Team Gushue opens 2025 PointsBet Invitational with win over U-20 champs
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Once upon a time, Brad Gushue was a junior curling star, a national and world junior champion and, despite that, taking lumps when his team would step onto the ice against the likes of Russ Howard, Kevin Martin, Wayne Middaugh and Randy Ferbey.
The tables were turned Wednesday afternoon in the opening draw of the 2025 PointsBet Invitational at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary. This time it was Team Gushue from St. John’s, N.L., as the superstar veterans taking on reigning New Holland Canadian Under-20 champs Team Calan MacIsaac of Truro, N.S.
And while the youngsters accomplished a pre-game mission of getting to the 10th end and forcing Gushue to throw his last stone, the end result was an 8-6 triumph for Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second/vice-skip Brendan Bottcher, lead Geoff Walker and coach Jeff Hoffart to open round-robin play.
“We tried to play them like we’d play anybody else, obviously just working the scoreboard and at the end just making sure we won, no matter what the score was,” said Gushue. “But certainly I’ve been in his position where you play a team that’s been at the top of the game for a long time and it’s fun to play. You’re probably a little bit nervous. It’s a learning experience for them. Once you do it a couple times, then you probably don’t give those teams as much credit as what you do early on.”
Team Gushue took control early, scoring four in the third end and putting MacIsaac, vice-skip Nathan Gray, second Owain Fisher, lead Christopher McCurdy, alternate Nick Mosher and coach Craig Burgess into chase mode.
“I mean, it was definitely a very different environment,” said a smiling MacIsaac, whose team is preparing to represent Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championships in late February in Taarnby, Denmark. “It’s definitely something we need to get used to as a team. It wasn’t our greatest showing but you know we have lots to learn from that game. Took him to the 10th, made him throw his last rock — that was our goal, so it feels pretty good. It’s definitely important to go through some games like that to get us up there to the next level because this is the stuff we need to get used to.”
“Right now that one’s parked and banked away,” said Gushue. “So the next time he comes out against a top team, he’s going to probably approach it a little bit differently. You get five or six of those attempts and then all of a sudden you realize, well, we can keep up with those guys and make a game of it. So more of those reps for them is only going to benefit them. And that’s kind of what I like about this tournament. It gives some of those Next-Gen athletes here in Canada a good chance to play against top teams like ourselves on good arena ice, because it’s different playing here than playing in a curling club somewhere else in Canada.”
In other Draw 1 men’s action Wednesday, Team Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg stole a big point in the fourth end and held on for a 5-3 triumph over Team Rylan Kleiter of Saskatoon.
In women’s play, Winnipeg’s Team Kate Cameron scored five in the seventh end in an 11-9 victory over Team Kayla Skrlik of Calgary; Team Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., was a 9-4 victor over Team Selena Sturmay of Edmonton; and Team Beth Peterson of Winnipeg shaded reigning New Holland Canadian U-20 women’s champs Team Myla Plett of Edmonton/Sherwood Park 8-7.
The 2025 PointsBet Invitational continues with the late draw Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2025 PointsBet Invitational are available by CLICKING HERE.
TSN and RDS will provide coverage of the 2025 PointsBet Invitational. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.
For ticket information for the 2025 PointsBet Invitational, go to www.curling.ca/2025pointsbetinvitational/tickets/.
This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/fr/2025pointsbetinvitational/nouvelles/
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