Eight Ends: What Dunstone hopes to accomplish with the GSOC Players’ Council
The Grand Slam of Curling prides itself on being a series with the players’ best interests in mind — and what better way to ensure that than offering them a seat at the table.
Matt Dunstone is part of the relatively new GSOC Players’ Council and discussed why the curlers formed the group and what they hope to achieve during a phone interview Thursday for Eight Ends.
FIRST END: The genesis of the Players’ Council started about a year ago as curlers were concerned the series was making key decisions without their input.
Dunstone praised GSOC senior manager Kristi Petrushchak, event manager Jenni Cram and Sportsnet, which owned the series at the time, for being open to the idea of a Players’ Council and helping create it.
“There were some things happening that the players weren’t totally sure of or certain of or very comfortable with, to be honest,” Dunstone said. “We got together and just wanted to make sure our voice was known amongst a large group of the players.”
Five curlers formed the inaugural Players’ Council in February: Dunstone and fellow Canadians Rachel Homan and Kaitlyn Lawes plus Switzerland’s Benoît Schwarz-van Berkel and Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg. Nominations and elections for council members will take place every year while the main spokesperson will stay on for a two-season term.
Although event management didn’t change when The Curling Group purchased the Grand Slam of Curling from Sportsnet in April, Dunstone said the Players’ Council wasn’t sure where they stood with the new ownership group that features co-founder and CEO Nic Sulsky, former curler John Morris and others.
That facilitated a meeting between the Players’ Council and Sulsky during the Co-op Canadian Open two weeks ago in Nisku, Alta. Dunstone said they “just laid it all out there” and explained why the players formed the group.
“Everyone saw it as something that is still super important and a big thanks to Nic for accepting that and wanting this group to be a part of the future of the Grand Slams,” Dunstone said. “It was a lot of us just figuring out what our role would be with the new ownership group, where they see us fit, and I think we have a pretty clear idea of that now, so moving forward, it’s full steam ahead for the players’ group.”
He added: “It’s awesome having that open line of communication and there’s just a lot of respect between us players and Nic and Johnny and everybody else involved. I see it as a really good fit. I think we’re off to a good start with that and that relationship is only going to get better.”
SECOND END: Dunstone also hopes other curlers see this as an opportunity to either get involved with the Players’ Council or come to them with feedback they can then streamline to The Curling Group.
“The last thing I think The Curling Group and Jen and Kristi want to deal with is a bunch of separate emails from everybody saying it should be this way, that way, this way, that way,” Dunstone said. “Whereas with us players, if we can take the bull by the horns a little bit, facilitate that conversation, get real feedback, real numbers, real data to take to The Curling Group from the players, all lumped into one email or document, whatever you want to call it, I think that’s going to make it a lot easier on everybody, help make everyone’s voice be a little bit more heard versus just sending a separate email on behalf of yourself or your team, whatever it is.
“Just more of a collective voice with everybody involved. That to me is how you’re going to see real results.”
Dunstone’s biggest goal with the Players’ Council is to ensure curlers are excited to attend and compete in the Grand Slam events.
“They’re the best tour events in the world, bar none,” he said. “From a player’s standpoint, I want all the players to be super comfortable and happy as they can be going into these events.”
Dunstone also wants The Curling Group to feel comfortable working with the Players’ Council and happy with the product on the ice.
“I think if we can reach that area on both sides of this you’re going to see nothing but the Grand Slams grow into something bigger than I think we all thought it could ever be,” Dunstone said. “It already has been a great working relationship and I’m just excited for it to continue to grow into something more.
“It’s very exciting to be able to work with both sides and hear players’ opinions and voices and take that forward and see how we can grow the product as a whole.”
THIRD END: Dunstone said the issues players are looking at include tournament formats, draw schedule times and the seeding of teams.
“Obviously, very player-related stuff that the players would have to deal with from that front,” he said. “We’re just trying to hear all the feedback from the players and their thoughts on the formats, how things are set up from an actual playing standpoint and how we can improve that.”
Those issues aren’t large at the moment as Dunstone said The Curling Group is heading in the right direction.
“I think the first two Slams have proven that,” Dunstone said. “I think both have been enormous successes and we’re going to see the best success yet in a week’s time in St. John’s.”
FOURTH END: Dunstone enters that Grand Slam event in St. John’s, N.L., fresh off of winning the Red Deer Curling Classic.
His Winnipeg-based club captured its second tour title of the season with a 6-0 shutout over Team John Epping of Sudbury, Ont., during Monday’s final.
Dunstone said the victory adds “another layer of confidence” heading into the KIOTI National.
“It’s starting to feel like this team is back to where we were in year one versus a bit of a down year last year,” said Dunstone, who also won a tour event in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., last month. “We’re trending in the right direction right now and definitely have our sights set on picking up a Slam. That’s one thing this group hasn’t done yet. In the last two-and-a-half years, we’ve come pretty close — making a final and a handful of semis — but haven’t gotten over that hump and actually gone and won a Slam yet.
“That’s something we definitely have on this team’s bucket list, something we’re very hungry for and trying to do and I think we’re trending in the right direction to be able to do that.”
FIFTH END: Third B.J. Neufeld had other commitments and wasn’t available for Red Deer. That meant bringing in a super spare — and E.J. Harnden, brother of lead Ryan Harnden and formerly with Team Brad Gushue, answered the call.
The elder Harnden, E.J., threw second, reuniting with his brother on the front end, with Colton Lott moving up to third.
“With E.J. being on the market, it was an obvious no-brainer to bring him on and get the Brush Bros. back together,” Dunstone said. “I think they enjoyed that experience, me and Colton did as well, and it was nice to see the two of them back together in the winner’s circle.”
Although it was a one-time invitation, would Dunstone be open to playing with Harnden again if he ever needed another spare?
“Absolutely. There’s obviously chemistry there with him and Ryan. I mean, they played together for 14 years, so to have him come in and spare like he did, there weren’t training wheels on for a very long time,” Dunstone said. “Having his brother on our team, there was a fit there. I hope in the near future we’re not going to be needing any spares, but if he’s going to be available he’d be one very high up on our list.”
SIXTH END: Dunstone’s round-robin schedule at the KIOTI National includes a meeting with Bruce Mouat, whose Scottish squad swept its way through the first two Grand Slams this season capturing the HearingLife Tour Challenge and Co-op Canadian Open.
The two skips have squared off since juniors and met twice during the Co-op Canadian Open in pool play and again in the quarterfinals.
Mouat was victorious both times, and Dunstone is keen for the rematch.
“They’re a bit of a different beast right now, no doubt,” Dunstone said. “In our first game against them in the round-robin in the last Slam, we had more than enough opportunities to go and beat them. (I) didn’t capitalize on those, so it’s definitely there for us. The quarterfinal game, they dominated no doubt about that, but I’m definitely excited to get another crack at them.”
Dunstone noted he has had success against Mouat before this year having won four out of five meetings between them during the previous two seasons.
“We know it’s there and we’re a confident group against those guys,” Dunstone said. “It goes without saying that we’re going to have to play our best to beat them. That goes for anybody in the world right now with how they’re moving along.”
SEVENTH END: Mouat has remained red-hot at the European Curling Championships in Lohja, Finland, nearly running the table in round-robin play with an 8-1 record.
Mouat was alone at the top but right below was a logjam with five teams tied at 6-3 for the final three playoff spots. Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell, Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz and Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller advanced while Sweden’s Niklas Edin and Italy’s Joël Retornaz were eliminated.
It’s a surprise to see Edin and Retornaz miss the playoffs entirely. The reigning world champion Edin has won gold at the Euros seven times while no team was hotter than Retornaz’s squad last season, having captured three straight Grand Slam titles and finishing the year ranked No. 1.
You could make the argument with such a strong field there should be a qualification round to include six teams in the playoff picture, but credit to Ramsfjell and Muskatewitz as they won the games that mattered.
Ramsfjell and Muskatewitz will also play in their first top-tier Grand Slam this season at the KIOTI National. Although Ramsfjell is no stranger to the Slams having played in a handful in previous seasons, it’ll be the major debut for Muskatewitz. Both will arrive in St. John’s with medals as Ramsfjell beat Schwaller for bronze Friday while Muskatewitz faces Mouat on Saturday to determine gold and silver.
EIGHTH END: While teams skipped by Ramsfjell and Muskatewitz are on the rise, Grand Slam mainstay Kevin Koe has slipped in the standings and is now on the outside looking in as his team did not receive an invitation to the KIOTI National.
Just how rare is it to have a Grand Slam without Koe? Since the start of the 2006-07 season, when Koe returned to skipping, there have been 88 Grand Slam events. Koe has only missed two of them: the 2007 Players’ Championship and the 2023 Champions Cup. Even that comes with an asterisk as his team still played at the 2007 Players’ Championship, but Koe was on paternity leave as Kevin Park filled in at skip.
Koe has been in a slump in the series, though, having missed the playoffs in nine of his past 10 Grand Slams. The one exception to that is the 2023 Players’ Championship, where Koe went all the way and won the title.
Team Koe is currently 20th in the world rankings, 41st in year-to-date points, and will need a dramatic turnaround before returning to the series.