1942 Macdonald Brier Explained

1942 Macdonald Brier
Host City:Quebec City, Quebec
Arena:Quebec Arena
Dates:March 2–5
Winner:
Curling Club:Strathcona CC, Winnipeg
Skip:Ken Watson
Third:Grant Watson
Second:Charles Scrymgeour
Lead:James Grant

The 1942 Macdonald Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held from March 2 to 5, 1942 at Quebec Arena in Quebec City, Quebec.[1]

Team Manitoba, who was skipped by Ken Watson won the Brier Tankard by finishing round robin play with an 8-1 record. This was Manitoba's tenth Brier championship overall and the second Brier won by Watson's rink, who won their first Brier in 1936.

Both British Columbia and Ontario would finish tied for second with 7-2 records, which would've necessitated a tiebreaker playoff under Brier rules at the time. But due to the Quebec Aces hockey team needing the arena for their QSHL playoffs on March 7, it was announced that no tiebreaker playoff would be played and that the tie for second place would be allowed to stand.[2] This prevented a showdown between brothers Gordon and Donald Campbell were skipping Ontario and BC respectively.[3]

For the first time since the 1933 Brier, none of the games went to an extra end.[4]

Quebec's loss in Draw 8 against British Columbia was their 22nd straight loss in Brier competition, setting a record for most consecutive Brier losses. The record was previously held by Prince Edward Island, who had lost 21 straight Brier games from 1937 to 1939. Quebec's losing streak would eventually reach 25 games before they would win a game again in 1946.

Due to the onset of World War II,[5] the 1942 Brier would be the last Brier to be played until 1946. This would also be the only opportunity that Quebec Arena would host a Brier as the arena burnt down a few months later.

Conditions at the Arena were considered "tricky, almost unplayable".[3]

Teams

The teams are listed as follows:[6]

bgcolor=#0033FF width=200British ColumbiaManitobabgcolor=#000000 width=200Northern Ontario
Viking CC, VikingSkip: John Slavik
Third: Vincent Slavik
Second: Cecil Runyon
Lead: Kenneth Hilliker
Vancouver CC, VancouverSkip: Donald A. Campbell
Third: Francis Avery
Second: Robert Henderson
Lead: George Law
Strathcona CC, WinnipegSkip: Ken Watson
Third: Grant Watson
Second: Charles Scrymgeour
Lead: James Grant
Bathurst CC, BathurstSkip: Daniel Connolly
Third: Joseph Connolly
Second: John Kennah
Lead: Aurele Landry
Sudbury CC, SudburySkip: William McMitchell
Third: Albert Cooper Jr.
Second: Don Groom
Lead: Albert Cooper Sr.
bgcolor=#0080C0 width=200bgcolor=#FF0000 width=200OntarioPrince Edward Islandbgcolor=#009900 width=200
Bridgewater CC, BridgewaterSkip: Irving Hebb
Third: Norman Rafuse
Second: Warner Bickle
Lead: Frank Cook
Thistle CC, HamiltonSkip: Gordon M. Campbell
Third: Duncan A. Campbell
Second: William Kennedy
Lead: Rufus Stone
Charlottetown CC, CharlottetownSkip: Russ Cruikshank
Third: Harry Sear
Second: Reginald Bell
Lead: Donald Gass
Huntingdon CC, HuntingdonSkip: John Ross Jr.
Third: Erle Martin
Second: Christopher Newman
Lead: John Carr

Round-robin standings

ProvinceSkipWLPFPA
8 1 109 71
7 2 111 88
7 2 114 82
6 3 106 77
5 4 91 83
4 5 89 74
4 5 87 89
3 6 69 107
1 8 66 110
0 9 50 111

Round-robin results

Draw 9

Notes and References

  1. https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Main&eventid=353 1942 MacDonald Brier - Curlingzone
  2. Web site: Manitoba canters to curling crown . Newspapers.com . Montreal Gazette . April 22, 2022 . March 6, 1942.
  3. The Brier, by Bob Weeks, pg 42
  4. Web site: MacDonald Brier Records - Curling Canada Stats Archive.
  5. Web site: Cancel Brier! . Newspapers.com . Regina Leader-Post. April 22, 2022 . December 8, 1942.
  6. Web site: 1942 MacDonald Brier - Curling Canada Stats Archive . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219165710/https://stats.curling.io/macdonald-brier/1942 . 2021-12-19.