Curling鈥檚 Season of Champions will be a season of change come December.
With sa国际传媒鈥檚 top teams focused on the Olympic curling trials in Winnipeg, the dream of representing the nation in Sochi, Russia, in February of 2014 will only become reality for one men鈥檚 and one women鈥檚 rink.
Many top-notch veteran teams will then face changes in rosters, likely in late January, following provincial runs to the Brier.
It begs the question: Will the eighth annual Victoria Curling Classic be the last time Vancouver Island sees one of its favourites, Kevin Martin, curling as a team with third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert?
鈥淵ou probably won鈥檛 see me with any other guys,鈥� Martin answered with a chuckle. 鈥淚鈥檓 too old to be build a new team. I鈥檓 going down south [Phoenix].
鈥淏ut this team is going good still. I can鈥檛 imagine changing the team, that鈥檚 for darn sure. I think I鈥檒l be the first guy off the team and that鈥檚 a mater of when. I don鈥檛 know the answer to that one, yet. I鈥檓 not ready to quit just yet, but I won鈥檛 build a new team, not a chance.鈥�
And why would he? What the Brier, Olympic and World champion has achieved over his years is spectacular. But the Saville Centre rink from Edmonton is completing its seventh year together and most would be shocked if it stays together following this final run.
鈥淭here will definitely be changes next year [among teams]. For our team, personally, we haven鈥檛 talked about anything further than Olympic Trials, so we鈥檒l see what happens after that,鈥� Kennedy said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e discussed it very little. Everything runs in four-year cycles right now. This team is where we鈥檙e focused and these trials are the main focus. Anything beyond that, honestly, hasn鈥檛 even been discussed.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 talked to Kevin about what he鈥檚 doing. It all comes down to December and we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
Martin 鈥� coming off a disappointing start at the recent Brier and missing those playoffs 鈥� faced Brad Gushue on Thursday afternoon in Victoria in a matchup of the 2010 and 2006 Olympic champions. The Alberta rink was in trouble early, giving up a three-ender in two before succumbing 5-3.
Gushue moves on to an A-event qualifier, this morning at 11 at Archie Browning arena, against Alberta鈥檚 Kevin Koe, who defeated Norway鈥檚 Thomas Ulsrud 6-2.
Ulsrud is one of eight teams at the Classic that will also be at the Ford World Men鈥檚 Curling Championship, next weekend, at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Mike McEwen, who defeated Oscar Erikkson 8-5, advances to another A-qualifier where he鈥檒l play Sweden鈥檚 world鈥檚 rep, Niklas Edin, who downed Steve Laycock 4-2.
As for the rumours, there are those who suggest Martin鈥檚 teammates will attempt to convince Koe 鈥� the 2010 Brier and World champ 鈥� to help form another Alberta powerhouse in 2014.
鈥淪hortly after [2014] provincials you鈥檒l see teams blow up. A lot of the teams out here have been together not just for one cycle, but two. That鈥檚 eight years, and I think that鈥檚 getting close to the life expectancy of a team,鈥� said Koe, who didn鈥檛 care for the rumours. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see changes, though.
鈥淪ome of those older guys, hopefully, they finally quit,鈥� Koe said with a laugh, but with obvious respect.
鈥淚 would like to see this team remain together,鈥� offered Kennedy. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had so much success for so long and we鈥檙e such good friends. But at the end of the day, it鈥檚 more up to what Kevin [Martin] is going to do, whether he鈥檚 going to shut it down or not.鈥�
