Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community……
Last weekend the Scotties Tournament of Hearts reached its climax in Calgary with the Team Canada rink skipped by Kerri Einarson taking the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship.
One week later, the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier begins today, also in Calgary, and Brad Gushue hopes to keep the winning trend for defending champions alive.
Gushue won the Brier at the Leon’s Centre in Kingston last year in one of the final activities before the sporting world, and the world in general, as we know it was altered.
Similar to the Scotties, there is an expanded field of 18 rinks competing this year.
The teams will be split into two pools of 9 where an eight-game round robin will take place.
Following the round robin, the top 4 teams in each pool will transfer their records to the championship pool where they will play more 4 games against teams in the opposing pool.
The biggest alteration to the Brier format is the absence of the Page Playoff concept.
Instead, the top 3 rinks following the championship pool will advance to the playoffs with the top ranked team getting an automatic entry to the championship game while the other two surviving squads will have a semifinal match.
The eventual winner will pocket $100,000 & if not already qualified, the winning rink will also earn a spot in the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, plus will represent Team Canada at next year’s Brier.
There’s a lot of teams, a lot at stake and a lot that’s still uncertain for curling & sports around the globe, but the 2021 Brier at Calgary should provide 10 great days of a competitive distraction.
For Pete’s Auto Body I’m Fred Wallace