Most anticipated men’s matches at the Players’ Championship
The Players’ Championship aims to cap the 2013-14 season with a bang in Summerside, P.E.I.
Just looking at the men’s field and it’s anybody’s guess who will come out on top at the fourth and final stop on the Grand Slam of Curling series.
All of the round-robin matches are going to be must-watch affairs but these are the five games we can’t wait to see:
Jacobs vs. Michel (Draw 3, April 16, 1 p.m. AT)
Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will look to rebound from his performance at last month’s Syncrude National where his team missed the playoffs but his first test is a big one against Sven Michel from Switzerland. Michel was victorious in their meeting at the Sochi Winter Games before Jacobs went on an incredible run en route to winning gold. Team Michel went on a hot streak of their own at the Syncrude National, posting a perfect 5-0 record in round-robin play (with wins over the likes of Kevin Koe and Glenn Howard) and reached the semifinals. Both teams are aiming for their first Grand Slam title and the Players’ Championship could be the one.
Howard vs. Martin (Draw 3, April 16, 1 p.m. AT)
When Glenn Howard and Kevin Martin met in the Syncrude National quarterfinals, there was a lot of rumbling about whether it was the last time we had seen these two classic lineups face each other. Thankfully there will be at least one more matchup (and maybe another in the playoffs) before the year ends. Howard is the defending Players’ champion and has earned two Grand Slam titles already this season with a win over Martin in the Masters final.
Howard vs. Gushue (Draw 6, April 17, 9:30 a.m. AT)
Let the Syncrude National final rematch begin! Howard nailed the final shot to edge Brad Gushue 7-6 and capture the Syncrude National title last month. Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., will be the crowd favourite (although he also had quite the following in Fort McMurray, Alta.) and winning on the east coast would be extra special for his team.
Jacobs vs. Edin (Draw 8, April 17, 5 p.m. AT)
It’s always fun to watch these two teams clash whether it’s representing their nations at the worlds and Olympics or at a Grand Slam event. Brad Jacobs vs. Niklas Edin was one of our picks to watch at the Syncrude National and the match was a thriller with Edin counting three-enders in the fifth and seventh to win 8-4. Edin defeated Jacobs to capture the 2013 world championship and was also victorious in their round-robin match at the Sochi Olympics.
Koe vs. Martin (Draw 12, April 18, 4:30 p.m. AT)
Another chapter in the Battle of Alberta between Calgary’s Kevin Koe and Edmonton’s Kevin Martin should be a nail-biter with playoff seeds potentially on the line. Martin’s front-end of Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy will join Koe next season, adding another interesting layer to an already must-see matchup.
