'A bit of a wild card': Team Muyres ready to make Tankard debut in Estevan
The SaskTel Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championships kicks off in Estevan this week and newly formed Team Muyres is ready to make their mark.
“I think we’re a bit of a wild card, right? On paper, we’d be ranked quite low but if you look at our skill set we’ve been competitive curlers for a really long time,” Dallan Muyres, the team’s skip said.
Muyres, who is a six-time Saskatchewan Men’s Provincial Champion, is leading his team of experienced curlers; Third, Garrett Springer, Second, Jordan Tardi, and Lead, Dustin Mikush.
“Me, Dustin, and Garrett played a little bit together last year on the Deis Team and then you know I got a taste of skipping, loved it, loved the pressure, the environment back there and really wanted to increase my skill set,” Muyres explained, on how he began to build his team.
Tardi hails from Langley, B.C. and has played with Muyres in the past. However, both Springer and Mikush grew up in the neighbouring towns of Foam Lake and Wadena and first met while playing in juniors before moving onto the men's league.
Tardi comes to the team with loads of experience, having a World and Canadian championship under his belt.
“The competitive curling community is somewhat small, sometimes you have to go out of province [to build a team],” Muyres explained.
“You’re seeing it a lot more, even in Saskatchewan. The people who can put the time in and be competitive and run this schedule are getting less and less every year.”
Tardi noted the cold Saskatchewan winters are an adjustment for him but he loves the curling culture of the province.
“It’s nice see the different community Saskatchewan has versus B.C. There’s a lot more people that know what curling is, which is really quite fun. A lot of people know who we are no matter what club we’re at. We get looks all the time and people coming over to say hi,” Tardi said.
Team Muyres was at the Highland Curling Club in Regina on Tuesday for a final practice before they head to Estevan.
“We had a little bit of a slow start to the year and then in January we qualified [for the Tankard] at the last couple of events and had some strong performances. I think we’re moving in the right direction at the right time,” Mikush said.
“I think everyone plays in this province so they can end up in the Tankard at the end of the year and we’re looking forward to it. It’s been a long road to get to this for this team,” Springer said.
Even though Team Muyres is ranked lower and possibly considered the underdogs, the team is using that to their advantage.
“There’s not a target on our back, so we can go out there and play loose. Hope for the best, make some shots,” Springer said.
“The whole field is really experienced and really quality ... You just have to go one shot at a time and make the most of every shot,” Muyres said.
Team Muyres will open against Team Jacobson at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
TREND LINE | Poilievre surpasses Trudeau when it comes to preferred prime minister: Nanos
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.

BREAKING | Responding to Indigenous, Vatican rejects Discovery Doctrine
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
opinion | This is how much debt is normal for your age
Have you ever stopped to wonder how much debt is typical for your age?
'Leave this with me': Alberta premier heard on call with COVID-19 protester
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
As Canadians miss out on benefits, Ottawa promises automatic tax filing is on the way
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
Silicon Valley Bank's chaos has been bittersweet for crypto and wine
Silicon Valley Bank's collapse earlier this month dealt a major blow to the wine and crypto firms that entrusted their money with and depended on the lender to stay afloat.
Canada makes amendments to foreign homebuyers ban – here's what they look like
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
'It's going to take the community': Yukon faces Canada's worst toxic drug death rate
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
What is the grocery rebate in federal budget 2023? Key questions, answered
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.