SaskTel Tankard | |
---|---|
Sponsor | SaskTel |
Established | 1927 |
2024 host city | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
2024 arena | Nutana Curling Club |
2024 champion | Mike McEwen |
Current edition | |
The SaskTel Tankard is the annual provincial championship for men's curling in Saskatchewan, with the winner representing the province at the Montana's Brier, the national men's championship. The bonspiel, which is organized by CURLSASK, the provincial curling association, is also known as the SaskTel Provincial Men's Curling Championship. SaskTel became the title sponsor in 2004; the Tankard was previously known as the Macdonald Tankard (1927–1979), the Labatt Tankard (1980–1994), the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Tankard (1995–2003), and the SaskTel Mobility Tankard (2004–2006).
The number of teams participating and the format of the bonspiel has varied over the years. Until 2022, the SaskTel Tankard was a sixteen team-seeded triple knockout bonspiel with a page playoff system; the sixteen teams qualified as follows: [1]
At the provincial final, the A Event winner, B Event winner, and the two finalists of the C Event advanced to the page playoff. [1]
In 2022, the number of teams was reduced to twelve but the event remained a triple knockout with a page playoff. Qualification was also simplified to include the top four teams on the CTRS, the top four ranked teams on the SCT, and four teams qualifying through direct events, called the Men's Last Chance. [2]
To align more closely with the Brier, the format of the tournament was changed in 2024 with teams divided into two pools of six teams leading to a page playoff. [3] [2]
The Saskatchewan Tankard has been contested annually since 1927, with the event cancelled only once, in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4]
Into the 1970s, two families were able to establish impressive records. A team of Campbells from Avonlea, skipped by Garnet Campbell, won their first Tankard in 1947, and won three more in the 1950s, along with the province's first national title at the 1955 Macdonald Brier in Regina. [5] Garnet would go on to form a productive partnership with Bob Pickering, winning another six Tankards for a record ten overall. Altogether, the six Campbells won twenty four Tankards between 1947 and 1971. [6] The Richardson family, led by skip Ernie Richardson out of Regina, won five Tankards in a six year span from 1959 to 1964, and went on to win four Brier titles and four world championships, including the first ever at the 1959 Scotch Cup. [7] Altogether, the Richardson clan won fourteen Tankards. The other two rinks who went on to Brier success were Harvey Mazinke's, who won the 1973 Macdonald Brier, and Rick Folk's, who won three consecutive Tankards and the 1980 Labatt Brier. [8]
In the twenty first century, Pat Simmons won four consecutive Tankards as a skip from 2005 to 2008, and a fifth in 2011 with Steve Laycock skipping but throwing third stones. [9] Laycock has won seven Tankards overall, including five as skip. [10] The most recent Tankard champion is Mike McEwen, who teamed up with former Tankard champions Colton Flasch, Kevin Marsh, and Dan Marsh. [11] The 2024 Montana's Brier was McEwen's ninth, but his first representing Saskatchewan after previous entries with Manitoba and Ontario. [11]
Teams in bold denote national championships
Stephen "Steve" Laycock is a Canadian curler from Saskatoon. He currently skips his own team out of Swift Current.
Patrick "Simms" Simmons is a Canadian curler. Simmons played on the 2014 and 2015 Canadian champion rink, the latter year as skip. As a skip, he has also represented Saskatchewan in four straight Briers from 2005 to 2008 and again in 2011. He has also represented Alberta twice at the Brier.
The 2011 SaskTel Tankard was held February 2–6 at the Battleford Curling Club in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. The winning Pat Simmons team represented Saskatchewan at the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier in London, Ontario.
William Garnet "The Little General" Campbell was a Canadian curler born in Avonlea, Saskatchewan. He was the first skip from Saskatchewan to win the Brier.
Joel Jordison is a Canadian curler from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Jordison currently skips his own team from Moose Jaw.
Matthew Dunstone, nicknamed "the Sheriff" is a Canadian curler from Kamloops, British Columbia.
Kirk Lyle Muyres is a Canadian curler. He is a former Canadian junior champion.
Colton Flasch is a Canadian curler currently residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He currently plays third on Team Mike McEwen.
The 2015 Tim Hortons Brier was held from February 28 to March 8 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Nutana Curling Club is a curling club located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Established in 1929 and first opening its doors in 1930, the club was originally located in the city's historic Nutana neighbourhood. The club relocated to the south-central Nutana Suburban Centre neighbourhood in 1966. Once one of six curling clubs in Saskatoon, Nutana is one of three clubs still operating along with the Sutherland Curling Club and the CN Curling Club.
The 2015 SaskTel Tankard, the provincial men's curling championship for Saskatchewan, was held from February 4 to 8 at the Horizon Credit Union Centre in Melville. The winning Steve Laycock team represented Saskatchewan at the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier in Calgary.
The 2016 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 5–13, 2016 at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario.
Dallan Muyres is a Canadian curler from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He currently skips his own team. He grew up in St. Gregor, Saskatchewan.
Shaun Myles Meachem is a Canadian curler from Cabri, Saskatchewan.
Catlin Schneider is a Canadian curler from the Rural Municipality of Edenwold No. 158. He currently plays third on Team Reid Carruthers.
The 2022 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 4 to 13 at the ENMAX Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta. In the final, the defending Olympic bronze medallist Brad Gushue Wild Card #1 team, which also include Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker from Newfoundland and Labrador defeated Alberta, skipped by Kevin Koe. It was Gushue's fourth career Brier title, and the team did it shorthanded, as Nichols missed the playoffs due to testing positive for COVID-19. According to Curling Canada, it was the first time a three-player team won a Brier final. Gushue's four Brier wins ties the record with Ernie Richardson, Randy Ferbey, Kevin Martin and Koe for most Brier championships as a skip, and his rink tied the "Ferbey Four" for most Brier championships as a foursome with four titles. Gushue played as a Wild Card team as they missed the Newfoundland and Labrador provincials due to their participation in the Olympics, and were the first team to ever play at the Brier and the Olympics in the same year. They were also the first Wild Card team to win the Brier. The Gushue rink represented Canada at the 2022 World Men's Curling Championship at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, United States, where they won the silver medal.
Kevin Marsh is a Canadian curler from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He currently plays second on Team Mike McEwen.
Daniel Marsh is a Canadian curler from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He currently plays lead on Team Mike McEwen.
The 2024 Montana's Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 1 to 10 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. Team Canada, who was skipped by Brad Gushue won their third straight Brier Tankard and represented Canada at the 2024 World Men's Curling Championship at the KSS Sports Complex in Schaffhausen, Switzerland where they won the silver medal.
The 2024 SaskTel Tankard, the provincial men's curling championship for Saskatchewan, was held from January 31 to February 4 at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The winning Mike McEwen rink represented Saskatchewan at the 2024 Montana's Brier on home soil in Regina, Saskatchewan.