Purcell, Asselin early Brier entries after winning provincial men’s curling finals

Nova Scotia’s Owen Purcell and Quebec’s Felix Asselin secured their spots in the Canadian men’s curling championship after winning their respective provincial finals on Sunday. Purcell emerged victorious in Halifax with a score of 8-5 against Kendall Thompson, earning him the opportunity to debut as skip at the upcoming Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C. On the other hand, Asselin triumphed over Robert Desjardins in Alma, Que., with a score of 9-3, marking the return of his third and former Canadian champion Jean-Michel Menard to the Brier.

Menard, a seasoned curler who clinched the national title in 2006 and a silver medal at the world championships, took a break from competitive men’s curling in 2018. However, he made a comeback this season by joining Asselin’s team. Asselin, making his fifth Brier appearance and second as skip, aims to improve upon his 5-3 record from the previous year.

Both Purcell and Asselin are among the first provincial and territorial representatives to qualify for the 18-team field set to compete from February 28 to March 9 in Kelowna. Defending champion Brad Gushue from St. John’s, N.L., has already secured his spot at the Brier. Additionally, teams led by Brad Jacobs, Mike McEwen, and Matt Dunstone received pre-qualification based on their rankings at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Jacobs, a distinguished Canadian, world, and Olympic champion, assumed the role of skip for Brendan Bottcher’s team based in Alberta at the start of the season. Meanwhile, Thomas Scoffin emerged as Yukon’s champion following a best-of-five territorial final victory over Dustin Mikkelson. Scoffin, who will be making his sixth appearance at the Brier, looks to improve upon his team’s 2-6 record from the previous year.

Shane Latimer will represent Nunavut for the second consecutive year after defeating Peter Macey in a best-of-five series. Latimer, who went 1-7 in his Brier debut last year, seeks to showcase his skills on the national stage once again.

While provincial and territorial men’s championships are still ongoing in several regions, the Brier field will be finalized on February 9 with the crowning of the Alberta and Manitoba champions. Stay tuned for more thrilling curling action as the top teams from across Canada come together to compete for the prestigious title at the Montana’s Brier.