Gushue rink not skipping a beat

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This article was published 01/12/2016 (3411 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Nichols said it plainly: “We’ve probably exceeded our expectations.”

The third turned-skip of Brad Gushue’s team has a point. With Gushue still dealing with hip and groin injuries that have resulted in him missing the entire portion of the curling season to this point, Nichols has stepped in and guided the St. John’s foursome to the top of the Canadian Team Ranking System standings. Oh, and they’re second on the World Curling Tour’s money list behind Swedish sensation Niklas Edin.

Is that any good?

“I knew we could compete week in and week out but to be ranked number one with arguably the best player in the world on the sidelines, I don’t think we thought we could do that,” Nichols told reporters after opening the Home Hardware Canada Cup of Curling with an 8-3 win over Brad Jacobs on Wednesday. “We’ve been very lucky to have some great spares to fill in at that third position, so it’s been really good.”

One of those spares is Charley Thomas, a native of Didsbury, Alta.

The 30-year-old, who skips his own team out of the Glencoe Club in Calgary, is making his fourth appearance of the season with Team Gushue at the Canada Cup.

Thomas — wearing a shirt with Gushue’s name on it — subbed in at the Shorty Jenkins Classic in September, the Challenge de Curling de Gatineau in October and the WFG Masters later that month but wasn’t entirely expecting to be asked to join Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker, who captured national and world junior titles with Thomas, in Brandon.

“They had a few people that they probably could have chosen from so a little bit surprised that they picked me but also not surprised,” Thomas said. “I’ve played a few events with them and we’ve had some success. We’ve performed when we’ve played together.”

“If they were to choose someone else I might be a little upset,” he joked.

And even though his own team didn’t qualify for the Canada Cup, Thomas knew he couldn’t refuse the invite.

“Any time you get to play in an event like this where it’s the top seven teams in Canada you can’t pass it up,” said Thomas, who also coaches Chelsea Carey’s team but gave up that duty this week to Pat Simmons in order to play. “Whether it’s with my team or another team, the experience is just so valuable.

“Any time you can play in front of a big crowd on arena ice against the best competition in the world you just get that much better.”

Nichols believes Thomas is a perfect complement to the team.

“He fits in really well,” Nichols said. “His demeanour is very similar to mine, kind of quiet and he knows the game and he’s a skip too, which I think helps me and he knows kind of the ins and outs of what to say and what not to say. It’s worked really well.”

Nichols, who will turn 37 on New Year’s Day, has used his past experiences — 12 trips to the Brier, including two with Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton earlier this decade, nine previous Canada Cup appearances and capturing gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics with Gushue — to help him learn how to deal with the on-ice situation he is in.

“The first few events there was definitely some learning curves … but I think we’ve just been fortunate to be playing really well,” Nichols said. “When guys are making lots of shots it makes the guy throwing the last rock’s job a lot easier, but I’ve definitely leaned on what I’ve learned over the years playing with Brad and playing with Jeff and coming back to Brad.”

Nichols would like nothing more than to leave the Wheat City with the Canada Cup title and a berth into the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials field secured.

But ask him if he is considering a full-time skipping position and he will tell you straight up: “Nope!” before laughing aloud.

He’s just looking forward to having Gushue back, hopefully in time for Newfoundland and Labrador’s men’s curling playdowns and a chance to play in a Brier in their hometown.

“I don’t even think about it,” Nichols said about permanent skipping. “There’s parts I enjoy. Obviously we’re playing well so it’s easy to enjoy that but there’s parts I don’t enjoy. My skill set better suits me to play third but I don’t even think about that when I’m out there.

“When he comes back he’s going to be our skip and I’m going to go back to third and not even going to question it. It’s going to be great to have him back.”

» nliewicki@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @liewicks