News National

OSHAWA, Ont. — Calgary’s Pat Simmons topped Niklas Edin of Sweden 8-4 during Draw 3 action at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling National on Wednesday afternoon. 

Team Simmons partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada this season and were wearing special camo jerseys for Remembrance Day that they plan to auction off at the end of the year with proceeds going to the organization.

Third John Morris said it’s huge for them to open with a W at the National as they also plan to donate a portion of their Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling prize winnings this season to Wounded Warriors Canada.

“That’s why we’re wearing the camo today to show our support for Wounded Warriors and the war vets and just everyone that’s ever served Canada in the military,” Morris said. “I have a really strong background with my family so it means a lot to me and our team as a whole so we want to make sure we put together a bunch of wins this weekend for them.” 

Team Simmons missed the playoffs at the Masters and Morris noted how key it was for them to grab the victory in their opening match here. 

“We’ve had a tough couple of last events so to come out strong, our skipper was bang on today and made a ton of shots, and one of our best team games of the year,” Morris said. “We really wanted to make sure we came out stronger than we did at the last Slam and so far so good. Edin is a good, young, tough team and they always play hard. They beat us at the worlds last year so we really wanted to make sure we got one back from them.”

Simmons scored deuces in the first and third ends while holding Edin to one point in the second. Edin matched with two in the fourth but Simmons got a three count in five to lead 7-3. The two teams split singles through the sixth and seventh ends and shook hands. 

Elsewhere in Draw 3 action, Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud took two in the seventh and stole one in eight to complete a 6-4 comeback win over Kevin Koe of Calgary and Toronto’s John Epping scored four sets of deuces during an 8-5 victory against Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers. 

In the women’s division, reigning Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg stole three in the fourth and scored a three in the sixth during a 7-5 win over Julie Hastings, of Thornhill, Ont., and EunJung Kim of South Korea scored four in the first and stole one in the second during an 8-3 victory over Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont.

The National is the third tournament and second major of the 2015-16 Pinty’s GSOC season. Previously a men’s invitational, the National has expanded this year to include a women’s division for the first time in the event’s history.