By Canadian Press

Mike McEwen takes control of Pool B with 10-2 win over Jamie Koe at Brier

Mar 6, 2024 | 1:25 PM

REGINA — Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen took control of Pool B at the Canadian men’s curling championship with a 10-2 win over Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories in Wednesday’s early draw.

McEwen improved to 5-1 to lead the pool and stopped a three-game winning streak for Koe (4-2) at the Montana’s Brier.

The Saskatchewan foursome took a 6-2 lead with two points in the sixth, then put the game away with steals of two in the seventh and eight before Koe conceded.

Two-time defending champion Brad Gushue (5-2) kept pace with McEwen with an 11-3 rout of Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith (4-2).

Gushue got off to a strong start by opening with three points followed by a steal of two.

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

18h ago

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

18h ago

Election 2024

Birch Hills staff won't share election decision

19h ago

In other Draw 13 results, Nunavut’s Shane Latimer (1-5) picked up his first win with a 7-5 victory over Nova Scotia’s Matthew Manuel (3-4) and Alberta’s Aaron Sluchinski (3-3) scored a deuce in an extra end in a 10-8 win over Quebec’s Julien Tremblay (2-4).

A Pool A draw was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon followed by another Pool B draw in the evening.

The top three teams in each pool of nine Thursday advance to Friday’s six-team playoff round, from which Saturday’s four Page playoff teams emerge.

Tiebreaker games have been eliminated from the format. Head-to-head results followed by cumulative scores in the draw-the-button that precedes each game is the tiebreaking formula.

Three losses are considered the playoff danger zone, although a team made it into the Canadian women’s championship playoffs with four losses.

Sunday’s winner will represent Canada at the world championship March 30 to April 7 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and return to the 2025 Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C., as defending champion.

The victor also gains an Olympic trials berth in 2025 pending a top-six result at the world championship.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press