Sluchinski rink from Airdrie will wear Alberta blue at Brier
Aaron Sluchinski and his rink from Airdrie pulled off the big upset at the provincial men's curling championship, taking down the favourite, Kevin Koe, in the final of the Boston Pizza Cup.
Sluchinski says it doesn't get any better than that.
"It meant a lot," he said.
"Ever since I started curling, it's been a dream to play in the Brier and I get to go play in it now. Kevin Koe is one of the all-time greats, so anytime you can beat him, you're happy and to do it twice in two nights was quite the feat for us."
Joining some big names
Team Sluchinski joins the likes of Randy Ferbey, Kevin Martin, Kevin Koe and Brendan Bottcher to have their names on the cup.
Third Jeremy Harty says all the hard work paid off.
"I think that just speaks to how much work we've been putting in this year," he said.
"We put in a lot of spiels and a lot of practices to try and prepare for those types of games and those types of situations.
"It's pretty rewarding when you can put it all together at the right time, so hopefully, we can keep that rolling."
Excited for the Brier
Team Sluchinski will roll into Regina in a couple of weeks' time.
The Montana's Brier runs from March 1 through 10.
The Sluchinski rink will go into the Brier as rookies -- none of them have competed in the event.
The closest was Sluchinski -- as a fifth for Brendan Bottcher.
Sluchinski says he can offer his team some advice.
"I can just show them the ropes a little bit," he said.
"There's lots of different things you've got to do. There's media stuff and just being prepared. Lots of rock stuff.
"I should be able to bring a few notes to the team to help us out."
Confident rink
Knocking off Koe twice on back-to-back nights at the Alberta finals has Team Sluchinski brimming with confidence.
Lead Dylan Webster is hoping they can take that confidence into the Brier.
"It's going to be a new environment for us, playing in front of that big crowd, and bigger expectations wearing Alberta Colours," he said.
"We want to perform and do well, but we also want to soak up the experience. We're going there to win, for sure, but we want to enjoy it, too.
"We want to experience the patch and interact with the fans and get the full experience."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Celine Dion stages comeback with performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Paris Olympics kicks off with ambitious but rainy opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
Health Canada warns some naloxone kits contain false instructions
Health Canada is warning some take-home naloxone kits come with bad instructions that should be ignored in favour of the correct guidance.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.