Can Team Flemming Make History? Nova Scotia Defends Men's Title at 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships

The 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships are set to begin this Sunday in Moncton, New Brunswick, with defending men's champions, Team Paul Flemming from Nova Scotia, looking to make history. The team will attempt to become the first in nearly 30 years to win back-to-back men’s titles at the prestigious event.

Team Flemming, representing the Halifax Curling Club, will hit the ice for their opening game at 4 p.m. (Atlantic) against Team Randy Bryden from Saskatchewan. The Bluenosers will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Ontario's Team Bob Turcotte, who achieved the rare feat of winning consecutive gold medals in 1996 and 1997.

Flemming’s squad returns largely intact from their 2023 victory, which included a gold medal performance at the 2024 World Senior Championships in Oestersund, Sweden. Alongside Flemming, vice-skip Martin Gavin and second Kris Granchelli will be back, but the team has made a change at lead, replacing Peter Burgess, who moved to Quebec, with Stuart MacLean.

The competition in the men’s field promises to be fierce, with several other teams boasting championship pedigree. New Brunswick’s own Mike Kennedy, a former Canadian and World senior champion, will be leading a talented home team, including his 2023 National Championship team members Marc and Vance Lecocq, and Grant Odishaw. Kennedy, who has already secured Canadian and World titles with different teams, will undoubtedly be one of the favorites in Moncton.

Another formidable opponent for Team Flemming will be Team Howard Rajala from Ontario. Rajala’s squad, which won the 2022 Canadian and 2023 World Senior titles, will return with the same lineup from Ottawa, including vice-skip Rich Moffatt, second Chris Fulton, and lead Paul Madden. With multiple senior championships between them, Rajala's team will be one to watch throughout the competition.

Also in the mix is Team Randy Neufeld from Manitoba, which won the 2015 Canadian Senior Championship and earned a silver medal at the 2016 World Seniors. Neufeld’s team, including vice-skip Dean Moxham, second Peter Nicholls, and lead Dale Michie, brings a wealth of experience and could pose a significant challenge to Nova Scotia's title defense.

On the women’s side, Team Nova Scotia, skipped by Theresa Breen, will be a key contender. The team is led by Breen, while veteran lead Mary Sue Radford, a 2016 Canadian Senior Champion and 2017 World Senior Champion with Colleen Jones, provides invaluable experience. Despite having fewer past champions in their lineup compared to the men’s field, the Nova Scotia women are still poised to make an impact.

Team Alberta, featuring two Olympic medallists—skip Atina Johnston and lead Cori Morris—will also be in the hunt. Johnston, a former alternate for the legendary Sandra Schmirler team that won gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and Morris, a key member of Cheryl Bernard’s silver-medal team at the 2010 Winter Olympics, bring a wealth of elite-level curling experience to the competition.

Another team to watch is Team Quebec, skipped by Luanne Waddell with vice-skip Isabelle Néron. Néron, who won the inaugural Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in 2013, adds further depth and experience to Quebec’s lineup, which has the potential to surprise in Moncton.

The 2024 championships will not only determine national senior champions but also serve as the qualifier for the 2025 World Senior Curling Championships, which will take place in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in April 2025. The winners in both the men’s and women’s divisions will go on to represent Canada on the international stage.

A total of 28 teams—14 men’s and 14 women’s—will compete in the round-robin portion of the event, which begins on Sunday. The teams are split into two pools per gender, with the top four from each pool advancing to the Championship Pool. After a series of crossover games, the top teams will square off in the semifinals, scheduled for December 7, with the gold and bronze medal matches taking place later that day.

While Nova Scotia’s Team Flemming enters the competition with a target on their backs as defending champions, the depth of talent in the field means that the road to gold will be anything but easy. However, with a mixture of experienced veterans and a proven winning formula, Team Flemming will look to etch their name in curling history with a second consecutive national championship.

As the event unfolds, the spotlight will be on both the men’s and women’s fields, where the battle for Canadian senior supremacy promises to be fierce, and the quest for international glory is just beginning. Fans across the country will be watching closely as the best senior curlers in Canada compete for the title of national champion and a chance to represent their country on the world stage.