24 teams in 24 days — Day 1: Team Gunnlaugson
We’re profiling all 24 teams, one per day, to get ready for the return of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling leading up to the start of the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
Day 1: Team Gunnlaugson
Lineup: Jason Gunnlaugson (skip), Adam Casey (third), Matt Wozniak (second), Connor Njegovan (lead)
Home club: Morris Curling Club; Morris, Man.
Team Gunnlaugson made their second consecutive appearance at the Tim Hortons Brier this year representing Manitoba. The 2020 provincial champions rattled off five consecutive wins to start and finished in the championship pool with a 6-6 record.
It was their first tournament with their new-look lineup intact. Alex Forrest stepped back from competitive curling at the end of last season, opening the door for Casey to move up from second to third. Wozniak threw second stones previously for Mike McEwen and won seven Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling men’s titles.
Gunnlaugson played in one event during the shortened fall tour season as a trio with Wozniak and Njegovan as their import Casey remained in P.E.I. The short-handed Team Gunnlaugson reached the quarterfinals of Winnipeg’s Atkins Curling Supplies Classic in October.
Team Gunnlaugson won the Tour Challenge Tier 2 men’s title in September 2017 to kickstart a breakout season in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling. Gunnlaugson qualified for the playoffs in five of six events in the series following his team’s promotion. They competed in two Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events last season at the KIOTI Tractor Tour Challenge (Tier 1) and Meridian Canadian Open but fell short of qualifying for the playoffs in both tournaments.
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling returns with the Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 14-18, followed by the Princess Auto Players’ Championship, April 20-25. Both events will be played at Calgary’s WinSport Arena and closed to the general public. Watch live coverage on Sportsnet, stay tuned for the broadcast schedule.