UPDATE: Gushue tops Quebec for Brier playoff berth

Edmonton—Brad Gushue waited until the last possible moment but Newfoundland and Labrador clinched a spot in the Canadian men’s curling championship playoffs.

Newfoundland wrapped the preliminary round with a 5-4 win over Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard.

Gushue, the 2006 Olympic champion, has reached the Brier playoff seven times in 10 appearances, but he has yet to win it and his team this year is low on Brier experience. Third Brett Gallant is playing his first Canadian men’s championship and front end Adam Casey and Geoff Walker their second in as many years.

Newfoundland won seven in a row before losing to Manitoba, Ontario and then Alberta.

“To finally be on the right side of a well-played game is nice,” Gushue said. “We probably played better in the last four than in the first seven. We came up against Glen with his best game of the week, we came up against Kevin with his best game of the week and I would imagine that’s one of Jean-Michel’s better games too.

“It seems like people are making a lot of shots against us and fortunately we’re making a lot of shots too to make them good games.”

Jamie Koe of the Territories and James Grattan of New Brunswick finished tied at 5-6. In his final game, Koe posted a 10-6 win over Saskatchewan that ended the playoff chances of Brock Virtue (4-6). New Brunswick fell 7-4 to Northern Ontario in their final game.

Prince Edward Island’s Eddie MacKenzie concluded his Brier 1-10 with a 5-4 loss to Nova Scotia’s Paul Flemming.

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EDMONTON — The playoff race at the Canadian men’s curling championship is far from over.

Ontario’s Glenn Howard stayed unbeaten at 10-0 with first place in the preliminary round already secure. The defending champions defeated Eddie MacKenzie of Prince Edward Island 6-1.

Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton and Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador both stayed at seven wins after Friday‘s early draw. At 7-3, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador were still trying to secure one of the four playoff berths to be decided.

Alberta’s Kevin Martin kept his playoff hopes alive with a 6-5 win over Newfoundland. The host province improved to 6-4.

Manitoba dropped a 7-5 decision to Jamie Koe of Northwest Territories-Yukon

The top four teams at the conclusion of the round robin Friday advance to Page playoffs with ties for fourth place solved by tiebreaker games.

Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard and Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs were also in contention at 6-3.