2019 Humpty’s Champions Cup: Men’s Teams
Keep it here for an updated list of teams who have qualified for the 2019 Humpty’s Champions Cup taking place April 23-28 at Saskatoon’s Merlis Belsher Place.
Team Bottcher
Edmonton, AB | Qualified: Meridian Canadian Open
Team Bottcher brought their “A” game to the Meridian Canadian Open in North Battleford, SK. Bottcher posted a perfect 6-0 record including a 6-3 victory over Team Epping in the men’s final to capture his first career GSOC title.
Team Carruthers
Winnipeg, MB | Qualified: WCT event winner (Stu Sells Toronto Tankard)
Former “frenemies” McEwen and Carruthers joined forces this season and captured their first title together at Toronto’s Royal Canadian Curling Club over Thanksgiving weekend. Team Carruthers finished the event undefeated at 6-0 although they needed an extra end to solve Nova Scotia’s Team Thompson 6-5 in the final.
Team Dunstone
Regina, SK | Qualified: WCT event winner (DEKALB Superspiel)
Team Dunstone picked up four World Curling Tour titles in their first season together. Their victory in Morris, MB, was the one that earned them a spot here as they went 7-0 including a 5-4 decision over provincial rivals Team Muyres in the final.
Team Edin
Karlstad, SWE | Qualified: WCT event winner (Swiss Cup Basel).
Team Edin topped the field at 7-0 to run through the even in Basel, Switzerland, for the second time in three seasons. Edin beat Norway’s Team Walstad 7-5 in the final. Cotter is subbing for third Oskar Eriksson, who is competing for Sweden in the world mixed doubles curling championship.
Team Epping
Toronto, ON | Qualified: Canadian Beef Masters
Epping earned his fourth career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title, and third as a skip, in Truro, NS, back in October. Team Koe may have given them a bit of a Halloween fright in the final, however, Epping held on for the 7-4 decision to earn their treats.
Team Gushue
St. John’s, NL | Qualified: 2018 Humpty’s Champions Cup
Team Gushue is back to defend their title from last season in Calgary. The victory made Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling history as Gushue became the first to win all seven top-tier men’s titles in the series. Gushue also picked up this season where he left off by capturing the Princess Auto Elite 10 in September. Lott is subbing for second Brett Gallant, who is out of the lineup as he is representing Canada at the world mixed doubles championship.
Team Jacobs
Sault Ste. Marie, ON | Qualified: Tour Challenge (Tier 1)
Fear the moose! Backed by their Northern Ontario fans in Thunder Bay, Team Jacobs scored two in the final frame to edge Team Bottcher 6-5 in the final. It was Jacobs’s fourth career title victory in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling.
Team Koe
Calgary, AB | Qualified: 2018 Players’ Championship
Koe claimed his fifth Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title, and fourth as a skip, just over a year ago in Toronto. Although Koe and Hebert are the only holdovers from last season’s lineup, they also won the Brier in Brandon, MB, which would have secured them a spot for the Humpty’s Champions Cup, too.
Team Matsumura
Sapporo, JPN | Qualified: Pacific-Asia Curling Championships
Matsumura earned his first Pacific-Asia title in Gangneung, South Korea, back in November. They lost just once during round-robin play to China’s Team Zou but avenged the defeat with a 12-8 victory in the final.
Team Mouat
Edinburgh, SCO | Qualified: European Championships
The future is now for Mouat as he added another high-profile trophy to his expanding case picking up gold at the European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Mouat held off Sweden’s Team Edin 9-5 in the gold-medal game.
Team Muyres
Saskatoon, SK | Qualified: WCT event winner (Tour Challenge Tier 2)
It’s a hometown Saskatoon Slam for the first-year squad. Team Muyres caught fire in October-November with a solid run that saw them go undefeated through the Tour Challenge Tier 2 event in Thunder Bay, ON. Muyres downed Team McDonald 8-3 in the final to rightfully earn a promotion.
Team Paterson
Glasgow, SCO | Qualified: Boost National
A couple of firsts occurred during the Boost National men’s final in Conception Bay South, NL. Team Paterson took on compatriots Team Mouat in the first-ever all-Scottish final in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling. Paterson prevailed 4-3 in an extra end to clinch his first championship in the series.
Team Schwaller
Bern, SUI | Qualified: WCT event winner (Stu Sells Oakville Tankard)
Team Schwaller’s victory in Oakville, ON, at the start of the season was also their first title on the World Curling Tour. Schwaller went 7-1 through the event with an 8-3 victory over Team Tuck in the final.
Team Shuster
Duluth, USA | Qualified: U.S. national championship
The reigning Olympic gold medallists captured another national title in Kalamazoo, Mich. Shuster doubled up on defending champions Team Ruohonen 8-4 in the final. Morris is subbing for skip John Shuster, who is out of the lineup as he will be competing for the U.S. in the world mixed doubles curling championship.
Team Tardi
Langley, BC | Qualified: World junior curling championships
Team Tardi returns to the Humpty’s Champions Cup after successfully defending the world junior title. Tardi topped Switzerland’s Team Hösli 9-4 in the gold-medal game.
