1976 Macdonald Brier

Last updated
1976 Macdonald Brier
Host city Regina, Saskatchewan
Arena Regina Exhibition Stadium
DatesMarch 7–13
Attendance61,110 [1]
WinnerFlag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland
Curling club St. John's CC, St. John's
Skip Jack MacDuff
Third Toby McDonald
Second Doug Hudson
Lead Ken Templeton
Coach Sam Richardson (unofficial) [2]
«  1975
1977  »

The 1976 Macdonald Brier , the Canadian men's national curling championship was held from March 7 to 13, 1976 at Regina Exhibition Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. [3] The total attendance for the week was 61,110. [1] This was the final Brier in which regulation games were 12 ends in length.

Contents

Team Newfoundland, who was skipped by Jack MacDuff captured the Brier tankard as they finished round robin play with a 9–2 record. This was Newfoundland's first ever Brier title. MacDuff's rink were considered heavy underdogs in the event as their odds of winning the Brier had been put at 1,000 to 1, making the victory extraordinary. [2]

The MacDuff rink would go onto represent Canada in the 1976 Air Canada Silver Broom, the men's world curling championships in Duluth, Minnesota. They could not replicate the Brier success however, as they finished ninth out of ten teams with a 2–7 record, which at the time was the worst finish by a Canadian team in the world championships.

British Columbia's 6–5 victory over Alberta in Draw 11 was the fifth double extra end game in Brier history and the first since 1973. This game was one of eleven games in the tournament which went to an extra end, setting a record for most extra end games in one Brier. This would end up being a Macdonald era (until 1979) record and wouldn't be broken until 1981. [4] [5]

This Brier also set a record for most blank ends in a single Brier as 199 ends were blanked. To date, this is the most blank ends in a single Brier. There were also two games (BC vs. Quebec in Draw 5 and Newfoundland vs. Saskatchewan in Draw 12) which tied a Brier record set in 1974 for most blank ends in one game with seven. [4] This record would not be broken until 1990. [5]

Teams

The teams were as follows: [6]

AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitoba
Calgary CC, Calgary

Skip: Wayne Sokolosky
Third: Frank Morissette
Second: John Cottam
Lead: Shayne Wylie

Burnaby WC, Burnaby

Skip: Bernie Sparkes
Third: Bert Gretzinger
Second: Al Cook
Lead: Keiven Bauer

Heather CC, Winnipeg

Skip: Clare DeBlonde
Third: Garry DeBlonde
Second: Don Finkbeiner
Lead: Doug Finkbeiner

New BrunswickNewfoundlandNorthern Ontario
Capital WC, Fredericton

Skip: Dave Sullivan
Third: Mike Flannery
Second: Tom Rubec
Lead: Greg Gilks

St. John's CC, St. John's

Skip: Jack MacDuff
Third: Toby McDonald
Second: Doug Hudson
Lead: Ken Templeton

Fort William CC, Thunder Bay

Skip: Rick Lang
Third: Bob Nicol
Second: Al Fiskar Jr. [7]
Lead: Warren Butters

Nova ScotiaOntarioPrince Edward Island
Mayflower CC, Halifax

Skip: Alf Romain
Third: Doug Arnold
Second: Stu Cameron
Lead: Guy LaRocque

Dixie CC, Mississauga

Skip: Joe Gurowka
Third: Bob Charlebois
Second: Ray Lilly
Lead: Jim McGrath

Charlottetown CC, Charlottetown

Skip: Ken MacDonald
Third: Keith MacEachern
Second: Peter McDonald
Lead: Al Ledgerwood

QuebecSaskatchewanNorthwest Territories/Yukon
St. Laurent CC, Mount Royal

Skip: Jim Ursel
Third: Art Lobel
Second: Don Aitken
Lead: Brian Ross

Moose Jaw CC, Moose Jaw

Skip: Roger Anholt
Third: Gord Stewart
Second: Bob Hicks
Lead: Bill Wilson

Fort Smith CC, Fort Smith

Skip: Howie Brazeau
Third: Jim Schaefer
Second: Charles Schaefer
Lead: Paul Kaeser Jr.

Map of teams

Round Robin standings

Final Round Robin standings [6]

Key
Brier champion
ProvinceSkipWLPFPAS% [8]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland Jack MacDuff 92816172%
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba Clare DeBlonde 83696079%
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia Bernie Sparkes 74745880%
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec Jim Ursel 74665379%
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick Dave Sullivan 74635673%
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta Wayne Sokolosky 65736575%
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario Rick Lang 56767574%
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories / Yukon Howard Brazeau 56577172%
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia Alf Romain 47598171%
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan Roger Anholt 38566875%
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario Joe Gurowka 38668278%
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island Ken MacDonald 29627272%

Round Robin results

All draw times are listed in Central Standard Time (UTC-06:00). [6] [9]

Draw 1

Sunday, March 7, 1:30 pm

Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)10102010010107
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)02020100101018
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)1000410302XX11
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)0100001020XX4
Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0003302100009
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)0000010031128
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)00000101010X3
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)01001030102X8
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)0010100000125
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)0001000011003

Draw 2

Sunday, March 7, 7:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)0001010001XX3
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)2010201310XX10
Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0011020020017
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)3200200100109
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)00012101000106
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)10200020010017
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)0101000201027
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)0010101010206
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)0001001010003
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)1010110000015

Draw 3

Monday, March 8, 9:00 am

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)00000100101X3
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)00120003020X8
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)10100010000115
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)02020000000004
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)00011002000116
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)10000100111005

Draw 4

Monday, March 8, 1:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)0210100010016
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0002000102005
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)11001010301X8
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)00100200020X5
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0110000200105
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)0000002001036

Draw 5

Monday, March 8, 7:30 pm

Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)10000000010103
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)00002001000014
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)01000203001007
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)00201010300018
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)01110010001X5
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)00000102000X3
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)0010100300207
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)1201002001029
Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)10201010042X11
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)02010102100X7

Draw 6

Tuesday, March 9, 9:00 am

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)00021001101X6
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)10000100000X2
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)0011100000216
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)1100000011004
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)00200201001X6
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)10020010120X7
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)01010101001X5
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)00101020110X6
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)02010101101X7
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)00102010000X4

Draw 7

Tuesday, March 9, 2:00 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0011001100004
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)0100030000015
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)01100001020X5
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)20010140001X9
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)1000202000106
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)0011020011028
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)1000002020XX5
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0030210502XX13
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)00002002110X6
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)00000200001X3

Draw 8

Wednesday, March 10, 1:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)1001010100XX4
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)0020201022XX9
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)0110020100117
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)2000100020005
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)0101010100004
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)1020101000005
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)00002000012X5
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)00030202000X7
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)00103010010X6
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)00010000002X3

Draw 9

Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)30300101000X8
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)00010000002X3
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)00001021000X4
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)20020200020X8
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)0000030010116
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)1000101002005
Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)00102004002X9
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)01010010210X6
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)0001020020005
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)0100201100218

Draw 10

Thursday, March 11, 1:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)1002122020XX10
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)0010000100XX2
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)02010301102X10
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)10202010010X7
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)00100200202X7
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)22020003010X10
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)0000000010203
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)1001100001026
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)21110100200X8
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)00002010011X5

Draw 11

Thursday, March 11, 7:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0000020202017
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)1010101010106
Team1234567891011121314Final
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)001002010001005
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)100100201000016
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)0200110010005
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)1001001002128
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)01010121000X6
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)00200000010X3
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)01000100211X6
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)00214010000X8

Draw 12

Friday, March 12, 1:30 pm

Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)10000040000016
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)01000001101105
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)10000100000215
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)00000000202004
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)0000202022XX8
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)0001010100XX3
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)02010100101X6
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)20101021030X10
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)0010200010206
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)0101020101017

Draw 13

Friday, March 12, 7:30 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)0100331001XX9
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)0000000100XX1
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)00100110100X4
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)21030001011X9
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)1010010010105
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)0200101002017
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia (Sparkes)1100100300107
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)0011002020028
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)0102020001006
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan (Anholt)0010101000115

Draw 14

Saturday, March 13, 12:00 pm

Team123456789101112Final
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta (Sokolosky)01000000010X2
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec (Ursel)20011100101X7
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)01001000010205
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories/Yukon (Brazeau)10010102000016
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick (Sullivan)1000001100137
Northern Ontario curling flag.png Northern Ontario (Lang)0100110010004
Team12345678910111213Final
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia (Romain)11000103001007
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba (DeBlonde)00101010200229
Team123456789101112Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland (MacDuff)10100102130X9
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario (Gurowka)00010020001X4

Awards

All-Star Team

The media selected the following curlers as All-Stars. [10]

PositionNameTeam
Skip Jack MacDuff Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Newfoundland
Third Bert Gretzinger Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia
Second Don Aitken Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec
Lead Keiven Bauer Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia

Ross G.L. Harstone Award

The Ross Harstone Award was presented to the player chosen by their fellow peers as the curler who best represented Harstone's high ideals of good sportsmanship, observance of the rules, exemplary conduct and curling ability. [11] [10]

NameTeamPosition
Jim Ursel Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec Skip

References

  1. 1 2 "2023 Tim Hortons Brier Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. p. 79. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 Katherine Hobbs; Debbie Cooper (March 4, 2016). "Remembering the Jack MacDuff Brier triumph, 40 years later". CBC. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. Regina Leader-Post , 19 Feb 1976, pg 18, "Brier fever hits Moose Jaw"
  4. 1 2 "Macdonald Brier Records". Curling Canada Stats Archive. Curling Canada. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Brier Records". Curling Canada Stats Archive. Curling Canada. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "1976 Macdonald Brier". Curling Canada Stats Archive. Curling Canada. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  7. Al Fiskar Jr. is a son of Al Fiskar, Canada men's alternate and coach on WCC 1982
  8. "Brier facts and figures". Regina Leader-Post. p. 47. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  9. "Brier '76 Schedule". The Regina Leader-Post. Newspapers.com. March 8, 1976. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. 1 2 BRIER INDIVIDUAL AWARDS & ALL-STAR TEAMS
  11. "EE22_BrierSouvenirProgramFinal.pdf" (PDF). Curling Canada. p. 52. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.