There’ll be a new provincial men’s curling champion in 2016. Defending champion Reid Carruthers was eliminated in Sunday mornings semifinal at the Viterra Championship in Selkirk. Carruthers was defeated by Matt Dunstone 8-4. Dunstone scored a four-ender in the fifth end to propel them to the victory.
But that’s where it gets really interesting. Mike McEwen clinched his spot in the final on Saturday night with a win over Carruthers in the 1 vs 2 Page Playoff game. And since Dunstone is unable to attend this years Brier, McEwen will get a trip to the 2016 Brier without even throwing a rock in the final. As the 2016 Canadian Junior Men’s champion Dunstone is already committed to attend this years World Junior Curling Championship in Denmark from March 5-13. The exact same time the Brier will be played in Ottawa.
Even though they won’t atttend, Dunstone is attempting to become the first junior team in Canada to earn a Brier berth under the new Curling Canada rules which made junior teams eligible for provincial playdowns. Should Dunstone win, his squad would become the youngest Manitoba champions since Terry Braunstein’s rink in 1958. They went to the Brier while they were still in high school and the old junior age restrictions were implemented soon afterwards.
After losing five of the last six Manitoba finals McEwen will finally play at a Brier and he doesn’t even have to win the Manitoba title that has eluded him so far. So a little bit of the luster has been taken off this years final, but bragging rights will still be on the line when McEwen faces Dunstone in the Viterra championship final starting at 2:00pm. McEwen is undefeated at the event so far.