Team McEwen gearing up for Players’ Championship
Mike McEwen and his Winnipeg-based rink have been money on the World Curling Tour all year long winning eight events and they now look to cash in big time at the season-ending Players’ Championship, running April 7-12 in Toronto.
Fresh off of defeating Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin for the inaugural Syncrude Elite 10 title Sunday in Fort McMurray, Alta. — their fifth career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title together — Team McEwen is now set on finishing the year capturing the one major that has eluded them thus far.
“We really want to win the Players’ badly,” McEwen said. “That’s the best-of-the-best Slam there is. That would be amazing going out on top winning that in Toronto.”
Team McEwen second Matt Wozniak added they’re definitely gearing up to end their remarkable tour season on a high note and complete a career Grand Slam.
“We’ve got a week at home for some practising, training and resting, that kind of thing,” Wozniak said. “We feel like there’s no reason why we can’t go in there and replicate this performance and get into the playoffs and see what happens.”
McEwen came close the last time the Players’ Championship was held in Toronto back in 2013. The team made it to the final but luck wasn’t on their side as Glenn Howard made a clutch double takeout in the final end to score the decisive deuce and lift his rink to a 4-3 victory.
At the Players’ Championship last year in Summerside, P.E.I., McEwen fell to Kevin Martin in the semifinals as the “Ol’ Bear” went on a remarkable run to cap his career claiming his record 18th major.
“Kevin Martin played 100 percent to beat us in the semifinals … I threw up 98 and it just wasn’t enough!” McEwen said with a laugh. “So that hurt a little bit but it was amazing to see him win and go out that way.”
McEwen, who also took home the National title this past November, has a shot at the Rogers Grand Slam Cup sitting tied atop of the standings with Brad Gushue. The St. John’s, N.L., rink won the Masters and Canadian Open titles earlier this season.
The full list of teams and pools for the Players’ Championship was also announced Sunday. Among those competing are Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton and Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin, who both announced they will be stepping back from competitive curling following the event.
