Pat Simmons to fill in on Team Gushue for Swiss Cup Basel
Two-time Brier champ Pat Simmons will play the “super spare” role with Team Gushue this weekend at the Swiss Cup Basel.
Skip Brad Gushue announced Tuesday on Facebook he wouldn’t be making the trip overseas to Switzerland with teammates Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker to help defend the title at the Curling Champions Tour event.
The 2006 Olympic gold medallist from St. John’s is nursing a hip/groin issue that has kept him out of the lineup for the start of the season. While surgery wasn’t required, Gushue told the Canadian Press earlier this month he doesn’t know when he expects to return.
Regular third Nichols moved up to skip in the interim for their first two events of 2016-17. Adam Spencer filled in at third at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard where they reached the quarterfinals while Charley Thomas subbed at the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic in Cornwall, Ont., and helped them to a runner-up finish.
Team Gushue is currently ranked No. 1 on the World Curling Tour’s Order of Merit. Gushue won three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles and the Rogers Grand Slam Cup last season.
Simmons, of Moose Jaw, Sask., joined Edmonton’s Team Bottcher this season after his own squad had parted ways. Third John Morris re-joined Team Cotter in B.C. while second Carter Rycroft and lead Nolan Thiessen have both stepped back from competitive curling.
Team Gushue is scheduled to play in the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard the following weekend.