Alberta, Manitoba provincials set to go to round out Brier picture

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They sure take their curling seriously in Alberta and Manitoba.

Want to win the tankard in the Wild Rose Country?

You’ve got to go through Kevin Koe to do that, which is what Aaron Sluchinski did in 2024 to earn the Alberta title.

But now the Airdrie curler has joined up with Koe in an effort to do it again and take it one step further in a resolute bid for the Brier.

Meanwhile in Manitoba, the annual tradition of forging a way through a men’s field consisting of a whopping 32 teams to earn the provincial crown seems oh-so daunting.

But for Reid Carruthers — another defending champ also returning for a run at a national honour with a roster reshuffle — it’s bring on the challenge.

“It’s crazy but crazy awesome — looking forward to going to battle,” said Carruthers, of the rocky road to winning Manitoba’s Viterra Championship. “It’s been like this forever, and this is the 100th year (of Manitoba men’s provincials), so it’s a special one.

“And we’re hungry for that provincial title.”

So, too is Koe at Alberta’s Boston Pizza Cup.

And with Sluchinski now aboard at third — and not nearly the same number of provincial playodwn teams to have to out-last as there is in Manitoba — it’s looking good for a rink with two super shot-makers who’ve skipped teams to a combined three tankard titles in as many years.

“We’ll go into the event as the No. 1 seed, so everybody will be gunning for us, for sure,” Sluchinski said. “Having won it last year, it gives you tons of confidence — you know you can win at this level. And when you join a guy like Koe who has won it so many times, it gives you more confidence.

“If we play our game, then we like our chances, for sure.”

So it’s on in both provinces for the men’s belts and the final two slots in the Brier, Feb. 28-March 9 in Kelowna, B.C. …

ALBERTA

When and where: Wednesday through Sunday, Stettler Recreation Centre
Defending champs: Aaron Sluchinski (Airdrie CC)
Who to watch: Koe, four-time Brier champ and two-time world champ; Jamie King, three-time Brier champ and two-time world champ; Evan Van Amsterdam, 16th in men’s Canadian Team Ranking System
The skinny: By earning enough CTRS points, Brad Jacobs and his mighty Calgary crew have already qualified for the Brier, leaving Koe as the big fave to skip his way to a ninth crown.

It seems like kind of an ask-him-to-join-if-you-can’t-beat-em scenario for Koe in inviting Sluchinski to come aboard during an early season shakeup.

After all, Sluchinski did defeat Koe in last year’s provincial championship draw.

“I doubt that was the case,” said Sluchinski, with a chuckle. “But I did have his number the last three times we played each other.

“My team and Kevin’s team didn’t get off to great starts this season. Kevin ended up seeing if I wanted to join them. So I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve always looked at Kevin as a top-notch skip for many years, so I think it was a no-brainer to join them.”

Indeed, Koe cut his third, Jacques Gauthier, allegedly for performance reasons in September and asked Sluchinski to join him, second Tyler Tardi and lead Karrick Martin.

But accepting that invite meant making a big decision to leave the reigning Alberta champs.

“It was a tough decision,” said Sluchinski, 37. “It weighs on you, for sure, just because of what you’re going to do to your current team.
“But as soon as I got the call, I knew in the back of my mind I was going to say, ‘Yes’. You have to figure out a way to approach it and leave the guys in the best possible shape you can.”

His longtime third, Jeremy Harty, caught on with Cole Adams, who is among the 12 combatants at the Boston Pizza Cup.

Second Kyle Doering, a new hire for Sluchinski over the summer, is now Carruthers’ alternate.

Dylan Webster, however, didn’t catch on anywhere after Sluchinski left to connect with Koe.

“The guys understood, for sure — they knew it was a good opportunity for me, but it’s never ideal to do it mid-season,” added Sluchinski, who also saw last year’s second, Kerr Drummond, step away from competitive curling after the Brier but ultimately get a return ticket to this year’s national championship with Yukon champ Thomas Scoffin.

MANITOBA

When and where: Tuesday through Sunday, Portage la Prairie’s Stride Place
Defending champs: Reid Carruthers (Granite CC)
Who to watch: Carruthers, 2011 Brier and world champ; Jacques Gauthier, world junior champ in 2018 and ’20; Jordon McDonald, 1-3 record at Grand Slam of Curling’s Masters; Calver, 2015 world junior champ and last year’s provincial runner-up
The skinny: By earning enough CTRS points, Matt Dunstone and his winning Winnipeg side have already qualified for the Brier, leaving Carruthers in good shape to repeat as Viterra king and claim a ninth provincial title for himself.

For Carruthers, too, he’s with a different cast in looking to repeat as provincial champ.

First came the departure last April of decorated fourth Brad Jacobs to head up Calgary’s super-team of Mark Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert, formerly skipped by Brendan Bottcher.

Then came longtime rinkmate Derek Samagalski stepping away in November to stay close to home.

To replace them, Carruthers brought in Catlin Schneider — last year’s championship skip in B.C. — and BJ Neufeld — just days ago — to slot in at second and third respectively.

“These are guys that have won their provincial championship across the board,” said Carruthers, who also boasts Connor Njegovan — a Brier guy the last five years. “Anytime you have a team of players that are veterans per se, normally that just alone puts targets on your back.

“But I’m looking at some of the seasons of my rival competitors and they’ve had some great years … Jordon McDonald is a very good young team, Calvert has played locally but done well, and there’s a former teammate in Derek that we might come up against with Jacques Gauthier.”

Oh … yes … Gauthier again, who — after being axed by Koe — landed back in his home province.

There’s been so much movement affecting the Alberta and Manitoba men’s curling scenes.

“People are trying to find the difference maker, so switches have been made, and I think there’s a ripple effect,” added Carruthers. “It’s been an interesting one from an outsider’s perspective, for sure.

“But curling is a business … and I can’t say I’m all that surprised.”

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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