Colton Lott to make Brier debut as fill-in on Team McEwen's Manitoba curling squad

A young curler from Manitoba's Interlake region was not preparing to step into the spotlight at one of Canadian curling's marquee events, but he's ready to make the most of it.

Colton Lott was going to cheer on the two Manitoba teams taking part in the upcoming national men's curling championship. But after Colin Hodgson tested positive for COVID-19, Lott was asked to fill in at lead on skip Mike McEwen's West St. Paul Curling Club squad.

Hodgson was also dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of a couple games at last month's Manitoba playdowns in Selkirk, Man.

"I feel terrible Colin doesn't get to come and play, and I just hope for him a speedy recovery," Lott said Tuesday. "It's been tough on everybody the past couple years."

Despite the circumstances surrounding his maiden trip to the Tim Hortons Brier, Lott views the chance to curl alongside McEwen, third Reid Carruthers and second Derek Samagalski as a tremendous opportunity to showcase his game.

"Obviously it's a surprise," he said. "I'm just ready to play. I'm ready to give it my all and be the best for Mike's team as I can at the lead position.

His Winnipeg Beach Curling Club squad reached last month's provincial championship final, only to see McEwen and company score six unanswered points to win 8-3.

But Lott, 26, will still get to wear the buffalo for the first time since he and now-fiancé Kadriana Sahaidak claimed the 2018 provincial mixed doubles title. They also reached last year's Canadian mixed doubles final but lost 9-6 to Brad Gushue and fellow Interlake resident Kerri Einarson.

Lott, who grew up in Sandy Hook, Man., but now lives in nearby Gimli, was also part of three Manitoba junior men's championship-winning teams, two of which won national junior titles and captured bronze medals at junior worlds.

He's been around championship-pedigree players and teams for years, but in the past 12 months, he's filled in on a bevy of other curling teams.

Lott joined John Epping's Ontario squad for a pair of Grand Slam of Curling events last spring, then had Pat Simmons skip his squad at the Olympic pre-trials competition in Liverpool, N.S., before joining former junior teammate Matt Dunstone at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Saskatoon in November.

Add Team McEwen to the list in what is a stacked 18-team field ready for action at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, Alta.

"Everybody is so good and so equivalently good it's just those minor breaks that you get that set the tone for any game," Lott said.

2020 Manitoba champs confident after tough provincials

Skip Jason Gunnlaugson and his Winnipeg-based Granite Curling Club squad will be in the same nine-team pool as McEwen, former Brier winners Gushue and Brad Jacobs, and British Columbia, which features second Jared Kolomoya, who is from Ashern, Man.

Gunnlaugson's team failed to make it to the final four at provincials, but they snared the third and final wild card spot at the Brier — the last spot in the field — through the Canadian Team Ranking System.

"Gunner," as he's known in the curling world, expects it will be a bit strange making a third consecutive Brier appearance, but the first not donning Manitoba colours.

"It's definitely different, especially from the first year when we won [provincials] and wore the colours. That was almost in a different time it feels like," he said. 

The 37-year-old is delighted to have fans back in the stands after last year's bubble event in Calgary was played without spectators.

"The energy just gets to such a high level it's a lot of fun," he added.

Gunnlaugson, third Adam Casey, second Matt Wozniak and lead Connor Njegovan qualified for the championship pool of eight last year, but stumbled to a 6-6 record to miss the playoffs.

With this year's format changed to only the top three teams from each pool reaching the playoffs, each pool game holds a little extra weight. He expects he'll need to post a win-loss record of 6-2 or possibly 5-3 to have a chance at the playoffs.

Gunnlaugson knows all too well 11 years have elapsed since Jeff Stoughton won his third Brier — the last for Manitoba. He would revel in the chance to play on championship Sunday.

"It has become something that the top players are definitely thinking about and not in a bad way, but more of a motivating way," Gunnlaugson said. "There's been a couple decent runs but compared to the last 30 years before it has been a little but of a drought. So it would be amazing to be involved."

The Brier begins Friday and runs until March 13.