‘We just need a break:’ Former Brier champ reflects on Sask. title drought

Jim Wilson and his teammates can still say they’re the most-recent Brier champions from Saskatchewan after Mike McEwen lost to Team Canada’s Brad Gushue in the final of the 2024 Montana’s Brier on Sunday.

Wilson was part of the Rick Folk team that won the Canadian men’s curling championship in 1980. That’s the last time Saskatchewan claimed the title.

Wilson wasn’t able to be in attendance at Regina’s Brandt Centre on Sunday night to see the final, but he said he was cheering hard for his home province. He doesn’t think McEwen and his teammates should be hanging their heads.

“Of course there was nerves (for McEwen’s team),” Wilson said Monday. “Unfortunately, their game against (Brendan) Bottcher was so intense and they were so pumped up about it that I wish they could’ve taken that into the second game.”

McEwen beat Bottcher 7-3 in Sunday’s semifinal to earn a shot at Gushue in the gold-medal game.

Wilson suggested there’s a lot more pressure playing in a championship game than there is in any other game at the Brier.

“I would think if you were to ask them right now about how they performed in that final, they would say they didn’t bring their A game,” he said. “But on the other hand, you never know how you’re going to react in those things.

“It’s a final. It’s a final to go to the worlds and that puts a lot of stress on people.”

The loss will sting for Saskatchewan after coming so close to ending this province’s Brier drought.

The members of Saskatchewan’s team at the 2024 Montana’s Brier with their second-place prizes. Mike McEwen (left to right), Colton Flasch, Kevin Marsh, Daniel Marsh, Pat Simmons and Brent Laing. (Michael Burns/Curling Canada)

It might seem weird to say right now, but Wilson thinks the loss for McEwen, Colton Flasch, Kevin Marsh and Daniel Marsh could help them as a team going forward.

“It can do nothing but give them confidence,” Wilson said. “It will be interesting now to see what they do (for) their debrief (about) what went on the whole week and what they have to tweak and come back and work on.”

The Saskatoon Nutana team went 7-1 in the round-robin at the Brier to finish first in its pool. After losing its first playoff game, the home team rattled off three straight wins to get into the final.

Wilson is confident that someone in this province will eventually end the drought in the near future.

“It’s kind of said that it’s a drought, but you know what? There’s not a word for it,” he said. “I would’ve liked (my team) to have protected the title for maybe five years after you won it — it was kind of nice — (but) this has gotten out of hand.

“We should’ve had multiple winners by now; the curling in the province is that good. We just need a break at some point and time. There’s teams coming up right now (and) they’ll win it for Saskatchewan.”