News Champions Cup

SHERWOOD PARK, Alta. — Just when you thought Pat Simmons and his Calgary-based team were out, they get pulled back in.

Team Simmons second Carter Rycroft and lead Nolan Thiessen are both stepping back from competitive curling but have put their retirement plans on hold for the Humpty’s Champions Cup playoffs. 

Simmons scored an 8-2 victory over Scotland’s David Murdoch in Saturday morning’s tiebreaker to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock also advanced with a 7-3 win over reigning world junior champion Bruce Mouat of Scotland and Niklas Edin of Sweden scored three points in the eighth end to edge Peter de Cruz of Switzerland 6-5. 

Simmons is set to face Toronto’s John Epping, Edin meets Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, Laycock goes up against Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., and Calgary’s Kevin Koe clashes with Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers.

The Humpty’s Champions Cup playoffs begin with the women’s quarterfinals at 12:30 p.m. MT followed by the men’s quarterfinals at 5 p.m. MT. Watch both draws on Sportsnet ONE. 

NOTES: The Humpty’s Champions Cup is the seventh and final event of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday at the Sherwood Park Arena Sports Centre. … The event is the second of two new tournaments added to the schedule this year along with the Tour Challenge, which kicked off the season in September. … Teams had to win an event over the course of the season in order to qualify for the Humpty’s Champions Cup.