News Champions Cup

Team Carruthers third Braeden Moskowy will be calling the shots for the Winnipeg-based squad later this month at the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Skip Reid Carruthers is going to miss the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event as he will be a little busy representing Canada at the world mixed doubles championship. Carruthers and Team Homan’s Joanne Courtney won the national title this past Sunday in Saskatoon.

It’s been a while since Moskowy has been at the helm, but he’s looking forward to skipping once again as they get set to defend the Humpty’s Champions Cup title.

“Hopefully I’m not too rusty and hopefully I can find the draw weight early,” said Moskowy, who skipped his native province of Saskatchewan to a Canadian junior title in 2011. “It’s been about four or five years now since I’ve skipped but we’re just going to have fun with it and I’m looking forward to it. It should be good.”

Team Carruthers is playing in the WestJet Players’ Championship this week in Toronto, the last time the foursome of Carruthers, Moskowy, second Derek Samagalski and lead Colin Hodgson will play together this season.

Everyone on Team Carruthers moves up in the lineup for the Humpty’s Champions Cup with Samagalski going to third, Hodgson playing second and new alternate/adviser Craig Savill filling in at lead.

Carruthers announced the addition of Savill, a two-time world and 12-time Grand Slam champion, last month ahead of the Olympic year. Carruthers won the Canada Cup earlier this season to book his spot to the national Olympic Trials, which will take place in December in Savill’s hometown of Ottawa. The Humpty’s Champions Cup gives Team Carruthers an opportunity to fast track Savill into the lineup.

“We’re going to have to see if he’s still got the magic or not,” Moskowy said. “He’s coming out this week to help us out and stuff, so that’ll be our first experience with him really and it’ll be really awesome. We get to throw him into the fire right off the hop here at the Champions Cup.”

The Humpty’s Champions Cup runs April 25-30 at WinSport Arena in Calgary. Team Homan announced earlier this week Sarah Wilkes from Alberta’s Team Kleibrink will sub for Courtney at the event.

Carruthers captured the inaugural Humpty’s Champions Cup last season earning his first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title as a skip in a thrilling double extra-end victory over John Epping.