Matt Dunstone

So, Scott, we missed the opportunity last week to talk about the big controversy in the world of curling.

That was the Matt Dunstone-Brendan Botcher game at the last Grand Slam.

So let's get into this a little bit.

Let's do it.

Yeah.

and who wouldn't be right you know it's uh obviously the first time they met since the olympics and i think it got a little bit undercut because both teams fate were already sealed we already knew jacobs was going to be in the playoffs we already knew erickson was going to be out but i also think you know brad gave some pretty fiery quotes before the game but ultimately like oscar's a pretty loose guy so i don't think oscar has spent a whole lot of time worried about what team jacobs thinks of him or whatever he's just not that kind of guy so i think what's exciting to me about dunstone and casper is they are both this kind of guy like danny is like i think danny is loose too but he is but danny likes to have fun on the ice and that for him that includes celebrating you know danny's a guy who he loves chatting up the crowd when he's playing he loves doing finger guns when he makes shots and having a fun and loose vibe with his team and matt dunstone is a guy who plays very passionately we've always seen it with him you see the highs and lows with matt like when Matt is going through it, it's all over his face.

When Matt is really happy, it's all over his face.

Like he doesn't, he can't hide his emotions.

A few fun things to talk about as well.

The Matt Dunstone-Brennan Botcher game on Friday night is generating a lot of page views, a lot of clicks.

Everybody wants to know what happened there.

So if you're not familiar, the slams use a 3-2-1 point system.

You lose in a shootout, you get one.

And if you lose in regulation, you get zero.

And so Matt Dunstone and Brendan Botcher were aware that going into friday night's game they were both on six points if they made it to a shootout so one of them would get two points and the other team would get one point they were both into the playoffs now i don't think they played the game worried about that i don't think they started the game thinking well if we could just get this to a shootout that would be great for both of us however When it was a one-point lead for Matt Dunstone going into the eighth end, it was pretty clear that both teams were aware that if they played the eighth end in, let's say, a certain uncomplicated manner, then they would both get to the shootout and they would get what they wanted, which is a playoff qualification.

And so it wasn't a great look.

And I just wanted to come on here with... all three people that have voices in this matter, and just talk about it with all three of them.

So you're going to hear from part one, in part one, I should say, Nick Salsky, the CEO of the Curling Group, part two, Danny Casper of the skip of Team Casper, and part three, Matt Dunstone, the skip of Team Dunstone.

And I did reach out to Brendan Botcher, who was also a part of this, or the team of Brendan Botcher, but I didn't hear anything back.

Now, that's not to say they declined anything, because they didn't.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, though, yet, I'm going to explain it right now before we get to the Nick Salsky part of this miniseries.

So Friday night, the last draw of the Grand Slam, a curling event in Victoria, B.C., before the playoffs in the round robin, I should say.

Matt Dunstone was facing off against Brendan Botcher.

Both were at six points going into that game.

And on top of that, watching, um, Mark Nichols curl with a different team.

That's gonna take some getting used to as well for another province after joining Matt Dunstone's Winnipeg rink.

So, uh, we can still catch Gujju on the coverage though as an analyst in the broadcast booth.

He has announced, they announced that, uh, he was gonna do that for this season with the Grand Slam games and tourneys, so that should be fun.

I booked a, I called Eastern Health.

I booked appointments for my wife and myself, and she's over 75.

Matter of fact, she's over 80, but...

And she got her shot.

You have Brendan Botcher on the men's side.

You have Matt Dunstone, the defending Briar champion, who had to pick up Mark Nichols, possibly the best free agent in the offseason because EJ Harnden retired from curling after last year.

You have Grant Hardy and Robin Brindone retiring.

swapping teams in Scotland, creating a Scottish trade that we it's the closest you're ever going to see to a North American trade system.