#Brier2022 Preview

#BetweenTheSheets: Brier 2022 Preview

March Madness comes to Lethbridge

I love March Madness!

The March Madness tournament may be the best tournament in all of sports.

From Bubble Life to Bracket Busters, there is something for everyone.

We see #TeamUpset results. We see blowouts. We see close games. We see OT games.

We get the drama, excitement, heartbreak and elation all at the same time.

The NCAA basketball tournament brings it all to every sports fan, whether casual or hardcore.

We need to bring this same style of energy from the hardcourt onto the ice.

Bring on March Madness...Curling Edition!

Ready to crown our next national champion?

In honour of March Madness, lets treat this preview in a similar manner.

Before we dive into the field, including team by team previews, seeding and predictions, lets tackle the big issues: #Favs and #BracketBusters.

Also, a reminder the format will be the same modified format we saw at the Scotties with the Top 3 teams from each pool advancing to the new playoff format.

The discussion around the format was covered in the #STOH2022 Preview so check out that post if you want a memory refresher.

#Favs

Are we set up for another Brad vs. Brad showdown in the final?

We saw this final at the Trials in Saskatoon with Gushe defeating Jacobs to win a ticket to Beijing.

We may see a little bit of History Repeating in Lethbridge.

If so, prior to the first rock in the final, lets hope the in-arena DJ decides to play the song by the Propellerheads and really build the energy.

Interesting how they are in the same pool as well. We saw at the Scotties how one pool may dominate the page playoff, could we see similar here with Pool B?

Pool A is probably the harder pool though, loaded with some playoff familiar names.

Kevin Koe is back looking for #HIStory of his own, trying to become the 1st skip to win 5 Brier titles.

In fact all 3 podium finishers from 2021 find themselves locked in a Pool A battle: Canada's Team Bottcher, Alberta's Team Koe and Wild Card #2 Team Dunstone.

The blog talked about this "seeding" process in the STOH2022 preview. Similar argument to be made here. A bit disappointing to see all 3 podium teams from the prior year lumped together in the same pool this year.

These are the 5 teams most people are talking about as the leading pack towards the playoffs.

Seeing anything short of 2 of these 5 on Championship Sunday will be a surprise.

#BracketBusters

The definition of a Bracket Buster is a lower seed taking out those higher seeded teams and making a move towards the final.

Often these teams are double digit seeds who are considered trendy picks picks but also, quite often actually, are fan favs too.

Bracket Busters are not always the equivalent to a #TeamUpset.

Sometimes they are one in the same but not always.

Team Upset is usually a long shot and a team entering the tournament many expected to not pick up a few wins, or any wins. 

A strong #TeamUpset pick in Lethbridge would be PEI's Tyler Smith, as an example. A low seed with low expectation, capable of upsetting a few of those higher seeded teams but probably not making a push for the playoffs.

Who are the #BracketBusters in Lethbridge?

Two big teams stand out right away: Quebec's Team Fournier and Newfoundland and Labrador's Team Young.

Both are double digit seeds, see the #SeedReport below. Both are capable of knocking off any team in the field.

We saw Quebec's Team Fournier come close to the Championship Pool last season, falling a few games short with a 4-4 record. This team has a ton of Brier experience and should not be overlooked.

NL's Team Young is the opposite. Brier 2022 will be their debut. And we know rookies can be dangerous. They could go winless or shock the world and make the playoffs. No really, this is a STRONG up and coming young team.

The secret to success for a Bracket Buster is the fact they are playing with house money. Many are not expecting you to challenge the "Top Dawgs" so you go about your business, fly under the radar and slowly make your move.

With only 3 teams advancing, the window is smaller and the path is harder to see a true Bracket Buster emerge.

But look what happened at the Scotties.

New Brunswick picked up a bronze medal.

NWT reached the playoffs.

Could similar #BracketBuster results hit the ice in Lethbridge?

#COVID19

We saw what happened at the Scotties. Can we avoid similar at the Brier?

Already announced by Curling Canada Friday morning, 4 athletes did not make the trip to Lethbridge due to testing positive. They may or may not be eligible to compete later in the competition, depending on future testing.

Will COVID become the ultimate Wild Card?

There are NO restrictions in Alberta. Do not get me started on my thoughts on this, as a resident of Alberta and living in Calgary. 

To say the risk is minimal is ignorance. We must hold due diligence on protecting ourselves, our volunteers, our organizers and our athletes.

We love sports. But we also need to remember a pandemic environment is still around us. Health and safety should always be our #1 priority.

Wishing those athletes who did test positive a safe and healthy recovery.

Ok enough of the off the ice chatter. Lets talk about the 2022 Brier field.

A side question being pondered with this Brier field is how many of these teams will still be around after this event? After this season?

We can assume the majority will disband, lets be real. With the new Olympic cycle starting after next season, players will start playing with new possible line up combinations and new teammates.

We know next season will be a bit of a "getting to know you" season. 

Will any of these teams remain fully in tact? The simple answer: Doubtful.

Between retirements and/or stepping away for personal reasons to moving/work commitments to just wanting to shake things up because the results over the past 4 years have not been what they were hoping for, the reasons are plentiful but the result is the same: Bombs on Ice!

Curling fans will be debating the possibilities, this blog included. But how many of us actually think things are up in the air? Outside of whomever wins the Brier, is it safe to assume the majority of players have already figured out where they will be playing next season and with whom?

The speculation is fun and #FreeAgentFrenzy is always a great topic of discussion but it may be more of a fandom excitement than actual "frenzy" on the ice.

Regardless, we eat it up and love every second. I don't know why you gagging...the curling world brings it to you every 4 years!

You will notice in parenthesis next to each team below is a number. This is the rating assigned to whether this team will stay in tact post-Brier or not.

Here is the system:

1. Donezo!
2. Some members will stay, others will be gone
3. Majority remain together, one possible teammate change
4. Stickin' it out, together forever

Take note, this is TOTAL SPECULATION based on NO ACTUAL FACT. 

This is just for fun and to encourage the discussion. From March Madness to Free Agent Frenzy!

Bring on the FULL PREVIEW!!

#SeedReport

The Power Rankings are back once again!

Similar to the Scotties preview last month, and in honour of #MarchMadness, each team is seeded heading into the event.

The seedings used below are based on current CTRS rankings.

And in keeping with our theme, instead of this section being the Power Rankings, welcome to the Seed Report.

1. #WC1 - Team Gushue (2): Back from Beijing with a bronze medal in hand, how will they recover from the post-Olympics hangover? Gushue will be attempting to tie the record for most Brier wins with 4. It would also be his 4th title in 6 years. Quite impressive! 

And we know this is the last run at a Brier title for this iteration of the team. Rumours flying everywhere about what Brett Gallant will do next. What about Geoff Walker? Will the back-end pairing stay together or do we see a heartbreaking break-up post-season as well?

Gushue is 30-7 on the season and 13-2 vs. the competition this season. Those numbers are staggering.

2. #ABStrong - Team K. Koe (2): Gushue is trying to win his way into the 4 title club while Kevin Koe is trying to distance himself and stand atop the mountain alone. If Koe can win the title, it will be #5 and become #HIStory. After coming so close last season, adding in the tough SF loss at the Trials, this team will be VERY hungry for redemption and revenge.

We know this team is probably disbanding as well. Koe will have the pick of the lot for who he wants to curl with in the future. Nobody is going to decline his phone call. Does he bring Ben with him? Is Morris hanging it up? What does Neufeld do?

Koe is 37-15 this season and 13-8 vs. the competition with 6 of those losses coming against the "Brad's".

3. #FearTheMoose - Team Jacobs (3): Speaking of Brad, Jacobs must be getting tired of being referred to as "The Other Brad" by now. After the Trials loss to Gushue, can Jacobs flip the script in Lethbridge and win his second Brier title? Amazing to think Jacobs only has 1 Brier title. Considering how strong this team has been and how consistent Jacobs has been since his 2014 Olympic win, only 1 Brier title just feels strange. Will Marc Kennedy go from Gushue teammate in Beijing to Gushue eliminator in Lethbridge?

If this team does shake it up after the season, Kennedy would appear to be the odd man out. Where will Kennedy go next? Hard to see the Fam Jam breaking up.

Jacobs is 31-9 and 15-6 vs. the field this season.

4. #CurlON - Team Howard (3): Scott skipping. Glenn skipping. Either way a Howard will be in the house leading this team. Glenn appears to be good to go but it must also be nice knowing, should Glenn need to step away for a game or two, Scott has developed himself into a strong skip. We saw this at the Ontario championship. And we have seen Scott's game grow over the years...just look back to last year inside the #IceBubble as a quick reference. Never count out a Howard!

But where does this team go next? Can anyone really see Glenn throwing in the towel? Can father/son stick it out for another 4 year cycle? And who joins them? We know Howard and Epping have played a bit of mix and match with teammates over the years. Will we see another new iteration for both going forward? Or will some new players enter the fold?

Howard is 46-20 and 8-12 vs. the field this season.

5. #WC2 - Team Dunstone (1): This will be a team many will have close eyes on in Lethbridge. They are the defending Brier bronze medal winners. Expectations have been high on this team for a few seasons and results have been strong. But there are also those near misses. The tough SF loss at the Brier last year. The disappointment at the Trials. The SK final loss this season. Which team shows up?

And will there be distractions? Lots of talk about Moskowy. Speculation of where Muyres will be next season. Is Dunstone the top free agent after the season? Does he play out of his 3rd different province, now a resident in B.C.? Or does he get a call from neighbour Alberta?

Dunstone is 26-18 overall and 11-12 vs. the field this season.

6. #BuffaloHunt - Team McEwen (1): Mike McEwen may be the greatest name in Canadian curling yet to win a Brier. He has been on this ice a number of times. He has come close. Is this finally his year? LOTS going on with this team. Super spare Colton Lott will join the team as Colin Hodgson recovers from COVID-19 and lower body injuries. We saw Lott fill a similar role for Team Dunstone at the Olympic Trials...and he was light's out fantastic. Can he provide the extra spark needed for this team?

Team Best Friends has not really had the results many expected when they jumped in formation. Many thought this could become the men's Super Team and pile on the wins. It just hasn't happened. Too many cooks in the kitchen? Difficulty putting friendship aside for teammate? Or just a general "that is how sports go"? Regardless of reason, this team will probably not survive after this season.

As mentioned above with Dunny, is Lott also one of those top draft picks entering #FreeAgentFrenzy? Lott has proven his worth multiple times. The curling world may be his oyster. Dunny + Lott?

McEwen is 30-21 and 11-10 vs. the field this season.

7. #WC3 - Team Gunnlaugson (1): Jason Gunnlaugson is back in the house and ready to become #TeamOranje. As many may remember, Gunner skipped the Manitoba provincials citing personal reasons of COVID safety. Mad respect Mr. Gunnlaugson! An athlete who took a stand and placed his personal views and health and safety above sport. Some skeptics may call it selfish and not being a team player but his team appeared to support his decision. The blog supports and respects it as well.

But will it be a detriment to the results here? Not playing with the boys at provincials and being away from competitive ice for a few months might result is some lingering rust on the slider. Can Gunner overcome the lack of recent playing time? Can the boys get back into formation?

Hard to see this team sticking together post-season. Options will be plentiful for all of them and I can see them all weighing those options. Manitoba is going to be WIDE open so the formation of a new "Super Team" seems imminent. But who will those 4 players be?

Special shout out to Adam Casey, who will don his 5th different Brier jersey this year. Previously he has represented Manitoba, Saskatchewan, PEI and Newfoundland. Now we adds Wild Card to the mix.

Gunnlaugson is 26-26 overall and 4-18 vs. the field.

8. #TeamGreen - Team Flasch (3): Is this the trendy dark horse pick going into the competition? Many knew Team Flasch was a challenger but are they a contender now? Winning the Sask title over rival Dunstone will carry some confidence and momentum. Flasch may also want a bit of revenge vs. former teammates Team Koe. Yes, they may be buddies off the ice but you know you still want to beat them on the ice. The success of this team may come down to vice Catlin Schneider. We have seen him at his best on Brier ice, being named an All Star in his first appearance and winning bronze (with Team Dunstone) in his second. 

Plus remember, Flasch may be making his 6th Brier appearance but this is his first as a skip. A different type of pressure throwing the last rock on Brier ice. And who does he get first? Former teammates Team Koe in the opening draw Friday night. Friday Night Fight Time!

Schneider may also be the wild card to the future of this team. Flasch and the Marsh boys are pretty tight. Not to say Schneider isn't as well. But we can see Flasch and the boys still together, especially if Dunstone implodes. But where would Schneider go? Stay with the team? Get a call from somewhere else? He will be a wild card in the #FreeAgentFrenzy discussion. 

Flasch is 30-21 this season including 7-11 vs. the field.

9. #TeamCanada - Team Bottcher (2): The Champs are here...kind of. We all know the Bottcher vs. Moulding story and it will unfold on Saturday Night's Main Event as the crown battle for opening weekend. But dramatics aside, where is this team at mentally? They are used to being a fan favourite over the past few years but are they considered the villains now? Is there a small trepidation in wondering how the crowd will respond to them, especially in a city where Moulding now calls home?

The Trials were a mess for this team as they struggled. They enter the Brier as the defending champs with no provincials to serve as a tune-up. Are they ready to go? They have the big game vs. NB. But also have to battle rivals Koe, among a few other notables looking to knock off the champs. Reaching a 5th straight Brier final might be their toughest challenge to date.

Tough to see this team staying together after the season. Bottcher could stay with his front end, they have been together for years after all. But Bottcher is Business and if another deal comes along, he will pounce on it. 

Bottcher is 22-15 this season and 4-6 vs. the field (which includes 0-3 vs. Koe).

10. #Labelleprovince - Team Fournier (3): The Brier #BracketBuster? As mentioned above, this is the team who could fly under the radar compared to those "bigger" names ranked above them and surprise the field. They have experience. They have swagger. They have fan support.

Skipper Mike Fournier put his retirement on hold for one more kick at the can. Ok, officially he did retire but is back and ready to make a go at it in Lethbridge. Post-event, Fournier is going to retire and where this team goes next is unknown. They are a strong team though so keeping the core together and adding one missing piece might be all that is needed.

Fournier is 24-12 overall and 2-2 vs. this field this season.

11. #TeamBluenose - Team Flemming (2): Paul Flemming is one of the most adored guys in the sport. He has won the sportsmanship award at the Brier twice after all (2001, 2013). Often playing vice, Flemming has stepped into the skip role this year after regular skip Jamie Murphy decided to temporarily step away from the sport due to COVID concerns for personal health and safety. Again, a decision we respect and support.

Flemming will be making his 10th Brier appearance so, regardless of position, experience will do the talking. The team just missed the Championship Pool last year after reaching the Champ Pool the year prior. With only 3 teams advancing though, it might be tough to pull together the wins needed in this field. But if there is a dark horse team who could make it happen, #TeamBluenose is right up there on the list.

Flemming is 20-14 this season and 3-2 vs. the field.

12. #TheRock - Team Young (4): The other top #BracketBuster. They may be Brier rookies and the youngest team in the field but do not cite lack of experience as a reason to undersell this team's potential. As mentioned, they are playing with house money looking to gain experience. Sometimes when you "play for experience" you end up playing yourself right into championship contention.

It will not be easy. And this team will learn alot about themselves and the game through the experience. But they will also not be a "bingo square" out for their opposition. Many may not be very familiar with them either, advantage Team Young! They open the Brier Friday night vs. Yukon. A good opportunity to perhaps pick up their 1st Brier W and get the butterflies out of the stomach early while gaining some confidence and momentum.

And they have both sides of the spectrum on the bench. Alternate Nicholas Codner will turn 16 at the end of March. Coach Toby McDonald, on the other hand, is a Brier champion from 1976 with Jack MacDuff.

Tough to say where this team goes after this season but sticking together should be a top priority. Of course any of the players may get a call from another team and decide to go elsewhere. They may continue their education at another university in another province even. Tough to say. But I am going to just go on a limb and hope a young team stays together and works together to build for a stronger future. We cannot always see doom and gloom breakups for every team, right?

Young is 21-8 this season and has not played against any of the field. They only have 1 career game experience against a competitor here and that was a loss to Gushue at the 2020 NL Tankard.

13. #TeamAcadia - Team Grattan (2): James Grattan has been a fan favourite for curling fans over the years but this team may receive the loudest cheers in the building on opening weekend. With Darren Moulding joining the team, the fans are likely to support their boy. Can the team ride the fan support towards a playoff spot? We saw Team Crawford surprise the world at the Scotties, can New Brunswick do it again?

Grattan will be making his 15th Brier appearance. He won bronze in his debut but that was back in 1997. The road to the playoffs and the podium has been tough ever since. And it will be tough once again vs. this field.

Besides the drama with Team Canada and the slugfest Saturday night, we did see a bit of drama at the NB Tankard with Moulding kicking a stone in what appeared to be directly at a competitor. Things got heated. Words were exchanged. And people were a bit put off by the Moulding action.

This team will see a shake up at the end of the season. Moulding is doubtful to stay "playing out of" New Brunswick considering he lives in Lethbridge. What will Grattan do post-season? Does he want to continue playing?

Grattan is 8-5 on the season and 1-1 vs. the field.

14. #TeamPacific - Team Pierce (2): The B.C. champs may come to Lethbridge as a bit of an unknown. Their BC title win was, perhaps, a bit of a surprise. What to expect? Anything from dark horse to under the radar to struggle bus. We really do not know.

Experience is not lacking though. Skip Brent Pierce is a Brier and world champion after all, having won as vice for Greg McAuley in 2000. But he hasn't been on Brier ice since 2009 and this will be his first time as skip. Vice Jeff Richard will be making his 3rd appearance, most recently in 2018. And great to see Jared Kolomaya and Nicholas Meister make their debut appearances.

This team may stay together post-season. There is experience mixed with a bit of youth. The B.C. curling landscape is wide open, especially after Team Tardi announced the Tardi Party is over. Maybe the champs stay together, at least one more year, to see where the dust settles and where players land. Sometimes the best move is no move.

Pierce is 14-9 this season but has not played any team in the field. In fact, Pierce's last game against any skip in this field was in 2017 against Bottcher and McEwen. Fun fact though, Pierce is personally 4-0 vs. Bottcher in his career.

15. #PolarPower - Team J. Koe (2): Polar Power is back on the ice...and probably with an extra sense of motivation. After watching sister Kerry reach the Scotties playoffs last month, will we see twin Jamie follow? Kevin is probably a playoff lock but imagine a season where all 3 Koe siblings make the playoffs? Take that COVID! Fans would live for this!!

Koe will be making his 15th Brier appearance but this may be one of his toughest yet. He took last season off due to COVID. The team has not really played this season, outside of winning the NWT title. The odds are stacked against them to make any noise here. But never count out a Koe!

People will be watching to see what Jamie does in the off-season. Does he want to continue playing? Does he get a completely new team behind him? Is he able to make some calls and convince some players to join the Polar Power? Anything can happen here.

16. #TheIslanders - Team Smith (4): Tyler Smith may be a Brier sophomore but he is no stranger to Canadian championships. The 23 year old made his Brier debut last year at vice. He is now back in his regular role of skip, a position he played at 6 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, with his last being as recent as 2020.

You gotta love seeing the #NextGen step onto the Brier ice and start making a name for themselves. We are going to see it with Team Young. We are going to see it with Tyler Smith. Sure, this is going to be a tough go against the field but experience gained builds future success.

PEI is a bit of an unknown for men's curling right now. This blog has stated in the past Smith is the future of PEI curling and the future may be now. What does he do after this season? Does he keep the team together? Try to make some calls and build a PEI Super Team of sorts? Or does Smith get a call and he joins another team? Similar to Team Young, maybe no move is the best move...at least for next season when everything is in flux anyway.

Smith is 1-3 this season and 0-1 vs. the field. Smith, career-wise, has only played James Grattan (2021) and Thomas Scoffin (2013) and is 0-2 overall.

17. #TeamArctic - Team Mackey (3): Peter Mackey is back, making his 4th Brier appearance but still searching for that elusive 1st W. Is this the year? The odds are slim but you never know. We have seen improvement in results over the years. Some closer games. Scoring some big ends. The gameplan continues to evolve and improve. The team has a slightly altered line up from last year with RCMP member Mark Pilsworth joining at vice.

It would be nice to see this team stick together and try to #growthesport in Nunavut over the next 4 year cycle. They are closing in on that 1st Brier win. It will happen. But they need to stay together to make it happen.

Mackey has no record on the season as they have been unable to play any competitive games. He is 0-4 lifetime vs. the field, with all 4 games taking place at last year's Brier.

18. #PurplePower - Team Scoffin (1): Thomas Scoffin will be making his 3rd Brier appearance and will be looking for some redemption after going winless last year. Wins do not come easy for Team Yukon on Brier ice. The last two years the #PurplePower has gone winless, finishing with 0-7 and 0-8 records. And this was after, what many had hoped to be, a slide in the right direction from 2019 when Yukon posted a 3-4 record, one win short of the Champ Pool.

The #PurplePower starts the event in the opening draw vs. Brier rookies NL. If there was ever a time to draw on experience and end the Yukon losing streak, Friday night is the best chance to make it happen.

Tough to say what this team does post-Brier. Does Scoffin stay representing Yukon? We know there are some good players in Yukon. Can 4 of them come together and form a Super Team from the North?

Similar to fellow Territorial reps, Scoffin has not played competitive games this season. Career-wise, Scoffin is 3-19 vs. the field with wins coming against Bottcher, Dunstone and Smith.

#TwineTimePredictions

Pool A

#W2W4

It might just be Team Canada vs. Canada in this pool. We know the dramatics Team Canada will be up against in trying to #DefendTheIce.

NB rivalry game with Moulding.

AB rivalry game vs. Koe.

The 2021 rematch vs. Dunstone.

Junior flashbacks vs. Scoffin.

#NextGen battles vs. Smith and Young.

Even if favoured to win some of those games, the defending champs may not be the fan favourites in any of their games...and that would be a bit awkward and new to the sport.

How does Bottcher handle it all? We know he is business-orientated so if he can get laser focused on the task and eliminate the side chatter, the team could make another deep run. Plus sometimes you need to embrace the "villain" role.

But is does not look easy.

#BracketBuster

Team Young is the #BracketBuster. But are they the playoff threat? Not yet perhaps.

If we go on #TeamUpset from a pure #BracketBuster lens, Team Young is our flag bearer.

If we base the discussion on a team who could rock the boat, fly under the radar and make a playoff push in this pool, watch out for #TeamGreen as a #BracketBuster. 

Flasch may step on the ice with a small chip on his shoulder looking to prove something...and that can be a blessing and a curse. Which way will it go for the Brier rookie skip?

Projected Standings (Seed)

1. #ABStrong (2)

2. #WC2 (5)

3. #CurlON (4)

4. #TeamGreen (8)

5. #TeamCanada (9)

6. #TeamAcadia (13)

7. #TheRock (12)

8. #TheIslanders (16)

9. #PurplePower (18)

Pool B

#W2W4

If we assume the "Brad's" run away with this pool, it only leaves 1 playoff spot left to be claimed.

Who will get it?

We have our 2 Manitoba teams who have been here before and have qualified for the Champ Pool under the old format.

We have multi-Brier experienced skips in Flemming and Koe, both have made deep runs before.

We have a #BracketBuster in waiting with Fournier.

And we have the small unknown coming from the Pacific.

What to watch for? Watch the L column on the standings here.

4 losses is generally considered to be 1 loss to many. But all the teams in contention for the final playoff spot have not looked super strong but also are not weak competitors.

They may devour one another, leaving the door open for a surprise qualifier and/or a TB game for Friday morning. Of course remember TB games only occur for teams who finish above .500 (5-3 or better).

Could we see a 4-4 tie for the final spot and have the dreaded LSD result come into play? Yikes!

#BracketBuster

Similar to Pool A, Quebec will be the #BracketBuster to watch out for.

Unlike Pool A though, Quebec really could be the ultimate #BracketBuster with legit playoff aspirations.

If they falter though, Nova Scotia could be the benefactor. The experience factor goes a long way in a long event like the Brier and Paul Flemming and company have experience on their side...along with proving they can be a successful "under the radar" team.

And as mentioned above, never count out a Koe!

Projected Standings:

1. #FearTheMoose (3)

2. #WC1 (1)

3. #Labelleprovince (10)

4. #TeamBluenose (11)

5. #WC3 (7)

6. #BuffaloHunt (6)

7. #TeamPacific (14)

8. #PolarPower (15)

9. #TeamArctic (17)

Playoff Qualifiers: #ABStrong, #FearTheMoose, #WC2, #WC1, #CurlON, #Labelleprovince

Page Playoff Qualifiers: #ABStrong, #FearTheMoose, #WC2, #CurlON

#Brier2022 CHAMPIONSHIP: #FearTheMoose (Team Jacobs) def. #ABStrong (Team K. Koe)

This Brier has a different feel to it post-Olympics. Back in 2014 and 2018, the Olympic reps (Team Jacobs, Team Koe) were ineligible to compete in the Brier. Who knows how they would have done?

Here we have Team Gushue fresh off a Beijing Olympic appearance now competing in the Brier. No argument, they are one of the best teams in Canada and the world. They did just win a bronze medal. But how will they be feeling, emotionally, mentally and physically, heading into Lethbridge? We just do not know. This is new territory.

It would be remarkable to see them go from Olympic ice to Brier ice and win but everything seems stacked against this happening.

On the flip, one Brad may be tired while another Brad is ready to seize the advantage.

Brad Jacobs has been one of the most consistent teams in Canada over the past number of years. We know they are going to be a podium threat.

Same with Kevin Koe. He is chasing #HIStory. And we can be fairly certain this iteration of the team will not be around at the end of the season...unless they win here?

This would be an EPIC final. 

We have seen teams lose the Olympic trials final and then make a deep run at the Brier.

Team Howard lost the 2009 Olympic Trials final but went undefeated in the 2010 Brier RR before coming up short in the final.

Team Morris reached the Brier final in 2014 after the tough Olympic Trials loss late 2013.

Team McEwen lost the 2017 Trials final but won the inaugural Brier wildcard play-in game in 2018 and reached the Championship Pool, falling one W short of the playoffs.

Why not create a little #HIStory in 2022 with our 2021 Trials finalist turning around and winning the 2022 Brier?!

#StayTuned

The blog will be heading to Lethbridge to cover the Brier action but unfortunately will not be there until Thursday due to heavy work commitments during the first half of the week.

But once there, full coverage will take place.

Also, remember the action in #Beijing2022 continues with the opening of the Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair curling will enter the #IceCube and the blog released a FULL PREVIEW of the competition earlier in the week.

To those competing in Lethbridge, the world is watching. Good luck and good curling.

The ice is yours...