N.L.’s Mitchell, Smith hit the ice for mixed curling championships | Regional-Sports | Sports
It’s been a week since Greg Smith last threw a stone while skipping Newfoundland and Labrador’s entry into the Tim Hortons Brier, and now the St. John curler can’t wait, in the same WinSport arena in Canada Olympic Park get back on the ice in Calgary later this week.
Home Hardware’s Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship opens Thursday, with MacKenzie Mitchell of Smith and Corner Brook representing the province.
Smith, Greg Blyde, Alex McDonah and Evan McDonah were 6-2 in the Brier, ending the game last Wednesday 11-3 against Brad Gushue’s Team Canada squad.
“It’s been a nice break, lots of time to relax,” said Smith of the downtime between the Brier and the mixed championship. “We can’t wait to get started again.”
Smith and Mitchell’s first game is Thursday against John Morris and Danielle Schmiemann. Schmiemann replaced Rachel Homan as Morris’ partner.
35 teams are divided into five round robin pools. The teams play a single round robin draw in their pools and the top 12 teams in total will advance to the playoffs.
You play for a share of $ 150,000 with the winning team raising $ 50,000. The runner-up will receive $ 30,000. $ 20,000 in third place and $ 10,000 in fourth place. Fifth through eighth places bring in $ 6,500, while ninth through twelfth take home $ 3,500.
According to a press release from Curling Canada, the winning duo will have the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2021 Mixed Doubles World Championship (dates and location will be announced by the World Curling Federation – likely again in the Calgary Bubble). This event will determine seven of the ten countries that will take part in the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Smith and MacKenzie are accompanied in Calgary by Brett Gallant, another resident of St. John.
Gallant, the second on Gushue’s team who was All-Star runner-up at the youngest Brier, will team up with his fiancée Jocelyn Peterman in the mixed championship.
Peterman curled up with Jennifer Jones’ Manitoba team at the last Scotties Tournament of Hearts of the Canadian Women’s Championship, also held in Calgary.
Like the Scotties and Brier, the mix is played in a strictly enforced, fan-denied “bubble” in Calgary.
“I can’t wait to get curling again,” said Smith. “Mixed is different, of course, but it’s a lot of fun.
“There are always stones involved. It’s fast and super aggressive. “
Although Smith has two jumps, he says “we’re pretty good” when it comes to brushing the stones in the game. “
Unlike the Scotties women and Tankard men, there was no mixed provincial championship this year due to COVID-19 and planning issues.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Curling Association therefore decided to send Mitchell and Smith, last year’s provincial champions, to Calgary.
Smith and Mitchell teamed up to win the provincial title last year, beating Hayley and Brad Gushue’s daughter-father team 7-5. There were no mixed dual nationals in the past year.
In January, Smith won the Provincial Tankard Title 2021, defeating Colin Thomas in the finals at the Remax Center / St. John’s Curling Club.
Mitchell, a Memorial University student who graduated from Remax Center / St. John’s Curling Club, won the 2020 provincial junior crown.
That year she lost to Sarah Hill in a best-of-five series for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship in the province.
The semifinals and final of this year’s national mixed championship is March 25th.
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