brendan Bottcher. Only three teams qualified due to the tournament’s modified format. Although Gushue’s rink did not make the playoffs last year, he said his crew did not dwell on that going into the 2022 event.

“We finished fourth. We were close, but that didn’t have any impact on us this year.”

BEIJING OLYMPICS

So far this year, it hasn’t been quiet for Gushue’s rink, with the team having travelled to Beijing in February to compete in the Olympic Games. There, they won a bronze medal.

Gushue told LNN the Olympic experience provided both a positive and a bit of a negative effect going into the Brier this week.

He said, “I think we feel like we’re playing a bit with house money. We are coming in here with not much rest, not much energy to be quite honest and, you know, that’s a good and a bad thing.”

“It’s good in that it probably lets you play a little ‘free-er’ and takes some of the pressure off, but then it also is difficult to get that intensity where, you know, you have to be to win an event like this, so it’s kind of a double-edge sword.”

On the impact of having fans in the stands again, he added, “coming off Beijing, we didn’t have anybody in the stands there, so to come here and hear those roars after a great shot, it’s pretty cool.”

Looking ahead at the playoffs in the 2022 Brier, Gushue noted that “each game, we’ve probably had one guy that’s ‘not there’, so hopefully in the playoffs, we can get all four guys going at the same time.”

He added that everybody on his team is crucial and his rink’s strategy going into the playoffs is ensuring they play with intensity and make sure they avoid creating any bad habits.

The draw between Gushue’s Wild Card #1 and Gunnlaugson’s Wild Card #3 on Thursday, March 10, 2022 went to an extra end, with Gushue’s rink earning the 6-5 win. (Lethbridge News Now)

The playoffs at the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier start Friday, March 11, at the ENMAX Centre in Lethbridge.

Gushue’s top finish in Pool B earned his rink a bye for the first round.

Kevin Koe’s Team Alberta secured a bye with its top finish in Pool A. Koe earned seven wins and suffered one loss throughout the week. Brendan Bottcher’s Team Canada advanced from Pool A as well, joining Brad Jacobs’ Team Northern Ontario from Pool B in the playoffs.

A full schedule and scoring updates are available through Curling Canada’s website.

LNN was able to speak with Wild Card #3 skip Jason Gunnlaugson following his match with Gushue’s rink Thursday morning. Gunnlaugson defeated Mike McEwen’s Team Manitoba 9-3 in a tie-breaker Friday morning, March 11, to advance to the playoffs. The other tie-breaker Friday saw Colton Flasch’s Team Saskatchewan defeat Matt Dunstone’s Wild Card #2 9-5 to advance.

by Justin Goulet

Gushue enters 2022 Tim Hortons Brier playoffs undefeated

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