Team Sask., led by P.E.I. skip, try to end lengthy drought at Brier

A team from Regina’s Highland Curling Club has the daunting task of ending Saskatchewan’s lengthy drought at the Tim Horton’s Brier.

Not since 1980 has a team from Saskatchewan captured the top prize in Canadian men’s curling — the last rink to do it included Rick Folk, Ron Mills, Tom Wilson, and Jim Wilson. This year, Adam Casey’s rink will attempt to be the first from the province to stand atop the podium in 37 years.

Catlin Schneider, the third for Team Saskatchewan, said the entire team is aware of the province’s drought.

“It’s business once you get out here, one game at a time, and we’re going to do everything we can for Saskatchewan and try to represent them as well as we can.”

The task of making the playoffs will be challenge with another deep field at this year’s event. Some of the teams that qualified include former Canadian and world champion Kevin Koe (Team Canada), Mike McEwen (Manitoba), Brad Jacobs (Northern Ontario), Brad Gushue (Newfoundland & Labrador), and Glenn Howard (Ontario).

“There’s going to be no easy games, but that’s something we talked about as a team prior to coming,” explained Schneider.

This is Schneider’s first trip to the Brier, and he said he plans to soak in the first day of the event all the while staying level headed knowing they are there for a reason.

Skip Adam Casey, from P.E.I., is not new to the Brier however, competing with Newfoundland & Labrador in 2012, and represented P.E.I. in 2015 and 2016.

The rules state teams are allowed one out-of-province resident. Casey has been traveling from his home in P.E.I. to practice and compete with his Saskatchewan team.

Casey’s rink qualified for the Brier after defeating three time defending champion Steve Laycock in the provincial finals in February.