Viterra Championship

ClassiC storylines & fresh faCes By Kyle Jahns – For the Free Press 2 2 0 1 6 V i t e r r a C h a m p i o n s h i p F e b rua ry 10 - 14 , 2 016 s e l k i r k r e C r e at i o n C o m p l e x iT's Hard TO aPPrOacH a ManiTOBa Men's provincial curling championship and not ask the question: is this the year Team Mcewen claims its stake as best in the province and makes a long awaited national championship appearance? it's not only a question every Manitoba curling fan asks, but also a thought in the back of the minds of skip Mike Mcewen, third B.J. neufeld, second Matt Wozniak and lead denni neufeld. The team has the talent, arsenal of shots and resumé to win the Viterra championship at the selkirk recreation complex Feb. 10-14, but the key will be coming into the provincial champi- onship with a blank slate. That includes forgetting about the five provincial finals the team has lost since 2010. neufeld can almost keep track of his provincial appearances based on those stinging losses to Jeff stoughton (2010, 2011, 2014), rob Fowler (2012), and most recently reid carruthers (2015). "it's a new challenge. it's been tough losing all those finals and it's definitely had its effects on our team, good and bad. But it's made us who we are," says neufeld, who is appearing in his eighth provincial championship. Just like last season, Mcewen's team will head into the Viterra championship ranked no. 1 in the world based on the World curling Tour Order (WcT) of Merit. Continued on p3 Mike McEwen's team will head into the Viterra Championship ranked No. 1 in the world based on the World Curling Tour Order of Merit. JOHn WOOds/WinniPeg Free Press Files energy efficiency is a SURE SHOT JELD-WEN windows and doors are the winning choice when it comes to meeting performance requirements. Looking to counter the cold this winter? JELD-WEN tripane insulating windows help keep your house warm, which in-turn saves you money on your heating bill. Skip the extra costs with energy efficient windows. For performance that's right on the button, choose JELD-WEN. Available at JELD-WEN Windows & Doors and McMunn & Yates Building Supplies are proud supporters of the 2016 VITERRA CHAMPIONSHIP But neufeld doesn't believe he and his crew have played with the same con- sistency compared to last season. You'll have to excuse the Fort rouge curling club team for thinking this season hasn't been as solid. The team has won three WcT events this season — including a major event, the Masters of

• Cover