TBT: Stoughton wins 2013 National in Port Hawkesbury

Throwback Thursday (TBT) digs through the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling archives as we revisit historical moments of the series. Today we rewind to January 2013 and the National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

With the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling series returning to Port Hawkesbury for the Princess Auto Elite 10, let’s flashback to the last time the series was at the Civic Centre for the 2013 National.

Jeff Stoughton proved once again it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

The Winnipeg team of Stoughton, third Jon Mead, second Reid Carruthers and lead Mark Nichols started the 2013 National down in a hole losing their first couple games including a 9-2 thumping at the hands of city rival Mike McEwen.

Stoughton didn’t lose another game from then on winning six straight en route to his fourth Grand Slam title. The win also completed a career Grand Slam (win all four majors at least once) for Stoughton as he became just the fourth skip to accomplish the mark after Kevin Martin, Wayne Middaugh and Glenn Howard (Brad Gushue joined the club last season).

The team scored round-robin victories over Mark Kean, Peter de Cruz and Jim Cotter to qualify for the playoffs. Stoughton avenged an early loss to Brad Jacobs with a 6-4 win in the quarterfinals and defeated Kevin Koe 5-3 in the semifinals. That set up a rematch against McEwen in the championship game.

McEwen went 4-1 through the round robin, thrashed Niklas Edin 7-1 in the quarterfinals and beat Martin 5-4 in the semifinals to book his spot.

The first half was a tight affair tied 2-2 at halftime. Stoughton held the hammer in the fifth and that’s when he cracked the game wide open with a four-ender. McEwen flashed on his last while facing three and Stoughton eased his last into the pile for the four-score.

Team McEwen fell into trouble again in the sixth end with Stoughton sitting four counters. McEwen attempted a runback on his last, but jammed to eliminate only half of Stoughton’s stones and give up a steal of two and out came the handshakes.

A trophy and a cheque: Jeff Stoughton, Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers and Mark Nichols after their 2013 National win. (Anil Mungal)

It was the fifth Grand Slam title for Mead, who also won the National in 2008 with Middaugh. Carruthers captured his first while Nichols earned his second having also claimed the National in 2010 with Team Gushue.

Three of the players are at the Elite 10 this year.

Stoughton, who stepped back from competitive curling two years ago, returns to Port Hawkesbury skipping a special one-event-only Elite 10 Select squad featuring a legendary lineup including third David Nedohin, second Jamie Korab and lead Nolan Thiessen.

Carruthers is skipping his own squad this time around while Nichols is back with Gushue and is the defending Elite 10 champion.