#WMCC2023 Preview

#BetweenTheSheets: World Men's Curling Championship Preview

Ottawa is set to crown the next world champion

March may be ending but the madness on ice continues.

With the dust not even collecting on the rocks in Sweden from the World Women's Curling Championship, we are already looking ahead to the World Men's Curling Championship.

We celebrated the accomplishment of Switzerland's Team Tirinzoni being able to achieve the #4peat in winning their 4th straight world championship.

And now our focus will be on the #5peat...as in Sweden's Team Edin looking to win their 5th straight world championship.

Tirinzoni's accomplishment was remarkable. Can Edin one up their Euro friends and create #HIStory?

If the #STOH2023, #Brier2023 and #WWCC2023 results taught us anything it is the blog motto of "the more things change, the more they stay the same" could live on once again in Ottawa.

Welcome to the World Men's Curling Championship Preview post.

The blog will follow the same format as the #WWCC2023 Preview post with a full Seed Report (similar to the #PowerRankings) of the 13 teams entered into the field.

From there, some key elements to watch for and concluding with the #TwineTime predictions.

Take note, the Seed Report below are based on the current World Curling Federation Men's World Rankings.

As a reminder, behind the nation name is the team representing the nation and their team ranking is included followed by in brackets the team's overall record and their Head 2 Head record against the field this season.

Let the madness on ice rock our houses once again...

#TwineTimePreview

World Men's Curling Championship

TD Place

Ottawa, Canada

2022 Champion: Sweden (Team Edin)

Format: 13 team RR with Top 6 qualifiers to the playoffs. 1st and 2nd place receive bye to SF.

#SeedReport

1. Sweden - Team Edin, #1 (67-14, 16-7 H2H)

The Champs Are Here! Imagine being one of the 12 other teams in this competition. You qualify for a world championship yet always see The King sitting on the throne ready to crush your dreams. I don't know why you gagging, he brings it to you every season! This has been quite an unorthodox season for Team Edin. With the skipper taking time off for surgery and to heal, the team rolled along and continued to win...sometimes with only 3 players. 7 tour finals this season. 7 TOUR FINALS!! At one point they had reached 5 finals IN A ROW! Of those 7 finals, 5 have been championship wins. They won the Tour Challenge Tier I and reached the finals of the National and Canadian Open. And you want to talk winning streaks. This team has put together winning streaks of 19, 14, 12 and 7 matches this season. They come to Ottawa riding that 14 match winning streak. When they win, they keep winning. The one point of interest is the National loss...which was to main rival Team Gushue. The H2H record vs. the field this season is very strong though and they only cross Gushue's path in the final RR draw. But watch out for that Sunday afternoon game vs. Scotland! Team Mouat is the Euro champ. Team Edin finished 4th at those Euro's...on home ice. They will want some revenge.

2. Canada - Team Gushue, #4 (38-9, 11-5)

It seems weird to point out but Team Gushue has only played in 2 finals this season (not including the Brier of course). They won both finals, National and Pan Continental, but it has not been a dominant season by their standards. They have some SF results though, namely the PB Invitational, Tour Challenge Tier I and Canadian Open. And their only other event was a QF result at the Masters. We know they are going to be a playoff team. We know they can defeat any team in this field. And they will have home ice advantage with fan support. We just need to find out if they can finish the job and not come up oh so close like they have in the majority of events this season. The schedule gods did them no favours as they open the competition against Switzerland and Italy, two of the strongest teams in the field. However, start 2-0 and you are off to the races already with an advantage for one of the SF byes. 

3. Scotland - Team Mouat, #6 (44-14, 15-9)

The Euro Champs are here and ready to finally take that elusive world championship trophy home with them. This team had a rough start to the season with injuries and minor line up changes but once the Euro's happened, they found their groove and looked like the world championship contenders we know them to be. They were the class of the Euro field in Sweden, winning the championship and only suffering one loss all week (vs. Team Schwaller). They also reached the final of the Masters and won a tour title in Perth. We saw them on the ice in Aberdeen tuning up for this event, ending with a SF result after a loss to Scottish rivals Team Whyte. Anything short of a podium finish will be a major disappointment for the young Scottish lads. 

4. USA - Team Shuster, #15 (40-15, 1-3)

Stats wise, Team Shuster is having a great season. They have 2 tour titles under the sliders and dominated the USA Curling National Championships. However, the H2H is the question mark here. They have not played a ton of games against their strong international competitors. And, for the majority of the tour events played, they were knocking off lower ranked teams. The high competition level was not the same compared to the events and teams their competitors have been playing. We did see them at one slam, Tour Challenge Tier II, where they went 1-3 and DNQ. On paper this is a playoff contender. But will the lack of competitive games against higher ranked teams this season help or hinder them against this field?

5. Switzerland - Team Schwaller, #7 (57-22 overall, 13-9)

The new look team from Switzerland has been on fire all season. Back in September they won back-to-back tour titles. They reached the Euro final. They have qualified for the playoffs in 9 of 10 events this season, only missing out at the National (1-3). And they own a winning record against the field. All the stats add up to a playoff spot for Switzerland. And remember, skip Yannick Schwaller was here last year skipping his old team and reaching the playoffs. The blog always talks about a potential sophomore slump for players/teams on international ice but Schwaller is surrounded by experience and winning resumes. Plus, look what Turkey's women did in Sweden at their sophomore world championship. And while opening against Canada in front of Canadian fans is not ideal, at least they get the game out of the way early. The real test will be how they perform on Monday and Tuesday, when they take on Italy, Norway, Korea and Scotland. If they can go 3-1 in those games, the view to the playoffs will look clear. Go 2-2 or worse and the view will become a lot more foggy.

6. Italy - Team Retornaz, #3 (61-19, 13-10)

80 games played. Team Retornaz has already played 80 games this season through 14 events. And, after the world championship, they have the final 2 #gsoc events to play. This is a very busy schedule for the Italians. But the competitive schedule has also paid off, namely in making #HIStory by becoming the 1st Italian team to win a #gsoc title (Masters) where they defeated Team Schwaller (QF) and Team Mouat (F). The team also has 3 other tour titles to their credit and reached 2 other tour finals, including the tune-up event in Aberdeen a few weeks ago. The H2H record is modest and they will be challenged right out of the gate with games against Scotland and Canada back-to-back on opening day. Their playoff push will come from their results in the final 2 days of the RR, where they play Sweden, Czechia, Japan and Korea. Going 3-1 at least in those games should place them in the playoff picture. What position though could make things interesting.

7. Norway - Team Ramsfjell, #11 (55-21, 8-10)

At one point this season, Team Ramsfjell had reached 5 straight tour finals, winning 3 titles along the way. Overall they have 6 tour finals and 4 titles under the slider. They also made that deep playoff run at the Masters, reaching the SF. Lots of games this season. Lots of wins. But on the wrong side of the H2H record right now, which could be a mild problem if you want to make a playoff push. No team is going to undefeated (we think) in this field. But they need to pick up 6 or 7 wins along the way so they will need to knock off at least 1 or 2 nations seeded above them to get there. The question is if they can do it and, if so, against whom? Opening weekend sees them battling Pan Continental teams USA, Korea, Canada and New Zealand. A 3-1 record entering play on Monday would go far in solidifying themselves as a playoff contender. Could Norway be the nation to have both women's and men's teams reach world championship finals this year? What a story that would be.

8. South Korea - Team Jeong, #33 (44-17, 3-8)

The Korean champions have reached 3 tour finals this season and collected 1 tour title...but that was back in August at the season opener in Sapporo. The run through Pan Continentals was impressive, reaching the final after surprising USA's Team Dropkin in the SF. Interestingly enough they suffered 2 losses at that event, both to Canada's Team Gushue and both by identical 11-3 scorelines. They have played 2 events in 2023, reaching a final in Belgium and SF last weekend in St. Catherine's. Another fun fact? Both of those playoff losses were against Turkey's Team Karagoz. Actually 3 of their 8 H2H vs. the field losses this season have come against Karagoz. Korea might be happy to not see them until later in the week. They open their world championship against New Zealand, Norway and Japan. Consistency has plagued this team all season, where they look like championship contenders one week and struggle to make the playoffs, if at all, the next. If they can open strong, post a 3-0 opening weekend record, that confidence could be the difference maker. Struggle early and go 1-2 or 0-3 and it could be a LONG week.

9. Japan - Team Yanagisawa, #16 (59-24, 4-5)

The Pan Continental Curling Championships are a perfect snapshot of how this team's entire season has gone. Remember at #PCCC2022 when they started 0-4 and everyone was shocked. They ended up winning their final 3 RR games to make the playoffs, clinch a spot in this field for Japan before losing the SF (vs. Canada) and bronze medal game (vs. USA). We have seen this team look strong, winning tour titles and playing in tour finals. We have seen this team look bad, missing playoffs and struggling to even win games. They have not been on the ice since winning the Japanese championships in January, a competition they dominated. But consistency is their issue. Opening weekend sees them against Turkey, Korea and USA. If they get off to a similar start here as they did in Calgary at PCCC, the playoffs will be nearly impossible. There is no room for error early.

10. Germany - Team Totzek, #86 (15-25, 0-10)

For a team that just missed the playoffs last season due to the TB formula, it is a bit surprising to see their overall season record be 10 games under .500. It has not been a great season for the German champs, especially by the standards we have seen from the over the past few years. Of 7 events played this season, they have only qualified in 2 and both ended with QF losses. At the Euros in November, they started strong in posting a 3-1 record. But then the wheels fell off and they lost 5 straight to miss the playoffs once again and finish 3-6 overall. Also concerning is all of those Euro losses were to the teams who they will face off against at this world championship. They have 0 wins against the field this season. Another stat you do not want to see entering this event. However, do not underestimate Sixten Totzek either. Remember how strong he has been at the world junior championships over the past few years. And this is his 3rd world championship appearance so he should be settled in now on the big ice. Plus he was just the feature model as Mr. March in the Curling Cares calendar. So there is some upswing. The opening schedule is so difficult though. When your first 5 games are against Sweden, Swizterland, Czechia, Scotland and Italy...yikes! Those are some Olympic, world and #gsoc champions in that list. If they want to have any shot at the playoffs, they need to open with a 3-2 record at best. Anything less and they will be swimming the Rideau River upstream.

11. Czech Republic - Team Klima, #74 (20-23, 2-7)

The blog has been a fan of Team Klima for many years, ever since watching them in person at the 2019 Euros in Sweden. Lukas Klima will be making his 3rd world championship appearance and 2nd in a row after the 9th place finish last season. They, alongside Germany, are the only teams in the field with a sub-.500 record for the season. And they have not faired well against the competition in the H2H department either. They did reach the tour final in Prague back in November but have also failed to qualify in 4 of 6 tour events. And they finished the Euro's with a 3-6 record. More concerning is they come to Ottawa riding a 5-match losing streak after going 0-4 at their tune-up event in Aberdeen in March. This team has all the potential to be a #TeamUpset flag bearer. But can they turn potential into promise? 

12. Turkey - Team Karagöz, #95 (23-13, 5-7)

Bet you were not expecting to see those stats next to Team Turkey, right? A strong overall season record. A very respectable H2H record against the field. And, of 4 tour events played this season, they have reached 3 finals and have 1 title (Belgium). They actually played in the St. Catherine's event last weekend, reaching the final and knocking off Korea's Team Jeong in the SF. Besides the stats and figures, we also have the facts. This will be the debut appearance for Turkey at the World Men's Curling Championship. This is a HUGE accomplishment and comes fresh off last year and this year's success of the national women's team. Similar to Norway above, Turkey could find some inspiration from their counterparts after watching how they performed in Sweden at the women's worlds. A playoff spot? Might be a bit out of reach for the rookie team in their debut. But collecting a few wins, knocking off a few teams and surprising the world along the way...it could happen. This is a good team folks. Keep your eyes on them and welcome them to the world championship!

13. New Zealand - Team Hood, #188 (6-6, 0-3)

Speaking of laying out the Welcome Mat, leave it unrolled for New Zealand's Team Hood. Anton Hood and the boys will be making their world championship debut. It will be only the 6th ever appearance for New Zealand and first since placing 5th in 2012. And who skipped that 2012 team? Alternate Peter de Boer of course. If the young boys can draw off de Boer's experience and leadership, they could surprise a few teams this week. We saw them compete at the Pan Continental Curling Championships, where they surprised many with their 5th place finish and 3-4 record overall. They only missed the playoffs due to their loss vs. Japan, after both teams finished with identical RR records. They also competed at a tour event earlier in the season in Leduc, reaching the SF as a tune-up for #PCCC2023. Opening day will be key for this team as they draw Korea and Czechia. New ice. New rocks to play with. Opening jitters. Everything is the same for everyone at the start. If they can go 1-1 or 2-0 on Saturday, look out. And if you are looking to learn more about skipper Anton Hood, his team and curling in New Zealand, listen to the #TwineTime podcast episode with him HERE (also available on your fav podcast streaming apps). Learn about the #HoodFrown and a special challenge Hood has issued to fans in the stands in Ottawa. There may even be a prize involved?!?

#The10Ends

#W2W4

There are quite a few interesting storyline to watch out for this upcoming week in Sweden.

Here are the 10 ends the blog will be keeping close 👀 on:

🥌 #5Alive for Sweden's Team Edin? #7thHeaven for Niklas Edin?

Switzerland's Team Tirinzoni just won their 4th world championship in a row. Can Team Edin go one better and win their 5th? Remarkable accomplishments considering this team has been the world champions throughout the entire Olympic cycle, culminating in the much deserved Olympic gold medal win last year. Can anyone beat them on world championship ice? 2023 will be the 12th world championship appearance for #KingNiklas, his first coming in 2006 as vice for Team Carlsen. And while he may have missed the playoffs in his debut, finishing 5th overall, he has only missed the playoffs once since (2016). He has 6 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medal finishes...and is looking to add to the trophy case. 4 straight titles. 5 straight world championship finals. And chasing championship #7 overall. Edin and teammate Oskar Eriksson also share the record for most WCF career championship medals, sitting at 38 medals each. We know we will see some high five's throughout the week but will be end the championship with a #5Alive? Team Edin could make more #HIStory this week.

🥌 Home ice sounds nice...but is it?

Is there really home ice advantage at the world championships? Sure it is nice to have family and friends and fans backing you and cheering on every shot, but do all those added benefits translate to top of the podium success. In the past 15 years of the World Men's Curling Championship, only 3 times has a home nation won the world championship in front of supporting home fans. And only 7 times in the same span has the home nation landed on the podium. Not the best results overall. However, those 3 world championship wins were all by Canada on home ice (2007 Edmonton, 2011 Regina, 2017 Edmonton). And 3 other championships on home ice, Canada walked away with a silver medal (2009 Moncton, 2013 Victoria, 2019 Lethbridge). And that other home ice podium result? It was also Canada, winning bronze in 2015 (Halifax). No other hosting nation in the past 15 years has reached the podium. Of course the odds are in Canada's favourite considering they host the world men's championship every second year; however, you still have to go out and win the games and make the podium. Nothing is a given. Home ice may not be an advantage for a world championship title but it does appear to be a Canadian advantage towards a deep playoff run.

🥌 Italian Stallion ready to take over the world?

You will be hard pressed to find a curler who has been on a more positive trending upward trajectory over the past few seasons than Italy's Joel Retornaz. And while Retornaz is an experienced skip, having competed in 8 prior world championships, 14 Euro championships and 3 Olympic appearances, it is his results over the past few seasons that have elevated him from a Tier II challenger into a Tier I contender. The world bronze medal win last season was his first podium at a world championship...and he will be hungry to replicate or better that result this season. Not to mention the back-to-back bronze medal wins at the 2021 and 2022 Euro championships and his inaugural #GSOC title this season, the Italian Curling Stallion looks primed to continue trending up. This is one team I would be very nervous about playing this week. And if Italy makes the final in Ottawa, do not consider it an upset result. 

🥌 Is Norway the new #HotTopic?

If any team is going to feed off momentum from their compatriots results in Sweden, it should be Norway's Team Ramsfjell. Watching the Norwegian women navigate an experienced field and turn it into a 2nd place RR finish and silver medal win should be great motivation. Similar to their female counterparts, Ramsfjell will enter the competition as a dark horse challenger. A team many may not expect to make the playoffs but, given their strong results on tour this season, are a team not to be overlooked. They will fly under the radar. They may not get all the media attention. But they will be a hard team to defeat when they step on the ice. Norwegians, in general, are quiet people who keep to themselves. Perhaps that personality trait is exactly what is needed to turn positive results into a playoff push for Team Ramsfjell. We were shocked in Sweden. Why not be shocked in Ottawa?

🥌 Will USA be A-OK?

The world championships have not been kind to USA over the years. Since the inception of the bronze medal game in 1995, USA has won a total of 2 medal. Both were bronze (2007, 2016). They have finished 4th eight times though, most recently being last year with Team Dropkin. John Shuster was the last American skip to win a world championship medal when his team won bronze in 2016. And while Shuster has since become an Olympic champion (2018), the winning results have not been there for USA on world championship ice. Team Shuster comes to Ottawa off a moderate season but a dominating performance at USA Nationals. #HIStory is not on the side of a USA podium finish. The team is strong, chalked full of experience. Can they end a USA medal drought in Ottawa though?

🥌 The 2019 Redux?

The 2023 field has many similarities to the 2019 field in Lethbridge. Remember 2019? When Niklas Edin won his 4th world championship and 2nd among his current winning streak. When Benoit Schwarz and Sven Michel were playoff contenders and winning a bronze medal. When Bruce Mouat and John Shuster were making playoff appearances and Joel Retornaz was just missing out, again. Or when Magnus Ramsfjell and Jeong Byeongjin were making their world championship debuts. Team Germany's alternate for 2023, Marc Muskatewitz, was making his skipping debut. This year will see many of those same teams and names from Lethbridge hit the ice in Ottawa, a credit to the longevity and championship caliber of teams and athletes 4 years later. In 2019, the podium was Sweden (Edin), Canada (Koe) and Switzerland (De Cruz). Could the same 3 nations stand tall once again in 2023?

🥌 #TeamUpset

Who will be the "Norway" of this championship? We saw Norway's women operate a silent but deadly approach to winning a silver medal in Sweden, a result many did not expect heading into the event. Could a surprise playoff and/or podium finisher emerge for the men in Ottawa? Germany's Team Totzek may not have had the best tour season compared to most of their competition but they came very close to the playoffs last year, finishing 6-6 and losing out on the TB formula. Or what about Korea's Team Jeong? Many were surprised with their Korean championship win but they have backed it up all season and showcased their international success at the Pan Continental Curling Championships. And never count out Czechia's Lukas Klima and company, who continue to improve. Korea skip Jeong Byeongjin has been here before remember, competing in 2019 with Team Kim Soo-hyuk and finishing 1-11 in last place. But experience helps. Totzek and Klima will be making their 3rd world championship appearance. Could a #JuniorJump be in store for either of them? If you are looking for a Team Upset flag bearer to rally behind for a possible playoff push, these are the 3 teams you should keep your eyes on.

🥌 Great Scot...23 years and counting?

Is this possible? Has it REALLY been 23 years since Scotland stood atop the men's curling world as champion? For the nation to have invented the sport, it seems almost unrealistic to think Scotland is on this long of a world championship drought. And Canada thinks they have it tough with not winning gold? Imagine being a Scottish curling fan! Scotland does have the 2nd most all-time world championship medals, 35 total, but only 5 have been gold. And the last was in 2009 when David Murdoch skipped his team to a victory over Canada's Kevin Martin in Moncton. It is not that Scotland is not a championship threat in all these years. They have 3 silver and 3 bronze medals to their credit since that '09 championship. With Canada pouching Murdoch as the new High Performance Director at Curling Canada, imagine the irony of Scotland's Team Mouat winning the world championship in the same year?!  

🥌 Can the rookie skips/teams make a splash on ice?

Japan's Yanagisawa Riku. New Zealand's Anton Hood. Turkey's Ugurcan Karagoz. These three skips will have the eyes of the world on them as they try to shock the world at their debut world championship. Japan is a regular threat as a nation and has experience on their team. New Zealand is making a long-awaited return to world championship ice. And Turkey will make their debut. All three will be considered underdogs against an experienced field. However, do not count them out either. Look at the growth of Turkish curling on the women's side. Similar can be said for the men. The goal may be to see which, if any or all three, can outcurl one another and finish ahead of their fellow rookies. If these teams can secure 3 - 5 wins in the RR, it would be a great accomplishment. A playoff run? Might be tough but, if it happens, what a great story it would become.

🥌 The Experience Factor

Similar to what we saw at #WWCC2023 last week, this is another world championship field stacked with talent and experience. Olympic champs. World champs. Euro champs. Pan Continental Champs. #GSOC champs. It will not be just "good" teams going home early but high potential "great" teams will not make the playoffs. And what will be the playoff bubble line here? Last year a 6-6 record saw 3 teams tied for the final playoff spot, with Switzerland surviving the TB procedure to nab a playoff ticket. Could this happen once again? Canada's Gushue finished atop the RR board with a 10-2 record. Could 2 or 3 losses be enough once again to solidify the SF bye? Parity in a world class field is great for the fans...but perhaps stressful for the teams. There are no "BINGO" spaces on this board. This feels like a tri-fold competition where you have the Big 5 (CAN, ITA, SCO, SUI, SWE), the fight for the #6 playoff spot (KOR, JPN, NOR, USA) and then the #TeamUpset challengers (CZE, GER, NZL, TUR). If any team can knock off a team in the tier above them, could they take their spot? That final playoff spot is going to be a fight to the finish though.

#TwineTimePredictions

Projected Standings:

1. Canada  2. Scotland  3. Sweden  4. Italy  5. Switzerland  6. Norway  7. USA  8. Korea  9. Japan  10. Czechia  11. Turkey  12. Germany  13. New Zealand 

Qualifiers:

Canada, Scotland, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Norway

Bronze Medal

Sweden (Team Edin) def. Italy (Team Retornaz)

#WMCC2023 CHAMPIONSHIP

Scotland (Team Mouat) def. Canada (Team Gushue)

#TwineTime Podium Picks

Gold - Scotland

Silver - Canada

Bronze - Sweden

What say you rockheads? Agree? Disagree?

Who do YOU think will land on the podium?

Will we see any surprise results? Who will be #TeamUpset?

Streaming will be available throughout the championships via The Curling Channel page HERE and the action kicks off for the opening draw with a blockbuster: Scotland vs. Italy.

#StayTuned

The blog offered DAILY #PowerRankings during the women's worlds in Sweden.

Should the blog do similar for the men's worlds? 

To those competing at #WMCC2023, the ice is yours. The world is watching.

Good luck and good curling!