Day 4 at the Brier: 'Bitter rivals' Reid Carruthers, B.J. Neufeld come together for Manitoba

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After four wins in four games to start the 2025 Montana’s Brier, Reid Carruthers and B.J. Neufeld are probably wondering why it took them so long to hook up in a bid to win the Canadian men’s curling title.

After all, the Winnipeg-area talents have known each other for years.

And they’ve curled against each other for a decade-plus on the Manitoba and Canadian championship scenes.

So much so that one or both have been at the Brier 13 straight times and counting.

But never together.

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“Not until now,” Carruthers told reporters at this winter’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C.

“We’ve been bitter rivals,” continued the 40-year-old skip of the back-to-back Manitoba champions, who now feature Neufeld at third. “We were borderline enemies for years in Manitoba because we were both fighting for the same thing and we were never teammates.”

They are now and are looking good on Canada’s brightest curling stage, especially after another win early Monday over New Brunswick’s James Grattan 6-4 at Prospera Place.

In fact, Carruthers, Neufeld, second Catlin Schneider and lead Connor Njegovan went into Monday night’s pivotal draw with Canada’s Brad Gushue — but lost 7-3 to the three-time defending champions — to be right among contenders of Pool A with an impressive 4-1 record.

Of course, it’s Gushue’s crown the Granite Curling Club squad hopes to wrestle away to wrap up the 10-day championship event.

And that would be quite the coup given the roller-coaster ride the team’s been on the past year.

First, it was skip Brad Jacobs leaving Carruthers & Co. at the end of last season to take time off from the sport.

Then in November, long-time teammate Derek Samagalski took leave from the squad to focus more on family.

Not long after, Neufeld’s two-plus-years came to an end with Manitoba’s top team skipped by Matt Dunstone — now the No. 1-ranked team in Canada — and he was a free agent for nearly two months before Carruthers called him up.

“Just really relishing being here,” Neufeld, 39, told reporters. “Obviously getting cut from a team that’s one of the best in the world is a huge pill to swallow. So you’re feeling the extreme disappointment of that at the beginning.

“But once it got close to our provincials, Reid gave me a call and asked if I’d be willing to jump on board and help them out, so I jumped at the chance. And now you’re feeling like you’re back and you have a chance to compete again, which is something that I love to do.”

Doing it with Carruthers, however, is something new.

Indeed, they each have enjoyed different decorated paths to the Brier in their careers, beginning with Carruthers’ first voyage as the alternate for Manitoba winner Kerry Burtnyk back in 2008.

Carruthers, of West St. Paul, Man., then curled second for ace Jeff Stoughton in winning Manitoba titles and making Brier visits in 2011, ’14 and ’15 — a run which included Carruthers’ only Brier victory in 2011 London and only worlds win as a curler in 2011 Regina.

Then, he skipped his own squad to provincial triumphs and Brier appearances in 2016 and ’18.

After that, Carruthers won Manitoba and attended the national championship as third with Mike McEwen in both 2019 and ’22.

He also went to the Brier as a wild card with McEwen in 2020 and ’21 and was a wild-card skip in the 2023 gala.

Last year he won Manitoba with Jacobs as skip, after which they went 7-1 in the round robin before losing two straight playoff games — including the second to Dunstone — to be ousted from the Brier in Regina.

“Reid’s a great player,” Neufeld said of his new skip. “He whacked us around at provincials a few times before we were able to win with Matt.

“He’s a great player and he’s just a really good dude on and off the ice. He’s easy to be around. He’s a great teammate.”

Neufeld himself has an impressive resumé at provincials and in making the Brier, always as a third.

The Winnipeg native won Manitoba with McEwen in 2016 and ’17 — both with older brother Denni at lead.

He then returned as a wild card with McEwen at the Brier in 2018.

Neufeld then jumped ship to Alberta to play with Kevin Koe in 2019, ’20 and ’21, and he collected his only Brier win in 2019 and a worlds silver medal in 2019 in Lethbridge.

It was Koe whom McEwen and Neufeld lost 7-6 to in the final of the 2017 Canadian Olympic trials.

Then, in making a return to Manitoba, Neufeld won provincials with Dunstone in both 2023 and ’24 — highlighted by the latter, when the team finished 6-2 in the round robin and made the final four but lost 6-5 to McEwen in Page playoff game at the Brier in Regina.

“I would just say B.J.’s a great team guy,” Carruthers said. “And I never saw that because I was never a teammate of his before. But I’ve really enjoyed his company off the ice, and he’s supportive when you miss a shot.

“He’s joining our team, but really he’s bringing a vast amount of knowledge for us. So it’s kind of like a nice working relationship and we’re having fun with it.

“And, in a short period of time, I would say it’s been very good,” added Carruthers, in his 13th visit to the Brier. “We’re enjoying our time off the ice. And I feel like we’re learning from each other already. That’s the really neat part, and we’re open to that process.

“And honestly, I just feel like we’re one of those teams that can rattle off some wins and contend.”

EXTRA ENDS

Northern Ontario’s John Epping (4-1) executed two dynamic doubles in the 10th end to score a deuce for an 8-7 edge of Dunstone in Draw 7 early Monday. Then he went on to edge B.C.’s Cameron de Jong (0-5) 8-6 in the evening game to keep him in the mix in Pool A … In other Pool A play Monday, it was: Alberta’s Kevin Koe (2-3) get his first two wins, with an 8-5 result over B.C.’s de Jong in the morning and a 10-2 smash of Nunavut’s Shane Latimer (0-4) in the evening; Newfoundland’s and Labrador’s Ty Dilello (1-3) earning his first-ever Brier victory in a 10-6 decision over Nunavut’s Latimer 10-6; and New Brunswick’s Grattan (2-2) edging Newfoundland’s Dilello 5-4 with a steal of one in the 10th end … Monday afternoon Pool B action saw: Saskatchewan’s McEwen (4-0) stay undefeated with an 9-4 victory over Québec’s Felix Asselin (2-2); Alberta’s Jacobs (3-0) keep pace with a 10-3 triumph over Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith (0-4); Saskatchewan’s Rylan Kleiter (2-1) defeat Northwest Territories’ Aaron Bartling (0-3) 8-2; and Ontario’s Sam Mooibroek (3-1) score a 9-3 decision over Yukon’s Thomas Scoffin (1-3) … The Brier continues with fourth-day action Tuesday — all times ET and all on TSN — in Draw 10 (11:30 a.m.), Draw 11 (4:30 p.m.) and Draw 12 (9:30 p.m.).

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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