Relegation Return? Competition format a talking point at Brier

Gregory Strong · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 10:27 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Numerous blowout games. A 6-2 squad missing the playoff cut. No tiebreakers.

The 18-team format astatine the Brier has had its stock of critics adjacent though six beardown teams made it to the playoff circular astatine Prospera Place successful Kelowna, B.C.

Six-time Brier champion Brad Gushue went 1 measurement further aft round-robin play concluded by suggesting that relegation — a much-criticized qualification circular that was lone utilized for a fewer years — beryllium considered again.

"I deliberation it would beryllium worthy a discussion," Gushue said. "I'm not advocating for it but I deliberation that's the champion enactment that's been shared with maine that gets america backmost to that afloat round-robin that I utilized to emotion playing and I deliberation the fans (loved).

"It gets the champion teams there. It's worthy talking about."

Relegation format

In the relegation format, which Curling Canada called a "pre-qualifying" signifier erstwhile it was utilized from 2015-17, the 4 lowest-seeded provinces and territories played a round-robin.

The victor would scope the main gully and the 3 losing teams would spell home. Longtime Northwest Territories women's skip Kerry Galusha weighed successful connected the taxable connected X, the level formerly known arsenic Twitter.

"As idiosyncratic who participated successful each 3 years of relegation it made america enactment harder and get better, not saying it's the reply but we are going to spot lopsided games for years to travel until the Northern teams commencement moving harder and travelling more. I knew what we had to do."

Curling Canada moved to a 16-team setup for the Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts successful 2018. The defending champion and each provincial and territorial winners were fixed nonstop introduction on with a wild-card team.

Two pools of 8 teams were utilized successful a format that has since expanded to 18 teams with 3 pre-qualified entries based connected the erstwhile season's rankings.

Format statement recovered different cogwheel this past week erstwhile Northern Ontario's John Epping and Manitoba's Reid Carruthers finished tied for 3rd spot successful their excavation astatine 6-2.

Their head-to-head grounds was the tiebreaker, leaving Epping connected the extracurricular adjacent though a 5-3 squad from the different excavation — Nova Scotia's Owen Purcell — made the cut.

"It's weird to play a Brier and it's a double-knockout," Epping said.

Supporters consciousness the format creates much strength successful the aboriginal going. The cutoff for the Friday qualifying games up of the Page playoffs heightens mid-week drama.

Top rinks inactive play hard due to the fact that seeding and hammer are connected the line. At the aforesaid time, respective teams successful the tract person fundamentally nary accidental against the well-funded, well-travelled powerhouse rinks.

"We're trying to marque everybody blessed and we're not making anybody happy," said Brent Laing, who coached Mike McEwen's Saskatchewan side. "It's a spot of a mess."

'It's ne'er perfect'

Darren Moulding, who coached Thomas Scoffin's Yukon team, said ranking imbalance successful the pools tin besides beryllium a factor. He noted that sometimes successful pro leagues similar the NHL, MLB oregon the NFL, a squad with a mediocre grounds tin sneak into the playoffs.

"In sports, it's ne'er perfect," helium said. "If you alteration the format to marque that not happen, there's going to beryllium thing other that you sacrifice."

Nunavut's Shane Latimer and Aaron Bartling of the Northwest Territories some went 0-8 successful round-robin play.

Bartling was dumped 20-2 successful his 2nd crippled and gave up an mean of astir 11 points a game. Latimer, meanwhile, was outscored 83-25 implicit his 8 losses.

"I don't spot with the mode it's presently structured however it helps these lower-ranked teams to travel successful present and get blown out," said erstwhile Curling Canada lawsuit manager Warren Hansen. "I cognize it's a large thrill for a batch of them (to beryllium here).

"But I can't truly spot myself enjoying coming into this venue and this mounting and getting wholly annihilated, which a batch of them person this week."

Curling Canada announced successful 2023 that the existent format for the nationalist playdowns volition stay successful spot done adjacent season.

"If immoderate changes are made, they would statesman successful the adjacent (Olympic) quadrennial," an enactment spokesperson said via email.

Another intriguing format quirk came aft Alberta's Brad Jacobs went a cleanable 8-0 successful round-robin play and past mislaid his archetypal qualifying game.

That forced him into a concern wherever his lone way to a rubric would beryllium 4 consecutive must-wins successful the playoffs.

Jacobs managed to propulsion it disconnected with a 7-5 semifinal triumph implicit Gushue connected Sunday day and a 5-3 triumph implicit Manitoba's Matt Dunstone successful the evening final.

WATCH | Jacobs and Team Alberta win 2025 Brier connected large last shot:

"At the extremity of the day, there's definite games you can't lose," Laing said. "I don't cognize each the answers.

"The aged format was a batch simpler, that's for sure."