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A capsule look at the field for the 2013 Canadian men's curling championship

By: Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 at 12:40 PM | Comments: 0

Ontario skip Glenn Howard, right to left, third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill hold the Brier Trophy following the gold medal draw against Alberta at the Tim Hortons Brier in Saskatoon, Sask. Sunday, March, 11, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Derek Mortensen

A capsule look at the field for the Canadian men's curling championship March 2-10 in Edmonton, with skip's name in parentheses:

Alberta (Kevin Martin)

Martin, John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert are the reigning Olympic champions and won a world title together in 2008. Martin is a four-time Brier winner (1991, 1997, 2008, 2009) and can set a record for most titles won by a skip. One of three teams in the field with a berth in the Olympic trials in December.

British Columbia (Andrew Bilesky)

Bilesky, Steve Kopf, Derek Errington and Aaron Watson will make their Brier debuts. Bilesky is a former B.C. junior champion. They open against defending champion Glenn Howard of Ontario and face Martin the following day.

Manitoba (Jeff Stoughton)

Stoughton, Mead and Reid Carruthers won the Canadian and world titles two years ago. Mark Nichols, an Olympic gold medallist in 2006 playing third for Brad Gushue, joined the team at lead this season. They picked up an Olympic trials berth via a Canada Cup victory in December. Stoughton has won three Briers (1996, 1999, 2011).

New Brunswick (James Grattan)

Grattan makes his 10th Brier appearance and lead Peter Case his fifth. Grattan's best result as skip was third in 1997. Brothers Jason and Darren Roach will appear in their first Brier.

Newfoundland and Labrador (Brad Gushue)

This is Brier No. 9 for Gushue, and his seventh straight since winning Olympic gold in 2006. The new player in his lineup this year is third Brett Gallant, the 2009 Canadian junior champion originally from Prince Edward Island. Front end Adam Casey and Geoff Walker are back for a second year with Gushue.

Northern Ontario (Brad Jacobs)

The 28-year-old skip and brothers E.J. and Ryan Harnden posted winning records at the previous two Briers and finished third in 2010. Gushue's third last year, Ryan Fry, defected to the Jacobs team this season.

Northwest Territories/Yukon (Jamie Koe)

Koe skipped a Territories team to the playoffs in 2012 for the first time since playoffs were introduced into the format in 1980. He and Tom Naugler, Brad Chorostkowski and Robert Borden will try to maintain their status as a contender.

Nova Scotia (Paul Flemming)

Flemming returns to the Brier for a seventh appearance, but his first as a skip since 1999. He's played third for Mark Dacey and Sean Adams since then. Ian Fitzner-Leblanc throws fourth stones for the team, rounded out by front end Graham Breckon and Kelly Mittelstadt.

Ontario (Glenn Howard)

Howard will pass brother Russ Howard for the most appearances at a Brier at 15. The skip, third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Saville are the defending Canadian and world champions. They also have an Olympic trials berth locked down.

Prince Edward Island (Eddie MacKenzie)

Winter storms interrupted the P.E.I provincials, making MacKenzie, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen and Sean Ledgerwood the last team to qualify for the Brier. MacKenzie had a rough debut as a skip two years ago, going 1-10 in London, Ont.

Quebec (Jean-Michel Menard)

Menard upset Howard to win the 2006 Canadian title. His was just the second team from Quebec to win a Brier. Eric Sylvain still curls with Menard at second. Third Martin Crete joined them for Brier appearances in 2008 and 2009 and Menard's brother Philippe now plays lead.

Saskatchewan (Brad Virtue)

Virtue lost the Alberta provincial men's final to Kevin Koe in 2012 and switched to Saskatchewan colours, joining third Braeden Moskowy, a Canadian junior champ in 2011, and lead D.J. Kirby. Second Chris Schille played with Newfoundland's Gushue in the 2007 and 2008 Briers.

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