(Newfoundland flag, Wikimedia Commons)
History was made at the 2022 Tim Horton’s Brier on Saturday as Nicholas Codner of St. John’s, became the youngest curler ever to participate at the Canadian National Men’s Curling Championship. At the age of 15, Codner entered the game against Team Alberta while representing Team Newfoundland. Alberta was victorious 14-3.
It should be noted that age and birth requirements for many years at the Brier were non-existent. For many years in a bizarre and strange rule according to Cathy Gauthier of TSN, teenagers were not allowed to compete at the Brier.
The Alberta clobbering over Newfoundland was one of five blowouts at the Brier on Saturday. In one surprise blowout, Yukon defeated Prince Edward Island 13-7. Yukon skip Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse stole eight consecutive points from the third to the fifth ends. Other blowouts had the No. 1 Wildcard team skipped by Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland defeat Quebec 9-3, Nova Scotia beating the Northwest Territories 11-5, and Manitoba clobbering British Columbia 10-3. In the Gushue win over Quebec, Wildcard third Mark Nichols had a sensational triple takeout early on in the game which changed the entire complexion of the entire game.
Currently there are three teams at 2-0. There you find Alberta, Canada’s Brandon Bottcher and another wildcard team in Matt Dunstone.
