While the rest of his regular teammates are taking to the ice in Saskatchewan today, Brett Gallant continues in his quest for an international curling title half a world away.
Gallant, normally the second for Brad Gushue’s St. John’s rink, and partner Jocelyn Peterman are Canada’s entry at the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Stavanger Norway.
They’re 3-0 after a 9-0 win over Belarus on Monday.
It will likely get tougher for Gallant and Peterman today, when they have their first two-game day of the competition, which features no less than 48 entries..
The Canadians take on Denmark’s Christine and Martin Groenbech this morning followed by a big matchup against Sweden, featuring Olympic gold-medal winners Anna Hasselborg and Oskar Eriksson.
If Gallant wasn’t in Norway, he’d be in Saskatoon where Gushue, Mark Nichols and Geoff Walker begin play tonight in the Humpty’s Champion Cup, the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event.
Gushue, the defending champion in the event, has seconded Colton Lott of Manitoba to take Gallant’s place.
It’s just one of many substitutions being made in Saskatoon because of players unavailable because of the world mixed championship. Other changes see Canada’s John Morris replacing American John Shuster, Scotland’s Eve Muirhead filling in for Hasselborg, Canadian Jim Cotter taking over for Eriksson on Niklas Edin’s team and Lori Olson-Johns subbing for Peterman in Jennifer Jones’s lineup.
There are 15 rinks entered in each of the men’s and women’s division, with teams split into three pools and playing a four-game preliminary schedule.
Gushue’s first game is against Kirk Muyres’ Saskatchewan rink.
