HOT CORNER: Brier begins Saturday

The 2018 Tim Hortons Brier gets underway in Regina, Sask., on Saturday, with 16 teams divided into two divisions.
Teams play a round robin within their division, with the top four in one division playing the top four from the other division. The top four then advance to the playoff round.  
It is a star-studded field of curlers headed up by the defending Brier- and world-champion Brad Gushue. This is the 15th Brier appearance for Gushue, and his first as Team Canada. Charlottetown’s Brett Gallant throws second stones for the Gushue rink.
Teams skipped by Brad Jacobs, John Epping, Reid Carruthers and the up-and-coming Brendan Bottcher rink are a few of the real good rinks that are expected to challenge the pre-tournament favourite Gushue rink for this year’s Brier title.
Eddie MacKenzie’s rink, consisting of Josh Barry, Christopher Gallant, Sean Ledgerwood and alternate Robbie Younker, will represent P.E.I. They are coached by Phil Gorveatt. It is interesting to note that Christopher Gallant is the brother of Brett Gallant, but their teams play in opposite divisions.

MHL 
One of the real good stories in the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) this season has been the success of the Edmundston Blizzard since they moved to the northern New Brunswick town for the 2017-18 season. Formally known as the Dieppe Commandos, the Blizzard has continued to be a very good hockey team like they usually were in Dieppe, and look to be the team to beat this season.
The biggest difference for this franchise now is that they have gone from having the worst fan support to having the best in the league. In Dieppe, most crowds were in the 200 to 300 range, but now crowds of 2,700 are common at most games in the brand-new Centre Jean Daigle in Edmundston. Their season average is 2,059 fans per game – easily the best in the league.
It kind of reminds one of the overflow crowds that the Western Capitals were getting when Credit Union Place opened 11 years ago. There is a very good chance that the Caps and Blizzard will meet in the upcoming playoffs – assuming that both get by their opening-round series.
The MHL playoffs are just around the corner, and will have the Caps and Blizzard playing either Miramachi and Campbellton in Round 1. Should the Caps and Blizzard be fortunate enough to advance and set up a meeting in the Eastlink North Division final, that series would draw big crowds in both Edmundston and Summerside. Hopefully they do meet and, with the great season the Caps have put together, it should make for a heck of a playoff series.

New Moncton rink
A lot of new rinks have been built throughout the Maritimes over the last few years, and the latest that is nearing completion is the new $104-million facility in Moncton. The downtown facility on Main Street will have 8,800 seats for hockey, and a capacity of 10,300 for concerts.
It will be the new home of the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and will open in September 2018. The new facility will replace the 6,500-seat Moncton Coliseum that has been one of the top destinations for hockey and entertainment in the Maritimes since it opened 45 years ago in 1973.
Have a great week!

Joe MacIntyre is a Summerside resident. His column appears every Saturday. Comments and suggestions can be sent to [email protected].