1956 Macdonald Brier

Last updated
1956 Macdonald Brier
Host city Moncton, New Brunswick
Arena Moncton Stadium
DatesMarch 5–9
Attendance25,800
WinnerFlag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba
Curling club Fort Rouge CC, Winnipeg
Skip Billy Walsh
Third Al Langlois
Second Cy White
Lead Andy McWilliams
Finalist Ontario (Phillips Sr.)
«  1955
1957  »

The 1956 Macdonald Brier , the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held from March 5 to 9, 1956 at Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick. A total of 25,800 fans attended the event. [1]

Contents

Both Team Manitoba and Team Ontario finished tied for first in round robin play with 8-2 records, necessitating a tiebreaker playoff between the two teams. Manitoba, who was skipped by Billy Walsh defeated Ontario in the tiebreaker 8–7 in an extra end to capture the Brier Tankard in what is considered to be one of the greatest Brier finishes of all time. The game would come down to the last rock as Walsh delivered a perfect shot which snuck past the Ontario guard, then knocked the Ontario shot rock out of play while Walsh's rock managed to bite the 12 foot to capture the Brier championship. Walsh's winning shot was ranked 19th by TSN in their Top 50 Curling Shots of All Time segment. [2]

This was Manitoba's fifteenth Brier championship and the second won by Walsh as a skip, with his first being in 1952. This was the first time in which a championship tiebreaker would go to an extra end and only the second time in which any tiebreaker game would go to an extra end (the other was the second place tiebreaker in 1931).

Event Summary

Heading into the Thursday evening draw (Draw 9), Manitoba was unbeaten with a 7–0 record with Ontario right behind with a 6–1 record while Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan had an outside shot with 4-3 records. On the Thursday evening draw, Alberta would be eliminated with an 11–7 loss to Northern Ontario while Saskatchewan defeated Quebec 11–5. Nova Scotia would defeat previously unbeaten Manitoba 15–4. Ontario took advantage and beat Newfoundland 10–8 to tie Manitoba in the standings heading into the final day.

In the first matches on the final day, Ontario would lose to British Columbia 11-9 opening the door for Manitoba to be in the drivers seat heading into the final draw. Manitoba would do just that as they defeated Alberta 11-5 leaving Manitoba and Ontario as the only two teams that could win the Brier.

In the final draw in the afternoon, Manitoba was sitting with an 8–1 record while Ontario had a 7–2 record. A Manitoba win would have them clinch the Brier outright while Ontario needed a win against Nova Scotia and a Manitoba loss against Saskatchewan to force a tiebreaker playoff that evening. In the final draw, Ontario trailed 9–6 against Nova Scotia with two ends remaining, but Ontario would score five in the eleventh end then steal three in the last end to win 15–9. Saskatchewan handed Manitoba their second defeat of the Brier with a 12–10 win, which forced a tiebreaker playoff that evening between Manitoba and Ontario.

The tiebreaker game between Manitoba and Ontario would be an instant classic. After the first end was blanked, Ontario would strike first with two in the second but Manitoba would counter and tie the game at 2 after three ends. Both teams traded singles the next four ends, but Manitoba would take their first lead of the game at 5–4 with a steal of one in the eighth end. Ontario would tie the game with one in the ninth. Manitoba then scored one in the tenth and stole one in the eleventh to take a 7–5 lead heading into the final end. Ontario would score two in the last end to tie the game at 7. This meant for the first time ever that a tiebreaker playoff to decide a Brier would be decided in an extra end.

Manitoba would have the hammer in the extra end, which would come down to the final stone. With Ontario having shot rock within the four foot in addition of having a rock in front of the house guarding that rock, Billy Walsh would have his work cut out for him prior to his final stone. As he released the stone, it slid past the Ontario guard into the house. The rock then struck Ontario's shot stone, which would roll out of play. Walsh's stone would roll out and would stop just biting the 12 foot to score one and capture the Brier championship in one of the greatest Brier finishes of all time. Walsh's winning shot is still considered one of the top shots in Brier history.

Teams

The teams are listed as follows: [3]

AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew Brunswick
Granite CC, Edmonton

Skip: Matt Baldwin
Third: Gordon Haynes
Second: Art Kleinmeyer
Lead: William Henning

Kimberly CC, Kimberley

Skip: Harold Jordan
Third: James Livingstone
Second: William Moscovitz
Lead: Donald Beattie

Fort Rouge CC, Winnipeg

Skip: Billy Walsh
Third: Al Langlois
Second: Cy White
Lead: Andy McWilliams

Beaver CC, Moncton

Skip: Ralph Lister
Third: Horace Trites
Second: Jimmy Vance
Lead: Ralph Patterson

NewfoundlandNorthern Ontario [4] Nova ScotiaOntario
St. John's CC, St. John's

Skip: Robert Goudey
Third: Wesley Hermanson
Second: Norman Pounder
Lead: George Giannou

Copper Cliff CC, Copper Cliff

Skip: Steve Kuzmaski
Third: Bill Hudgins
Second: Al Rodin
Lead: George Burns

Truro CC, Truro

Skip: Gerald Glinz
Third: Avard Mann
Second: Frank Hoar
Lead: Edward Henry

The Granite Club, Toronto

Skip: Alf Phillips Sr.
Third: Reginald Mooney
Second: Stanley Jones
Lead: William Leak

Prince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewan
Charlottetown CC, Charlottetown

Skip: Wendell MacDonald
Third: John Squarebriggs
Second: Andrew Likely
Lead: Elmer MacDonald

Thetford Mines CC, Thetford Mines

Skip: Walter Smith
Third: Edwin Whitham
Second: Henry Foster
Lead: Royce Little

Delisle CC, Delisle

Skip: James Hill
Third: Harold Worth Jr.
Second: Elmer MacNevin
Lead: Donald Morris

Round-robin standings

Key
Teams to Tiebreaker Playoff
ProvinceSkipWLPFPA
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba Billy Walsh 8210678
Ontario Alf Phillips Sr. 8210579
Saskatchewan James Hill 7312481
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia Gerald Glinz 6411198
Alberta Matt Baldwin 558790
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec Walter Smith 558795
British Columbia Harold Jordan 4698105
Northern Ontario Steve Kuzmaski 469392
Prince Edward Island Wendell MacDonald 4689102
New Brunswick Ralph Lister 3789115
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland Robert Goudey 1973127

Round-robin results

All draw times are listed in Atlantic Time (UTC-04:00) [5]

Draw 1

Monday, March 5 3:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)02030120210112
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)0010100200307
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)02301301030316
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)20010040302012
Sheet C123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)00302043000012
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)1101010013019
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)10202103010010
New Brunswick (Lister)03030010202112
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)1001111111109
Alberta (Baldwin)0120000000014

Draw 2

Monday, March 5 8:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0010101040108
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)21020204010214
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Alberta (Baldwin)21001311300012
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)00110000043211
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)0010101210107
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)1102020001029
Sheet D123456789101112Final
New Brunswick (Lister)0101100021006
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)1020010100128
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)01202011201212
Saskatchewan (Hill)1005010001008

Draw 3

Tuesday, March 6 9:00 AM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Alberta (Baldwin)10010303031012
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0120101010017
Sheet B123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)0101020101017
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)10303020401014
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)01222104200115
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0000003001206
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)1000010003038
New Brunswick (Lister)03421012101015
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)1102101200019
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)0030010021108

Draw 4

Tuesday, March 6 2:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)0100020100116
Alberta (Baldwin)1011101011007
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)22001101211011
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)0002003000016
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)11010321204116
New Brunswick (Lister)0010100001003
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)40142102104322
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0100002001004
Sheet E12345678910111213Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)110130100201010
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)002004021010313

Draw 5

Wednesday, March 7 2:00 PM

Sheet A12345678910111213Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)320001010101110
Alberta (Baldwin)00112020102009
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)03022001010312
Ontario (Phillips)10200210103010
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)30201020103113
British Columbia (Jordan)0103010101007
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)0010201020107
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)12020101020110
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0010101000407
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)1001020112019

Draw 6

Wednesday, March 7 8:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0001001010025
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)11201102012011
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)03002030210112
Saskatchewan (Hill)1021020200109
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0101000310006
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)20103130051218
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)00502202130015
British Columbia (Jordan)2201001000118
Sheet E123456789101112Final
New Brunswick (Lister)1300010010208
Ontario (Phillips)00013033010213

Draw 7

Thursday, March 8 9:00 AM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)0102012012009
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0010100100227
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)1011011200209
New Brunswick (Lister)0100200011016
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)0012101010208
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)11000102030210
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)20301011110212
Alberta (Baldwin)0101010000104
Sheet E123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)02020202020111
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)10102030201010

Draw 8

Thursday, March 8 3:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)0101010210208
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)30101030010211
Sheet B123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0021010200006
New Brunswick (Lister)43001010130013
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)1000201011028
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)0001010100306
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Alberta (Baldwin)10211033010113
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)0100010010205
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)0010012101107
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)1001100010015

Draw 9

Thursday, March 8 8:00 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)0000010101025
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)03111050102014
Sheet B123456789101112Final
British Columbia (Jordan)01133130304019
New Brunswick (Lister)2000000101037
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)02021031020112
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)1010010010105
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Ontario (Phillips)20020210012010
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)0210100110028
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)10020300201211
Alberta (Baldwin)0210201001007

Draw 10

Friday, March 9 9:30 AM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)20101112030011
Alberta (Baldwin)0100000010215
Sheet B12345678910111213Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)001020012011210
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Newfoundland (Goudey)10010310020008
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Saskatchewan (Hill)03002002201111
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)2012021001009
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)12020201013012
New Brunswick (Lister)00201040100311
Sheet E12345678910111213Final
British Columbia (Jordan)101201040000211
Ontario (Phillips)01000030111209

Draw 11

Friday, March 9 2:30 PM

Sheet A123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)01003002010310
Saskatchewan (Hill)10310210202012
Sheet B123456789101112Final
New Brunswick (Lister)0002001013018
Alberta (Baldwin)21103104002014
Sheet C123456789101112Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)20201102020010
British Columbia (Jordan)0104001010119
Sheet D123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec (Smith)0021010030029
Northern Ontario (Kuzmaski)0100104100007
Sheet E123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia (Glinz)2001010302009
Ontario (Phillips)00203010105315

Playoff

Friday, March 9

Sheet C12345678910111213Final
Flag of Manitoba (1905).svg  Manitoba (Walsh)00201011011018
Ontario (Phillips)02010100100207

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References

  1. "EE22_BrierSouvenirProgramFinal.pdf" (PDF). Curling Canada. p. 59. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  2. TSN (August 29, 2020). "Top 50 Greatest Curling Shots & Moments". YouTube. Sports Complex. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  3. "1956 MacDonald Brier - Curling Canada Stats Archive". Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. "Belec's Rink Bows Out In NOCA Curling Finals; Copper Cliff Wins 9-8". Sault Star. January 30, 1956. p. 12. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  5. "Canadian bonspiel". The Regina Leader-Post. March 5, 1956. p. 19. Retrieved 6 May 2022.