!Story – SIMCOE.COM v3 – Golden memories for Russ Howard

Mike Dodd
Published: Wed, Mar 1st, 2006

Midland’s native son, Russ Howard, was a key component to Brad Gushue’s gold-medal winning team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. – Toronto Star photo

Russ Howard. … Olympic gold medalist. The partying still hasn’t stopped since Midland’s native son won gold on Friday in Torino, Italy, as a member of Canada’s men’s Olympic curling team.

The second with the Brad Gushue rink from Newfoundland, the 50-year-old Howard helped lead the Canadian men’s curling team to a 10-4 victory over Finland in Friday’s gold medal final.

“I’m totally exhausted,” said Barb Howard, Russ’s mother, speaking with The Mirror after watching the final in her Midland home.

A graduate of Midland Secondary School, Russ Howard began sharpening his curling skills at the Midland Curling Club.

Watching the gold medal final with Barb Howard was Paul MacDonald, the man credited with mentoring Russ through his early years in the sport.

Television and newspaper reporters were on hand at the Howard home to record the historic win by Howard and the Canadian team.

“I’m still trying to take it all in. It’s so overwhelming. It’s hard to believe this little country bumpkin has gone that far (in curling),” said Mrs. Howard.

Following the win, Barb Howard was in tears while talking with Russ’s wife Wendy, who was in Italy to watch the historic win, along with their children Stephen and Ashley.

“She (Wendy) hasn’t been able to get near Russ. They are whisking Russ and the team off to do interviews,” said Mrs. Howard.

Ironically, Glenn Howard was in St. John’s, Newfoundland competing in a Grand Slam of Curling event when old brother Russ claimed Olympic gold.

“I’m so happy for Russ. He deserves it,” said Glenn, speaking by phone with The Advance.

Glenn Howard was doing his share of media interviews, as the Newfoundland media was mobbing him to get his reaction to Canada’s first Olympic gold medal win in curling.

“I’ve been doing a whole bunch of media interviews. It’s been a total zoo in St. John’s. It’s turned into one big party town,” said Howard.

Even thousands of miles away in Italy, Russ Howard didn’t forget about his mother.

“Hi mom,” he mouthed into the CBC camera and offered his traditional eye wink and gunslinger hand gesture.

“That (the gun move) is just something he has always done. Early on, when someone made a good shot, he would point the finger and the thumb up. Now it’s caught on with the Newfoundland kids. When he does the wink and the gun, that’s for me,” she said.

Russ dropped in to see his mother two weeks ago, when he made a two-day stopover in Midland-Penetanguishene.

Barb Howard visited Russ in New Brunswick in July, when Howard was asked if he would be interested in joining the Newfoundland team.

“Toby (Olympic curling coach Toby McDonald) asked Russ if he would be interested in mentoring Brad and the rest of the Newfoundland team.”

While nothing is planned yet, Barb Howard hopes her oldest son will come back to Midland and give her a closeup look at his Olympic gold medal.

“What a game,” said Kent Carstairs, who curled with Howard in 1987, when the Penetanguishene Curling Club foursome won the world men’s curling title.

Carstairs teamed with Howard, his brother Glenn and Tim Belcourt in the mid-1980s when the foursome won in Germany.

“The six-ender they had was the difference,” said Carstairs.

Midland Curling Club ice technician Bryan Wilson was over the moon after the last rock was thrown in the eighth end Friday.

“What a great result. I’m so happy for Russ,” said Wilson, speaking via his cellphone.

Wilson first hooked up with Howard in 1984 after first moving to the region. He and Paul MacDonald curled in the same Monday night league with Howard in the years leading up to his 1987 and 1993 world championship wins.

“Those were the days before Russ became the celebrity and curling legend he is now. He was so approachable in those days and is just as approachable now.

“Russ has had such a major impact on the game of curling. He was the architect of so many different rules now being used in curling,” said Wilson.

Howard’s knowledge and skill made him a major asset to any team.

“Russ could go out with anyone on his team and win. Anyone who played with him became a better player,” said Wilson.

Copyright ©1996-2005 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing.

More honours for Olympic gold medal-winning curlers

St. John’s streets to be named after Brad Gushue & Co. Canadian Press
Published: Monday, March 06, 2006

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Olympic curling champion Brad Gushue and his rink are receiving another honour.

The City of St. John’s has decided to name several streets after the Newfoundland rink.

Deputy Mayor Dennis O’Keefe said Monday a road in St. John’s will be renamed Gold Medal Drive.

Several streets branching from the drive will be named after each of the curlers — Gushue, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, as well as their coach Toby MacDonald.

The Gushue rink of St. John’s became the first Olympic champions from Newfoundland when they won the men’s curling gold medal last month at the Turin Games.

© Canadian Press 2006

VOCM – Big Welcome for Team Gushue

February 28, 2006

The public will be given an opportunity to meet and greet Brad Gushue’s gold winning Olympic Curling Team on Saturday. Bob Osborne of the St. John’s Curling Club says the open house will take place from 1 – 4 p.m. at the St. John’s Convention Centre. Osborne says there’s no charge but people have been asked to bring along a non-perishable food item. He told Bill Rowe on VOCM’s Backtalk Russ Howard will join the team for the event, but he encourages everyone to arrive early. The Gushue Rink will be recognized at the Fog Devils game on Saturday. Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab, Mike Adam, Russ Howard, and coach Toby MacDonald will be on hand to drop the ceremonial puck. The team will also sign autographs on the concourse from 6 to 6:45 pm.

Meantime, it was a raucus welcome home for the Gushue curling rink early this morning at St. John’s International Airport. A huge crowd turned out to show Brad, Mark, Jamie, Mike and Toby just how proud they are of the team’s accomplishment. There was pride galore, with Canadian flags by the dozens waving to celebrate the homecoming. Brad Gushue was overwhelmed by the turnout. The coach of the Olympic champions, Toby McDonald, says the support has been fantastic.

Labrador City Mayor Graham Letto says the make-up of the team, from the island and Labrador, is special. Cabinet Minister Paul Shelley, says Brad Gushue and his team have united young and old. Avalon MP Fabian Manning says people from this province would still be proud of Team Gushue even without the gold medal. Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster, Bob Cole, was on hand having just arrived back from the Olympics himself. He attended the weekend medal ceremony.

© 2006 VOCM Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATE: THIS SCORE IS NOW FINAL!

Congratulations Team Canada / Team Gushue!
THANK-YOU GUYS! YOU PLAYED GREAT!

skip – Brad Gushue (aka 4th)
3rd – Mark Nichols
2nd – Russ Howard (real skip)
lead – Jamie Korab
Alternate – Mike Adam

Canada vs Finland

END 1 – FIN 2, CAN 0
END 2 – FIN 2, CAN 2
END 3 – FIN 2, CAN 3
END 4 – FIN 2, CAN 4
END 5 – FIN 3, CAN 4
END 6 – FIN 3, CAN 10
END 7 – FIN 3, CAN 10
END 8 – FIN 4, CAN 10
(concession after 8th ends)

TEAM CANADA WINS GOLD!

FINAL: Canada 10, Finland 4
Results

Here are the stats..

I did mention that I was live blogging this game on CurlingBlog.com … over HERE … but, I just assumed that all Die-HART Team Gushue (Team Canada) fans … are watching the games live on TV anyway

what a great game the Gold match!

CBC News: N.L. schools to shut early for Olympic curling final

Last Updated Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:26:45 EST
CBC News

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is closing schools early on Friday so that students can watch the Canadian men’s curling team compete for the gold medal at the Torino Olympics.

* FROM FEB. 22, 2006: Gushue curls into final

Schools across the province will be dismissed at lunchtime, before the St. John’s-based rink skipped by Brad Gushue competes in the Winter Games curling final in Italy, Education Minister Joan Burke said Thursday.

“It’s a historic moment for Newfoundland and Labrador,” she said. “[We] certainly want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to see the game. It’s exciting for the young people of this province.”

Burke said buses will be ready to take children home early.

Gushue’s rink faces Finland at 1 p.m. NT (12:30 p.m. in most of Labrador and 11:30 a.m. ET).

The game will be carried on CBC Television.

Burke said while schools could have arranged to have children watch the final in the classrooms, buses would have arrived during the final ends.

“School children just can’t walk out of school and declare a holiday,” Burke said. “We have to do that for them.”

CBC.CA – Torino 2006 – Curling – Headlines – Gushue scrapes into curling playoffs

Brad Gushue looks relieved Monday as he clinches the win and the final playoff berth. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Last Updated: Tue Feb 21 02:23:10 EST 2006
CBC Sports

Canada’s Brad Gushue showed plenty of determination Monday in claiming the final playoff berth in men’s curling at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.

Gushue made three clutch shots in critical situations to beat Pete Fenson of the United States 6-3 in the 12th and final draw at Pinerolo, about 50 kilometres from Turin.

“It is nice knowing we are in the playoffs now,” Gushue said. “If we have two good games now, from here on in, we achieve our goal.”

With the win, Canada completed the preliminary round at 6-3, eliminated defending Olympic champion Paal Trulsen of Norway and set up a rematch with the U.S. (6-3) in Wednesday’s medal round (1 p.m. EST).

“They are going to want to beat us as much as we want to beat them,” said American vice Shawn Rojeski. “If we go out and play a good game together, we can win.”

Finland (7-2) finished first overall and faces Great Britain (6-3) in the other semifinal.

“That’s fine,” British skip David Murdoch said. “It’s what we expected.

“We get a chance to get our revenge on Finland. We are going in very confident.”

Fenson stole one in the first end when Gushue came up soft on a hit and stick, but the Canadian skip responded with a draw to count two in the fourth.

Gushue regained the hammer in the fourth with a splendid double-takeout that left Canada lying two, forcing Fenson to draw to the button for a single point.

Gushue blanked the sixth to retain last-rock advantage, then conceded a steal of one in the seventh when it picked on debris.

Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, Gushue bumped up to remove two American stones, then parlayed a precision takeout into two points for a 4-3 lead.

Fenson made a fatal mistake in the ninth, leaving two rocks vulnerable in the four foot and Gushue capitalized with a hit and roll to the button directly behind a Canadian guard.

That forced Fenson to concede one and put Canada ahead 5-3 heading home.

Gushue hit and stuck for one to complete the scoring in the 10th.

“I feel much better today than I was feeling in the last couple of days,” he said.

Also Monday, Germany embarrassed Denmark 10-1 and Switzerland humbled host Italy 10-2, both in six ends.

The Swiss (5-4) also needed a Canadian loss to force a Tuesday tiebreaker, so began rooting for the U.S.

“We could hear the Swiss yelling and stuff,” Fenson chuckled. “We expected that.”

with files from CP Online

Copyright © CBC 2006

CBC.CA – Torino 2006 – Curling – Headlines – Gushue controls playoff destiny

Last Updated: Sun Feb 19 16:59:53 EST 2006
CBC Sports

Brad Gushue of St. John’s easily humbled New Zealand 9-1 in seven ends on Sunday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Canada’s Brad Gushue is breathing a bit easier in the men’s curling competition at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.

Gushue, who curls out of St. John’s, needed just seven ends Sunday to beat Sean Becker of New Zealand 9-1 at Pinerolo, Italy.

Gushue improved to 5-3 overall through 11 draws and currently sits fourth behind Finland (7-2), Great Britain (6-3) and the United States (6-2), all three of whom have qualified for the playoffs.

The top four teams advance to the medal round with first-ranked rink facing the fourth and the second taking on the third.

Canada can advance with a win over the U.S. on Monday. Should Canada lose, they will be tied with Norway (5-4) and the winner of Monday’s Switzerland-Italy contest.

If necessary, a tie-breaker to determine the final playoff spot would be held on Tuesday.

Gushue scored single points in first, second and fourth ends before blowing it open with back-to-back threes in the sixth and seventh.

Becker, still winless at 0-8, counted one in the fifth.

with files from CP Online
Copyright © CBC 2006

Canada vs Finland

END 1 – CAN 2, FIN 0
END 2 – CAN 2, FIN 0
END 3 – CAN 2, FIN 3
END 4 – CAN 2, FIN 3
END 5 – CAN 3, FIN 3
END 6 – CAN 4, FIN 3
END 7 – CAN 4, FIN 7
END 8 – CAN 4, FIN 8
END 9 – CAN 6, FIN 8
END 10 – CAN 7, FIN 8

FINAL: Finland 8, Canada 7
Result

Norway vs Canada

END 1 – NOR 0, CAN 2
END 2 – NOR 0, CAN 3
END 3 – NOR 1, CAN 3
END 4 – NOR 2, CAN 3
END 5 – NOR 3, CAN 3
END 6 – NOR 3, CAN 3
END 7 – NOR 3, CAN 4
END 8 – NOR 3, CAN 5
END 9 – NOR 5, CAN 5
END 10 – NOR 5, CAN 6

FINAL: Canada 6, Norway 5
Results