Teams with Newfoundland and Labrador representation all remain in the hunt for playoff positions going into the final two days of preliminary-round games at the Home Hardware Canadian mixed doubles curling championship in Calgary.
Brad Gushue of St. John’s and reigning Canadian women’s champion skip Kerri Einarson of Manitoba own a 4-1 record with one preliminary game left on their schedule.
A couple of members of Gushue’s four-time Brier champions are also competing in Calgary. Mark Nichols, Gushue’s longtime third, is teamed with another Manitoban, Briane Meilleur; they are at 2-2. Brett Gallant, normally the second on Gushue’s St. John’s-based team, and partner Jocelyn Peterman of Manitoba are 3-1.
Gallant and Peterman are the defending Canadian mixed doubles champion.
The Newfoundland and Labrador representatives are Mackenzie Mitchell of Corner Brook and Greg Smith of St. John’s. They are 3-2 and like Gushue-Einarson have their final preliminary-round game today.
Gallant-Peterman and Meilleur-Nichols also play today and have their final preliminary games Tuesday.
Given the format of the event, which features 35 entries (playing in five seven-team pools), a team will need at least a 4-2 record in order to advance to the next round — and even then, it might not be enough.
The field consists of 14 provincial/territorial championship teams (Mitchell-Smith being one of them), 14 teams more teams selected based on the Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings (a group including Peterman-Gallant) and seven other teams consisting of players in Curling Canada’s national team program. Gushue’s and Nichols’ mixed doubles teams fall into the latter group.
Twelve teams will move on to the playoff round — the five pool winners and the seven remaining teams with the best records.
The four top teams get a bye through the first playoff draw, which starts a whittling-down process, leading to four teams and a Page playoff,
The event finishes with a gold-medal game on Thursday.
Top prize is $50,000. The runner-up pairing will collect $30,000; $20,000 to third place and $10,000 to fourth place. Fifth through eighth place earns $6,500 while ninth through 12th takes home $3,500.
Also on the line is a berth as Canada’s representatives in the 2021 world mixed doubles championship which was recently announced for May at a site to be determined.