‘Such an honour:’ Kirk Muyres talks Brier loss, representing Saskatchewan

It wasn’t the result Matt Dunstone’s Saskatchewan foursome wanted at the Tim Hortons Brier, but second Kirk Muyres said the week in Calgary was something the team will never forget.

After finishing 9-3 during round-robin and championship pool play, Dunstone’s team — comprising Muyres, lead Dustin Kidby and third Braeden Moskowy — placed second in the standings before the three-team playoff Sunday. But Saskatchewan ended up with the same result as the 2020 Brier, though.

A 6-5 loss to Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher left the Regina-based team as the third-place team for a second straight year. Last year, Newfoundland and Labrador snuck past Saskatchewan in the 2-3 Page playoff game en route to its Brier win under Brad Gushue.

Bottcher’s rink ended up winning the 2021 Canadian men’s curling title Sunday with a 4-2 victory over Kevin Koe’s Wild Card 2 team.

Looking back at the experience Sunday night, Muyres didn’t hold back on his explanation of how the loss felt.

“It sucks. It’s disappointing losing. But I think at the end of the day … it’s been a helluva experience. It’s been a fun ride with these guys. It’s been a really unique Brier, obviously with the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re just so grateful we got to curl with what’s going on in the world,” the St. Gregor product said.

“When we had our last rock go to rest, it was almost a moment of peace. We had a great game, we played well; we stuck together as a unit and we placed that last stone where we needed. At that moment, it was like, ‘You know what? We did all we could do and now we’re just going to watch it and hopefully it works out well for us.’

“The curling Gods were wearing a blue (Alberta) sweater today … We can rest easy at night knowing we gave it all we have.”

Bottcher made a long angle-raise takeout to score two in the 10th end to eliminate Saskatchewan. The province hasn’t won a Brier title since Rick Folk turned the trick in 1980.

In a typical Brier year, the stands are usually packed. This was a different year, though, with only cardboard cutouts to cheer on the 18 teams.

Muyres explained how it felt being in a playoff game without that feel of a playoff-type atmosphere.

“It was definitely different and weird. We (did) a good job this week of creating our own energy. And we did that again (Sunday),” he said. “I think the weirdest thing was we were whispering to each other out there … Normally you don’t have to do that when you have 5,000 or 6,000 people in the building.”

Regardless of the outcome, Muyres said the week was one he and his teammates will never forget. Instead of feeling support from mere feet away, Muyres said the team felt it from across Saskatchewan.

“I can’t even put into words how grateful we are for everyone in Saskatchewan for getting behind us, supporting us, sending us well wishes. It’s such an honour to represent Saskatchewan, wear the green and white and have a million-plus people cheering us on. It’s something you dream of growing up … We’re so grateful for everyone back home,” he said.

With the strong crop of curling rinks across Canada, Muyres explained how the second straight third-place finish felt from his perspective.

“At this point in curling, there (are) so many good teams. There’s probably eight teams that could win the Brier on any given week … We just continue to plug along, get better, put ourselves in positions to win the Brier and I think eventually that will kind of take care of itself,” he said.

“We’re going to take a lot out of this, go back to the drawing board (and) just continue to get a little bit better.”

The 2021 season was Muyres’ first on Team Dunstone. He joined the quartet after his previous team — which he skipped — broke up.

Up next for Muyres is another stay in the Calgary bubble. He and Alberta’s Laura Walker will be competing together in the upcoming Home Hardware Canadian mixed doubles curling championship, which is to begin Thursday. The pair won that title in 2018.