Brier Bound

The 2012 Tim Hortons Brier will be contested at Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre from March 3-11, and the country’s best curlers are now in the thick of provincial play-downs to determine who will comprise the field at the game’s highest profile championship.

Jeff Stoughton's Manitoba team on its way to winning the Tim Hortons Brier last season (Photo Michael Burns)

For competitive curlers, the road to the Brier may take any number of twists and turns, depending on where they live in Canada. Provincial associations have implemented all manner of systems of competition to declare their respective Brier representatives. Double and triple knockout formats, zone and regional play-downs, provincial finals, page playoff berths: the pressure to keep up can be mind-boggling for the curler and the fan alike! To help the armchair enthusiast sort things out with play-downs from coast to coast, this site will reflect upon provincial developments as they unfold. In an effort to present the information in a more user-friendly fashion, updates will be given under four distinct geographic headings. Provincial play-down developments in Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick will be highlighted under the “East” header. The “Central” region will update curling hopes and aspirations of competitive teams in Quebec, Northern Ontario and Ontario. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta play-down results will be reported and reviewed under the “Prairies” moniker, while the “West” header will reflect upon developments in British Columbia and the Territorial play-downs. Since 1927, when Murray MacNeil and his Halifax Curling Club mates were crowned as the first Brier winners, men’s curling teams have coveted the opportunity to compete at the game’s highest level. Nothing has changed, and fans can be sure that the field at the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier in Saskatoon will showcase the best of the best in men’s curling. Over the course of the days and weeks to come, turn to this site for information updates on the premier teams from across the country as they take aim at being “Brier Bound”.