The defending Olympic gold medallists are auditioning for the Sochi Winter Games in the role as underdogs at the Roar of the Rings in Winnipeg.
“It’s a good thing for us going in as a little bit of a underdog. It’s something that we haven't been able to do in a long time,” said Marc Kennedy, southpaw second for the Kevin Martin rink and St. Albert Curling Club product.
The Edmonton-based Martin team qualified for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics when the last Roar of the Rings was staged at Rexall Place.
“We were a big favourite going into the last trials in Edmonton and I would say we’re not a big favourite this time and it’s kind of a nice change,” Kennedy said on Monday. “When you’re heavy favourites that weighs on you. You expect to win, you’re the favourite to win and you should win and that can make things very difficult, especially when things are not going really well.”
After missing the playoff round at the 2013 Brier in Edmonton, third John Morris left the Martin foursome after seven years and Dave Nedohin, former last-rock shooter for the Ferbey Four, was brought on board.
The line-up of Martin, Morris, Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert was one of the most dominating in the sport’s history. They won the 2008 and 2009 Briers with undefeated records, were awarded gold and silver at back-to-back worlds and didn’t lose a game at the Vancouver Olympics.
“We expected a few bumps on the road bringing on a new player but Dave has fit in really nice,” Kennedy said. “He’s got a very similar temperament like myself and Ben and is very competitive. The nice thing is he works very hard, which is something we’ve prided ourselves on for a long time. He practices a lot, works out hard and is very focused and dedicated. That was the number one thing we needed from a new player and he has brought it to the table.
“It’s been an incredibly smooth transition and he has been great for this team. He re-energized us. This is the best I’ve seen Kevin play in a few years for sure and I know he’s helped Kevin’s game a lot.”
Martin’s new-look roster is No. 2 on the World Curling Tour’s money list and No. 8 in the Order of Merit rankings.
“We’ve had a really good year. We’ve been in the hunt at every event we played in. We’ve won a couple (The Shoot-Out in September and Direct Horizontal Drilling Fall Classic in October and both were in Edmonton) and made about four, five finals,” Kennedy said. “We feel good. We’re about to start a really good week of practice and we’ll see how it goes in Winnipeg.”
The eight-team draw starts Sunday and includes the best of the best in Canadian men’s curling: Kevin Koe (Edmonton), Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.), Brad Jacobs (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg), Mike McEwen (Winnipeg), John Epping (Toronto) and Morris (Vernon/Kelowna).
“The depth of your really, really good teams has grown a lot. The last trials in Edmonton we went 6-1 (in the round robin) and there was probably three teams at that event who weren’t quite the same calibre as the rest. You can’t say that this year. Your eight best teams in Canada are here and they can all beat anybody on any given day. You probably can’t afford to lose a game. If you’re not playing your best you’re going to lose and you really have to be on your A game. You could have the best weekend you've ever played and you still might lose to teams,” said Kennedy, who will curl in his third Roar of the Rings, but second with Martin. “It’s so tough. You've just got to hope you have a good week and that's all you can do.”
Kennedy, 31, is confident the Martin rink will get the job down.
“I think we can surprise a few teams,” said the five-time Brier curler. “Dave and Kevin are such good players with so much experience and the Olympic trials seem to be where Kevin (two-time Olympian) has excelled over the last decade.”
Kennedy said the team’s preparation is basically the same as it was for Edmonton but with subtle differences, including the addition of Nedohin.
“We’re all a bit older and a little more mature. We’re a little bit better prepared emotionally and mentally,” said the Paul Kane High School alumnus. “The last four years I think I’ve matured a lot when it comes to accepting losses, not being a good loser but understanding that we’re not going to win everything all the time. The only thing we can control is how we perform and how we prepare and just play our best and let the rest take care of itself.”
The team’s fifth man for the Roar of the Rings is skip Brad Gushue, gold medallist at the Turin 2006 Olympics who curls out of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Kennedy described Gushue as an insurance policy after Martin tweaked his back delivering a rock in a Saskatoon bonspiel and was sidelined for a spell.
“Brad is probably the best skip in Canada right now that isn't at the trials. We needed to have someone step in in case Kevin got hurt and he gives us a chance to win,” said the four time first-team Brier all-star and 2013 second-team all-star. “He’s going to be a great fit. He’s said all the right things and he’s prepared to do anything he has to do for us to win. He’s going to give us a bit of an edge too because he’s been there before. He’s got that experience. It also gives us a little more depth.”
Martin slides into action in Winnipeg against McEwan on Sunday and Stoughton on Monday.
“The crowd will be pretty heavy for McEwan and Stoughton and that’s OK. Dave is from Winnipeg so hopefully that helps and we’ll get a few fans out,” said Kennedy, one of the inaugural six inductees into the St. Albert Curling Club’s wall of fame in 2011.
HOG LINES: Legendary news broadcaster Ron Burgundy will join Vic Rauter and the TSN crew for Sunday’s opening draw. The finals are Dec. 7 for the women and Dec. 8 for the men. Visit www.curling.ca/2013roaroftherings-en/ for game times and results.
Voting is underway for the Travelers All-Star Curling Skins Game, Jan. 11 to 14 in Banff. The format is similar to last year’s event at Casino Rama in Ontario. The ballot consists of the top-12 teams as ranked by the Canadian Curling Association. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite curlers and the deadline is Dec. 8. Four participants at each position will be invited to compete. The four all-star teams will be drafted during a live TSN outdoor broadcast in Banff on Jan. 10.
Vote daily for Kennedy and the Martin rink at www.tsn.ca/curlingskins.
Last year Kennedy was the top second in online voting. Morris and Hebert also led their respective positions in voting and Martin finished third among skips.
