#Curling S1920 W12

#BetweenTheSheets: Time To Give Thanks

What are YOU thankful for this holiday season?

Happy Turkey Weekend rock heads!

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. Technically Thanksgiving is Monday but why not celebrate all weekend right? We all have A LOT to be thankful for.

Last year in this very blog space I wrote about what I was most thankful for. All of those comments can be carried over to this year for the same reason. If you want a refresher, check it out HERE.

But what are you thankful for?

This is quite an emotional week to be honest. It is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Thursday was World Mental Health Day. Friday is National Coming Out Day. Combine all of these "days" and it can be a mental grind.

I am feeling it this week too. From #MIAW19 to #WorldMentalHealthDay to #NCOD, all of these have had an impact on my life. Just click those links above for proof. I re-share my thoughts, feelings and stories will all of you because I am thankful I can.

I am thankful for creating a platform where I can be myself and share my personal feelings without feeling of ridicule. And I am thankful I have created a platform where, hopefully, others feel they can share with me.

I attended a mental health event Thursday night where guest speakers and those in the room discussed issues like stigma, stereotypes, creating a better environment for ourselves and others and many other mental health-related topics. You would be surprised I am sure to learn I had a lot to share.

But the common theme I shared and discussed with a few attendees after the talk wrapped up was "Help Yourself to Help One Another to Help Yourself". Think of it as a circle. There is no end and no beginning. But if we keep the circle spinning what happens? You help yourself which feeds into helping others while continues to help yourself which once again can help others. And it continues. And continues. And continues.

Look I am no expert. And you all know I have my fair share of struggles and low points in my life to overcome. It is never easy. I still get frustrated. I still have low days. I still get angry at those who hurt me or walked away from me in my biggest time of need.

Heck, sometimes I see them now being mental health and/or LGBTQ+ advocates and allies and actually get mad. How can you call yourself an ally or advocate when you weren't there for me? Why wasn't I good enough to get your support and help? What did I do wrong?

But maybe that is their path. Maybe they can look back and see how they treated me (or others) and learn from their mistakes. Maybe it is not about getting the "I'm sorry" or getting the closure conversation but rather knowing they are now supporting at least someone who needs them. They are now supporting causes I fight for too. And shouldn't that be what I want in the long-term?

Sometimes we need to give thanks not just about ourselves but for the bigger picture. Last year's post was focused on what I am thankful for. I am still thankful for all of those points. This year I add to the list.

I am thankful for those who continue to support and fight with me. I am thankful for those who can #LendUrEar and #FindUrVoice when it comes to mental health. I am thankful for those who find the courage to live their best lives in an open way. I am thankful for those who believe in equality for ALL human beings, not just those in our own inner circles or who pay our bills.

And I am thankful for those who may no longer be in my life, and may even still have negative feelings towards me personally, but who have come around to become supporters of causes I believe in and I fight for. We may not all agree. We may not all be friends. But I can still be thankful for those who take a stand, in their own way, for causes I also believe in.

This Thanksgiving, lets be thankful for one another!

But I also do not want this to just be about me. I also challenge EVERY PERSON who reads this blog, ask yourself, "What am I thankful for this year?" And then go out and share it with others.

I would love to hear what you are thankful for on social media or in the comment section below. But that is not the point here (still do so if you want of course). If you are thankful for a family member or friend or someone in your life who accepts you for you and loves you for it, tell them.

The #FindUrVoice movement is not just about sharing our stories of mental health issues and struggles but also about finding your voice to share your celebrations and happy feelings. Talk to one another. Tell people who matter to you why they matter. Give thanks for the positive relationships in your life.

And, as an extra end challenge, find someone in your life who maybe you hold a grudge with or are upset with or have negative feelings towards and right the ship. Have constructive conversations. Let them know if you are hurt or upset. Even if the intent is not to fully mend a relationship, you can still feel better and maybe they will as well. Give thanks for relationships and human contact. And if someone comes to you wanting to discuss a feeling they have or something they are upset about, before getting defensive, #LendUrEar and hear them out. Be thankful for the conversation.

Lets live and learn together. This world is becoming filled with too much anger and hate and political division. We don't need this toxicity anymore. We can agree. We can disagree. We can respect one another. We all share one planet. Lets be thankful for trying to make it better together.

Ok, still with me? Back to the action on the ice and the main topic of this blog: curling. This is the busiest weekend of the curling season. We have 4 women's tour events. We have 8 men's tour events. We have mixed doubles events too. It is PACKED.

The blog is not able to offer previews and predictions for all events, due to schedules not being finalized by final edit time and trying to not make this blog post longer than it already is. But the blog always tosses the good luck and good curling wishes to ALL teams stepping on the ice this weekend.

Time to slide out of the hack with the previews for the busiest weekend of the season. Bring. It. On.

#TourLifePredictions

WOMEN

#CCAutumnGold Curling Classic (Tour 1000)

Calgary, AB

2018 Champion: Team Einarson

Format: 32 team triple knockout with 8 qualifiers.

Top Teams Entered: Team Einarson, Team Carey, Team J. Jones, Team Kovaleva, Team Fujisawa, Team Fleury, Team Muirhead

#Fav:

Can we really pick just ONE favourite this weekend? Look at those top teams entered. Yikes. Team Einarson is trying to #DefendTheIce and already have one tour title this season. Team J. Jones is the same, with a tour title and a SF finish a few weeks ago. Defending Canadian champ Team Carey seems to be heating up at the right time too, fresh off a finals appearance last weekend in Vernon coupled with another finals appearance earlier in the year (l. to Einarson in Edmonton).

But the hot hand right now might just be Manitoba's Team Fleury. The team is making a charge for the final Canada Cup spot with one tour title and two finals appearances already on the season. At times it still feels like Fleury is considered a "fly under the radar" type of skip from curling fans but people need to start putting her in the favourite category. The results are there this season. This is a legit contender not only here but for the Scotties. Everyone may be focused on Manitoba being Einarson vs. Jones but Fleury could be the real deal ready to swoop in and take the title...again!

#TeamUpset:

In a stacked field like this, how can you find a #TeamUpset ambassador? We do have the regular favourites for the blog, like Alberta's Team Skrlik. They open Friday morning against Scotland's Team Muirhead. Plus they have a tour title to their credit this season and picked up a respectable 3 wins against another strong field a few weeks ago in Saskatoon. Similar #TeamUpset consideration for another Alberta team, Team Stubbs. They come to Calgary fresh of a final appearance last weekend in Edmonton. Confidence and momentum can be a dangerous combination for #TeamUpset contenders.

The blog also keeps the eyes on one of the fast rising international teams this season, Germany's Team Jentsch. A SF appearance last weekend in Vernon, coupled with a SF showing earlier in the season in Oakville and a QF spot at the opening Icebreaker, have put Jentsch in serious contender consideration. The Euro bronze medal win last season has sparked something in skipper Daniela too. She has this new sense of confidence. This is a team on the cusp of leaving the #TeamUpset category but, against this field, still falls under this space....for now. Plus the skipper is a #TwineTimeFam member.

Also keep your eyes on a few neighbouring province teams. Amber Holland and Sherry Anderson can put together solid runs at any time in any event. Anderson reached the SF in Saskatoon while Holland reached the QF. Both are quite capable to playoff pushes this weekend.

#W2W4:

This is basically one of the top mini-slam events on the women's tour every season. Look at the list of teams entered. 7 of the Top 10 teams on the current #PowerRankings will be in Calgary this long weekend. Not to mention Top 20 teams like Team Silvernagle (#11), Team Scheidegger (#14), Team Roth (#16), Team Jentsch (#17), Team Rocque (#18) and Team M. Kim (#19). Add it up and that equates to 13 of the Top 20. And only 8 qualifiers!!

This is always a fun event to watch. What to watch for? EVERYTHING!! The all-star field. The high-calibre of curling. The fact the Calgary Curling Club knows how to host a world-class #wct event, making it fun for teams and fans alike. On a holiday weekend where we should take the time to give thanks for the wonderful things in our lives, from a pure curling perspective we give thanks for this event every year.

Worth noting an A-qualifier has not won this event since 2014 (Jennifer Jones). Since that time both the B and C event have produced two winners. Last year's winner, Team Einarson, qualified via the #CSideGrind. Is there a curse on A-qualifiers?

Plus the #TwineTime blog will be attending the event once again this year. Be ready for live updates, pics and who knows what else.

As an added plus, special shout out to the event organizers for donating tickets to the final day of the competition to Kids Up Front (KUF) Calgary. If you remember, a few years ago I participated in #StrandedWaterValley, a Survivor-esque competition hosted by KUF. To participate I needed to do some fundraising and hosted on online auction full of curling memorabilia. I am thrilled to see the partnership between this event and KUF this year!

Qualifiers: Team Fleury, Team J. Jones, Team Einarson, Team E. Kim, Team Fujisawa, Team Muirhead, Team Carey, Team Silvernagle

Championship: Team Einarson def. Team Fleury


#MastersBasel (Tour 500)

Basel, SUI

2018 Champion: Team Stern

Format: 16 team RR with 4 pools of 4. Top 8 qualify.

Top Teams Entered: Team Tirinzoni, Team Sidorova, Team Stern, Team Wrana

#Fav:

Always side with the world champs right? And curling on home ice. How can you not consider Team Tirinzoni the favourites here? Well not so fast.

What about Team Wrana? The #NextGen version of the #SwedishVikings went on a tear last weekend when they were able to #DefendTheIce in Finland, losing only 1 RR game. There was some question on how this team would rebound after the European Playdown loss to rivals Team Hasselborg but they appeared to rebound quite nicely. They come to Basel with confidence. Plus they were certainly gifted with a nice pool draw.

Tirinzoni may be the favourite based on name recognition and resume but Wrana comes in with great momentum and sometimes that can be more dangerous. Plus Tirinoni certainly does not have the easiest of draws in this field.

#TeamUpset:

They flew the flag last weekend, why not do it again on home ice? Switzerland's Team Witschonke reached the SF in Finland and, similar to Wrana above, will also come to Basel with a bit of confidence and momentum. The big test will be the RR game vs. Tirinzoni on Saturday. This will be the benchmark on how far this team has come.

Also keep your eyes on two Scottish teams: Team Jackson and Team Smith. Maggie Smith, similar to Witschonke, made a nice playoff run last weekend in Finland. Can she continue to hot streak? She was drawn into THE hardest pool though, facing off against two two-time former world champions (Binia Feltscher, Andrea Schopp) and defending champion Team Stern.

As for Jackson, she struggled mightily last weekend failing to reach the playoffs in Aland. Can she rebound? It will not be easy drawn into the same pool as Tirinzoni/Witschonke.

The #NextGen teams are always dangerous in fields like this one. They are playing with house money in a way as many are perhaps not expecting them to challenge for playoff spots but when they do it is all jackpot winnings.

#W2W4:

#HoppSchwiiz continues? We saw it last weekend with Team De Cruz winning at home. Should we expect the same on the women's tour? Look who the Swiss bring to the ice this weekend: Tirinzoni, Stern, Feltscher, Witschonke, Schori. This is a stacked group of strong Swiss teams. We almost saw 4 Scottish teams in the Final Four last weekend. We could very well see four Swiss teams in the Final Four this weekend.

Of course teams like Wrana and Russia's Anna Sidorova are not going to just roll over for the host nation either. And lets see how Germany's Team Schopp does. We don't often see them competing on tour but when we do, former world champion and one of my favourite curlers growing up, always gets respect and a mention in this blog.

Qualifiers: Team Tirinzoni, Team Schori, Team Wrana, Team Feltscher, Team Witschonke, Team Sidorova, Team Huerlimann, Team Stern

Championship: Team Tirinzoni def. Team Wrana


#AbbotsfordCashspiel (Tour 250)

Abbotsford, B.C.

2018 Champion: Team Wark

Format: 8 team RR with 2 pools of 4. Top 4 qualify.

Top Teams Entered: Team Brown

#Fav:

We might need to assign the co-favourite role here again rock heads. Corryn Brown and Sarah Wark are basically in a dead heat as the early B.C. favourite. They have been competing in the same events this season and picking up the same results. They both picked up 3 wins in Edmonton. Both failed to qualify. They both competed in Vernon. They both qualified. They both lost in the QF. Wark is trying to #DefendTheIce here. Who did she beat in the final last year? Yup, Brown. Wark is only 43 points higher on the #PowerRankings right now. Whichever team goes further this weekend will become the new #1 ranked B.C. team.

#TeamUpset:

If Brown and Wark are the early favourites, who can be the #TeamUpset ambassador in B.C.? How about Brette Richards? They stepped on the ice for the first time last weekend in Vernon and walked away with a solid 3-2 record. Sure they failed to qualify for the playoffs but they were right in the playoff hunt the entire way. In fact they started the event 3-0, including an opening draw win over defending Scotties champ Team Carey. Perhaps the start got in their heads a bit, knowing they only needed 1 win in their final 2 games to qualify. Maybe playing their first event of the season, they still had some ice rust under their sliders. Regardless, this team showed they are here to play. If they can play like they did at the beginning of the event last week for the entire event this week, they could make a surprise playoff run here.

#W2W4:

This is basically a B.C. Scotties preview in the early part of the season. The winner this weekend can be named the favourite for the Scotties berth and have the advantage over their provincial opposition. There is a lot more on the line than just a #wct title and some money for these 8 teams competing. You want to gain the advantage. You want to gain momentum. You want to get in the head of your opposition by beating them and letting them second guess if they can beat you. There is going to be an entire mental part of this event. Hope the teams brought their psychologists this weekend.

Qualifiers: Team Wark, Team Brown, Team Gushulak, Team Richards

Championship: Team Brown def. Team Wark


#NewScotlandCashspiel (Tour 250)

Halifax, NS

2018 Champion: Team Arsenault

Format: 13-team RR with 6 qualifiers.

Top Teams Entered: Team Birt, Team Arsenault

#Fav:

One event down, one championship cheque collected. So far a perfect season for Team Arsenault. They will try to continue their winning ways and #DefendTheIce in Halifax this weekend. Arsenault is always going to be considered a favourite at #wct events in Atlantic Canada. Her resume speaks for itself but not just because of all those championship wins with Colleen Jones. It is also her longevity as a competitive curler. Even after Team Jones disbanded, Arsenault was still curling and winning provincial championships, now as a skip. She has the skills to make the big shots and the knowledge to call the right game. Do not be surprised to see this team go 2-for-2 on the season.

#TeamUpset:

The Tanya Twosome? Tanya Hilliard and Tanya Phillips are strong dark horse picks this weekend. Both opened their season in Lower Sackville a few weeks ago, both posted 2-2 records. Phillips of course went on to qualify for the playoffs, losing in the SF to eventual champion Arsenualt. But both were impressive against, for the most part, fellow provincial competition. Why not expect similar results from one or both of these teams this weekend?

#W2W4:

Nova Scotia has the history of Colleen Jones and Mary-Anne Arsenault being the face of NS women's curling but could it be time for a change? Jill Brothers has broke through the past few seasons. Theresa Breen has been knocking on the door. Maybe Hilliard and Phillips are standing behind her waiting for their shot too?

And as an aside, where are the New Brunswick teams this season? Team Birt is here competing representing #TheIslanders but what is going on with fellow Atlantic province New Brunswick? When will we start seeing those teams step onto the #wct ice. It is #ROCKtober after all.

Qualifiers: Team Arsenault, Team Birt, Team Brothers, Team Hilliard, Team C. Jones, Team Phillips

Championship: Team Arsenault def. Team C. Jones


MEN

#CanadInnsMensSpiel (Tour 1000)

Portage la Prairie, MB

2018 Champion: Team Bottcher

Format: 28 team triple kncokout with 8 qualifiers.

Top Teams Entered: Team Bottcher, Team Koe, Team De Cruz, Team Epping, Team Gushue

#Fav:

Similar to the women's preview for the #CCAutumnGold, the Portage event is often considered a mini-slam due to the high-calibre field it draws. 5 of the Top 10 teams on the current #PowerRankings are competing. If we expand to the Top 20, we also welcome Team Dunstone (#12), Team Howard (#13), Team McDonald (#14), Team Muyres (#15), Team Gunnlaugson (#16), Team McEwen (#18) and Team Calvert (#19). Add it up and we have 12 of the Top 20. Impressive!

But who is the #Fav?

Well Team Bottcher is the #1 ranked team and trying to #DefendTheIce. Team Koe just reached the championship final in Toronto last weekend and would be looking for revenge against rival Bottcher after losing the final to them last year. Although BJ Neufeld will not be with the team as he is expecting his newest family member (Congratulations!!). Who replaces BJ? Let the gossip and rumours fly but the leading candidate seems to be, according to fans anyway, John Morris. But Ted Appelman appears to be the logical choice. Notice his men's team is not competing in Airdrie this weekend, against a mostly all-Alberta field too. Hmmm?!

And what about Switzerland's Team De Cruz? They are fresh off a huge home ice victory last weekend in Basel and come in with some momentum. Not to mention they have 2 previous SF results this season and a QF finish.

Or do we go with Team Epping? They posted back-to-back wins last month, taking home the Stu Sells Oakville and Shorty Jenkins Classic. And they did reach the QF last weekend in Toronto. Another team looking VERY strong this season.

Lets just call it a 4-pack #Fav this weekend? That cool?

#TeamUpset:

Our regular #TeamUpset ambassadors are entered this weekend looking to take down those Top 20 teams. Team Calvert took themselves off #TeamUpset consideration with their results last season and this season. Same can be said now for Team Tardi and Team Tanner Horgan after posting championship wins last weekend and strong seasons overall. We probably need to add the #YoungBucks to this category as well. Team Dropkin, led by #MenOfCurling model (also #TwineTime calendar pick for Mr. January btw), is no longer considered a #TeamUpset ambassador after their strong season last year and now posting runner-up and SF finishes in their past two events.

But there are still a few #NextGen stars to watch this weekend. How about Alberta's Karsten Sturmay? Sturmay reached the QF in Edmonton last weekend and does come to Portage looking to defend the surprise SF points earned last season. Can he surprise the field once again? And keep an eye on the young rising American team, Team Violette. They struggled last weekend in St. Paul but could make a surprise here. Plus they open against US top dogs Team Shuster.

The Manitoba duo of Team Dilello and Team Riley Smith are still #TwineTime favourites to recapture the #TeamUpset flag they waved last season. On home ice against a star-studded field would be the perfect time to do so.

But the ultimate upset contender may come from neighbour province Saskatchewan. How about Team Meachem? Meachem kicked off their season last weekend winning a Sask Tour event, going undefeated along the way. For vice Brady Scharback, he has hit the #wct ice twice this season and has two titles to show for it. Added to his men's team victory last weekend, Scharback scored a mixed doubles title with girlfriend (and #SwedishViking) Sofia Mabergs in North Battleford. Can he go 3 for 3?

#W2W4:

Ummm what is there NOT to watch? Again, similar to the Autumn Gold preview, this is going to be a fun event to keep your curling eyes peeled to all weekend. It is a #Tour1000 event so lots of points on the board for a very tight men's ranking mountain. Most of the teams who reached the playoff round last season return as well looking to defend those points.

Perhaps the most noteworthy point here is not who is here but who isn't, namely Team Jacobs. After a championship win last weekend at the Stu Sells Toronto, Jacobs is not competing in Portage. Last season Jacobs reached the SF. Not competing this season means the team will lose the 360 points earned.

Of course the other Top 10 teams missing include the 3 Scottish teams (Paterson, Mouat, Muirhead) and the #SwedishVikings Team Edin. For the Scottish teams, they have a respectable reason as they are fighting amongst themselves for a spot at the European Championships. For Team Edin, Canadian fans are still waiting to see the World Champions make their appearance on Canadian ice this season.

Qualifiers: Team De Cruz, Team Bottcher, Team Koe, Team Epping, Team Gushue, Team Dunstone, Team T. Horgan, Team Calvert

Championship: Team Gushue def. Team Bottcher


#LaClassique Ville de Levis (Tour 500)

Levis, QC

2018 Champion: New Event

Format: 14 team triple knockout with 6 qualifiers.

Top Teams Entered: Team Desjardins, Team Crete

#Fav:

The defending provincial champs make their tour appearance this weekend. Team Crete will hit the ice against their provincial counterparts looking to re-affirm themselves as the face of Quebec curling. Crete has long been the face of Quebec Curling. He is a five-time provincial junior champ, finishing runner-up (2002) and third (2003) at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships (also finishing 4th twice and 5th). He has 8 Brier appearances, 7 of which with Jean-Michel Menard (more on him in a moment). Last season Crete went back to skipping, won his first provincial title as a skip and led Quebec to a 3-4 record at the Brier, just missing the Championship Pool. You know the competitive juices are flowing for the 34 year old, having some unfinished business from last year after the Brier result. Going out and taking a tour title in your season opening event against some of your biggest provincial competition would help position the team in the right direction from the get go.

#TeamUpset:

Jean-Michel Menard retired from competitive curling in 2018. Take a look at the teams entered this weekend and you may just see a familiar name. Menard is back....maybe just for the weekend, who knows?! And look who he is curling with. Does the name Marie-France Larouche sound familiar? Yup Larouche is joining Menard this weekend at vice. And what about Annie Lemay? We have another couple who curls together stays together folks (Lemay and Menard are married in case you didn't know). This team has #TeamUpset ambassador written all over the place. Imagine a mixed doubles team taking the title? It could happen rock heads.

#W2W4:

When I saw this new event added to the #wct calendar I got a bit excited. I love seeing an all-Quebec event. We don't often see the teams from Quebec during the season. Perhaps at a few events here and there but unlike events in other provinces the Quebec "tour" is not as strong. This is a great opportunity to get your eyes on some of the top teams in "la belle province".

We saw a few Quebec teams make some noise last weekend in Toronto, most notably Team Fournier. The horses are not feeding at this event though but we still can see some other Quebec Tankard contenders hit the ice. The winner here could be tapped the early season favourite for the Brier berth.

Qualifiers: Team Desjardins (Team SFL-Morissette), Team Crete, Team Ferland, Team F. Roberge, Team Menard, Team Munroe

Championship: Team Desjardins def. Team Crete


#AbbotsfordCashspiel (Tour 250)

Abbotsford, B.C.

2018 Champion: Team Matsumura

Format: 10 team RR with 2 pools of 5. Top 4 qualify.

Top Teams Entered: Team Matsumura, Team Cotter

#Fav:

Some people might be a bit surprised to see Team Matsumura compete in Abbotsford this weekend when the majority of the top ranked teams are in Portage. This could be a great example of smart scheduling to boost the rankings though. If the big boys are all beating each other up, a few are going to suffer losses and not qualify. Reaching even the final of a Tour 250 event, picking up 150 points, still sounds better than entering a Tour 1000 event and picking up only 2 or 3 wins, equaling only 30 or 45 points. Which team sounds like they have the better chance to move up the rankings? And yes I know the #TwineTime system is not a REAL thing (Yet!) but you still get my point. Matsumura is trying to #DefendTheIce though so holding on to those 250 ranking points will not be easy. And they really can not gain points on those ahead of them but rather try to minimize the loss if they are unsuccessful in defending their title. This is why we need the #TourTier system folks. The dynamics of scheduling is an interesting conversation. Matsumura this weekend is the prototype example.

#TeamUpset:

Most of the field? Outside of Matsumura and the regular B.C. big boys like Team Cotter and Team Geall (finalists here last season), the rest of the field is #TeamUpset ambassador worthy. Any of the remaining 7 teams have a perfect opportunity here to make a move on the big boys and become legit provincial threats. Team Wenzek and Team Richard are the front-runners here. Both have already had some success on tour this season. Both are strong teams. Both are looking to gain the momentum to take them into the provincial contender conversation rather than provincial also-ran.

#W2W4:

Jimmy Cotter! Always watching Jim Cotter and company when they step on the ice, especially against B.C. competition. The team suffered a loss to rival Team Tardi in the final last weekend. How they rebound this weekend will say a lot about this team. Similar to Matsumura, interesting call to stay close to home rather than travel to Portage (where Tardi will play). Of course there are probably numerous reasons for the decision to, like work and family, but it could play to their advantage from both a ranking and momentum perspective. Expect to see this team playing in their third straight final of the season this weekend.

Qualifiers: Team Matsumura, Team Cotter, Team Wenzek, Team Geall

Championship: Team Cotter def. Team Matsumura


#BudLightCashSpiel (Tour 250)

Halifax, NS

2018 Champion: Team K. Thompson

Format: 12-team RR with 6 qualifiers.

Top Teams Entered: Team S. Thompson, Team Murphy, Team K. Thompson

#Fav:

Can their be a single favourite in a wide-open provincial field? Defending provincial champ Stuart Thompson could make a case. The team did pick up a title earlier in the season. But brother Kendal Thompson did make the final before coming up short and is trying to #DefendTheIce this weekend. And what about Team Murphy? According to the updated #PowerRankings, Team Murphy is actually the highest ranked team in the province right now. Something will give this weekend between these three teams.

#TeamUpset:

The blog highlighted this team a few weeks ago and will do so again this weekend. Team Manuel is the #NextGen / #TeamUpset ambassador in Nova Scotia right now. And rightfully so! At the event in Lower Sackville the team went 4-0 in the RR to advance to the SF. Unfortunately they would come up just short in the SF but settle for a Top 4 finish in their first #wct event of the season. Plus they knocked off many of their provincial competitors along the way. This team should come to Halifax with a bit of swagger in their delivery. Do not be surprised by another playoff run here.

#W2W4:

The blog has mentioned provincial #wct events a few times already in this week's preview post but it goes without saying once again here. This is an *almost* all-NS field. This is like the pre-season NS Tankard. The Thompson brothers are early favourites. Jamie Murphy is a past provincial champ looking to regain his title. Manuel is the rising stud of men's curling in the province. But also be weary of strong competitors like Team Stevens and Team MacDougall, teams with experience.

And as for that sole non-NS team entered. Props to Matthew Smith and his team from St. John's, NL for making the trek over to Halifax to compete. Imagine the story if this team comes back to The Rock with a tour title, knocking off all the Nova Scotia teams along the way? Sounds like a Hollywood curling story right there.

Qualifiers: Team S. Thompson, Team K. Thompson, Team Murphy, Team Manuel, Team Ouellette, Team Weagle 

Championship: Team Murphy def. Team S. Thompson


Phew....that was A LOT of preview and predictions for one week. But we got through it together. It is worth mentioning there are other events happening this weekend not previewed above (mostly due to final team line-up and/or schedule not released by press time). The blog does toss the good luck and good #curling to those teams competing and the results will be included in next week's #GunnerRunback. Now bring on the throwing, sweeping, screaming and winning!

Who are you looking forward to cheering on the most this long weekend? Which teams do you think will have something extra to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Monday? Share your thoughts on social media and/or the comments below. Tag your favourite teams. Let them know you are cheering them on.

And remember the Scottish European Playdowns are this weekend. Team Paterson, Team Mouat and Team Muirhead (all ranked within the Top 10) are competing to see which team will represent Scotland in Helsinborg, Sweden next month. Mouat is the defending European champion too.

#StayTuned

As already mentioned, the blog will be at the Calgary Curling Club for most of the weekend taking in the #CCAutmnGold action. Toss a follow to your favourite little blogger who could for coverage all weekend.

And get ready for the fallout from the busiest weekend of the season after the long weekend with updated #PowerRankings. Plus the RETURN of the #IceBubbleWatch!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!