Bottcher embracing full Team Gushue experience at KIOTI National in St. John’s
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — No matter where the Grand Slam of Curling goes in Canada, it seems like Team Brad Gushue gets the loudest cheers, but it certainly hits differently in the club’s hometown with thousands of fans packed at the Mary Brown’s Centre.
Brendan Bottcher saw it from the other side when he skipped Alberta in the 2017 Brier — and even faced Gushue in his opening game — but he’s now embracing the full experience at the KIOTI National as the team’s newly minted second.
“It’s just spectacular,” Bottcher said Wednesday following Team Gushue’s 6-3 victory over Winnipeg’s Team Reid Carruthers. “We go across the country and Team Gushue has fans everywhere, but this is special. It’s special for the guys and it’s special to be a part of.
“I’ve been out there before on the other side of the equation and certainly a respectful, knowledgeable curling crowd, but to be a part of the side that they’re just roaring every time you make a good shot and every win that you notch is pretty special. I hope the guys are enjoying it. I certainly am as well.”
The Kioti National is the first time Team Gushue has played at the Mary Brown’s Centre since winning the 2017 Brier and capturing its first Canadian men’s championship. It brings back a lot of memories for lead Geoff Walker, who had goosebumps going out onto the ice.
“Even just walking out before the game and getting the big applause is always exciting for us athletes,” Walker said. “Getting out there, making some shots and the crowd’s behind you, it’s just great. You hear the familiar roars from the crowd and I even heard a horn a few times, the old hockey horn, so that’s pretty cool.”
When the event was announced almost a year ago, it’s hard to imagine this is how the week would play out for Bottcher and Team Gushue. Bottcher had played with third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert for two seasons, however, the trio opted to move in a different direction this past summer and linked up with skip Brad Jacobs. Meanwhile, Gushue announced in October his team had parted ways with second E.J. Harnden.
Bottcher initially decided to play mixed doubles with Rachel Homan and coach her women’s team this season, however, he put his coaching duties on hold when he got the call to join Team Gushue. The five-time Grand Slam champion from Spruce Grove, Alta., hit the ground running with Team Gushue, competing in back-to-back events off the bat, finishing fourth at the Pan Continental Curling Championships and runner-up at the Co-op Canadian Open.
“It’s going great. We’re really cohesive as a team and we’re only a month in,” Bottcher said. “I think we’re having some fun out there. We’re enjoying each other on the ice, off the ice. I hope anyway, people are seeing us smile and laugh and truly enjoy the time out there and that makes it a little bit easier.
“We’ve matched that up with some good success so far. I think we can move the yardsticks yet, but we’re playing well and hopefully, we continue to play well this week.”
Walker laughed while reflecting on how the week could have been different had Bottcher’s and the team’s plans not changed.
“He would have been walking into a hostile environment if he was a competitor, so now just the complete 180 and only his third event with us,” Walker said. “He’s coming into what it’s like playing at home for us. I’m sure he’s enjoying it and he joked around that he hasn’t been on this side of it with this many people. I think he’s handling it well. We’re all having fun and the crowd’s behind us and that’s important.”
Walker lives in Edmonton and with coach Jeff Hoffart also from the area, the three have formed a Western Canada bureau for Team Gushue. Bottcher said it’s great from a comfort level standpoint having known them quite well before even joining the team.
“Yes, I was the new guy coming in, but it felt like we were a few steps ahead of where it could have been had they brought on a brand new teammate,” Bottcher said. “Being able to practise with those guys out in Edmonton and Geoff and I having a front-end tandem out in Edmonton, I think is quite key as well.
“Hopefully, two of us out west and two of us out east, we can come together and put the pieces. That’s certainly the plan.”
Walker already believed Bottcher fit in smoothly during the Co-op Canadian Open and now it’s just fine-tuning things and “getting even more comfortable with each other.”
“I think for someone who hasn’t played second before, especially at a high level, he’s been phenomenal,” Walker said. “He just seems comfortable out there. I don’t think there’s any, ‘Where should I be?’ and those moments.
“He’s picking his spots when to speak up. We trust his opinion, too, but he’s probably coming in not wanting to spew too much information. He’s picking his spots good. We appreciate it when he does speak up.”
The most important question though: Has Bottcher been screeched in and become an honourary Newfoundlander?
“I have in my life, but I have not yet this week,” Bottcher said with a laugh, “so we’ll see where that gets me.”
KIOTI NATIONAL: DRAW SCHEDULE / RESULTS | STANDINGS | BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Gushue got out to a good start to improve to a 2-0 record with the win over Carruthers (1-1).
The 15-time Grand Slam champion Gushue scored three in the second and stole two in the third for an early 5-0 lead.
Carruthers snapped the shutout in the fifth end with an insane angle run double for a deuce that should hold up as one of the shot-of-the-week candidates.
“That was incredible. That was one of the best shots I’ve seen in a while,” Bottcher said. “Reid certainly has it in him. It was a good shot, so full props to him.”
After Gushue drew for a single in the sixth, Carruthers was forced to one in the seventh and called it a day as the crowd gave a standing ovation for the home team.
“Right from practice on down, they gave us a pretty good run in the first few ends,” Bottcher said. “I thought we played well. We got a couple of misses and we capitalized. Then from there, we managed the scoreboard well right to the end.”
Elsewhere in Draw 7, Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., took two in the extra end to clip Winnipeg’s Team Chelsea Carey 7-5. Einarson moved up to a 2-0 record while Carey fell to 0-2 and must win her next game to avoid early elimination.
Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranå (1-1) also scored a deuce in the extra end for a 6-4 victory over Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini (0-2).
Team Eun-jung Kim defeated Team Seung-youn Ha 6-4 in a matchup of South Korean clubs.
UP NEXT
Round-robin play continues with Draw 8 at 8 p.m. NT / 6:30 p.m. ET at the Mary Brown’s Centre.
Live streaming of every game is available on free preview via HomeTeam.
Broadcast coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins Thursday at noon NT / 10:30 a.m. ET.
NOTES
The KIOTI National is the third Grand Slam of Curling event of the season featuring 16 of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world. … Round-robin play runs through to Friday. The top eight teams in both divisions advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals. If necessary, one tiebreaker draw will be played Saturday morning to determine the final playoff spots. … The semifinals are also scheduled for Saturday with both finals on tap Sunday.