The championship round at the 2020 New Holland Canadian Junior Championships is slated to begin today (Wednesday, Jan. 22) starting at 2 p.m. PT live from the George Preston Recreation Centre in the Township of Langley.
At the beginning of this competition, 14 men’s and 14 women’s teams were separated into two seven-team pools per gender for an initial round robin.
What follows next is the championship round (top four from each pool) leading to the playoffs.
From men’s Pool A, advancing to the championship round will be Saskatchewan’s Rylan Kleiter (5-1; Saskatoon), Newfoundland and Labrador’s Daniel Bruce (5-1; St. John’s), Alberta’s Ryan Jacques (3-3; Edmonton) and the tie-breaker winner between British Columbia 1’s Hayato Sato (3-3; New Westminster) and British Columbia 2’s Johnson Tao (3-3; Richmond).
With Alberta, B.C. 1 and B.C. 2 all posting 3-3 records in Pool A, tiebreaker protocol is enacted.
To settle the tie, head to head win-loss record is first consulted.
Since all three would share 1-1 records versus one and other, round-robin shoot-out scores are to be used as the next benchmark for the tie-breakers.
Alberta is the team with the best shoot-out score (from their pre-game draws to the pin to determine hammer) and is granted third place in Pool A and a direct berth into the championship round.
B.C. 1 and B.C. 2 will play a sudden death tie breaker this morning (Wednesday, Jan. 22) at 9 a.m. PT at the Langley Curling Centre.
From men’s Pool B, advancing to the championship round will be Manitoba 2’s Jacques Gauthier (5-1, Winnipeg), Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith (5-1; Montague), Manitoba 1’s Brett Walter (4-2; Winnipeg); and Nova Scotia’s Graeme Weagle (4-2; Chester).
From women’s Pool A, advancing to the championship round will be Alberta’s Abby Marks (5-1; Edmonton), Ontario’s Sierra Sutherland (4-2; Ottawa), Newfoundland and Labrador’s Mackenzie Mitchell (4-2; St. John’s), and Saskatchewan’s Ashley Thevenot (4-2; Saskatoon).
From women’s Pool B, advancing to the championship round will be Manitoba’s Mackenzie Zacharias (6-0; Altona), Nova Scotia’s Taylour Stevens (5-1; Halifax), New Brunswicks’ Melodie Forsythe (3-3; Moncton), and Québec’s Noémie Gauthier (3-3; Kenogami).
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Team qualifying for the championship round will carry their current win-loss record in to play as they vye for the playoffs.
At the conclusion of the championship round, the top team from the championship round advances to its respective final being held on Sunday, Jan. 26, while the second- and third-place teams meet in a semifinal on Saturday, Jan. 25 – to determine the other finalist.
TSN/RDS2 will carry complete live coverage of the semifinals (women at 11 a.m. [all times PT], men at 4 p.m.) on Jan. 25 and finals (women at 9 a.m., men at 2 p.m.).
The winning teams will then represent Canada at the world juniors in Russia.
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For the past three years running, Langley’s own Team Tardi won the national championships that are being played in their own backyard this week. They went on to win the world title twice in a row.
The team, led by skip Tyler Tardi, technically still qualified to play in this year’s juniors.
RECENT COVERAGE: Tyler Tardi takes aim at men’s competition
LAST YEAR’S WIN: Junior Team Canada brings home gold to the Lower Mainland, again
But the team chose, instead, to advance to the adult level of competition. While not playing in the nationals on their own home ice, members of Team Tardi are volunteering at the event in a number of different capacities. Tyler, and his older brother Jordan, for instance threw out the ceremonial first rock during Saturday night’s opening celebrations.
PAST STORY: VIDEO – Future of Langley’s Team Tardi champs in limbo
All other provincial/territorial representatives will continue play and be sorted into the seeding pool to establish national ranking for the 2021 edition of the Candian junior championships.
RELATED: Volunteers – the rock behind every curling tournament
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ADVANCE COVERAGE:
Young curlers ready for national tournament in Langley
George Preston Rec Centre readies for curlers competing at the Canadian Juniors
Langley readies for junior curling championships
2020 New Holland Canadian Juniors will playout in Langley
