At risk of being the old guy who is always talking about ‘the good old days’, it is a little sad to me that regional Viterra playoffs will be played this weekend in five Manitoba locations for 20 provincial berths …. and there are only 36 teams playing.

Eleven teams will play at Deer Lodge for seven entries to the provincial Viterra championship in Stonewall; six teams in Dauphin and another six in Virden will play for three berths in each venue; five teams will play for three berths in Clearwater; and two teams will play for one berth in LaSalle.

It is fair to say the teams know that the 2024 provincial champion has probably already qualified for the Stonewall event where there will be a new champion crowned. The champion’s berth owned by Matt Dunstone’s team was vacated with Dunstone earning a wildcard entry to the Brier.

Pre-determined entries in Stonewall are already in the hands of seven teams, including:
** Reid Carruthers (CTRS end 2023 season)
** Ryan Wiebe (CTRS current season)
** Brett Walter (Berth Spiel)
** Braden Calvert (MCT)
** Jordon McDonald (MCT)
** Sean Grassie (MCT)
** Riley Smith (MCT)
** Grant Brown (single entry North region)

Three entries from the Manitoba Open Bonspiel and one from the Brandon Bonspiel will round out the field of 32.

Inevitable now is the conversation about change of format for the provincial men’s championship. Less than two entries for each available berth suggests the tipping point on that conversation has been reached.

Not so long ago I argued strongly for maintaining the model because the opportunity to compete at the provincial championship, on arena ice, was still an incentive for Manitoba curlers to compete in regionals – and providing that incentive was keeping people active in their curling clubs.

It is fair to say that the Curling Clubs Championship is now succeeding in providing that incentive for some competitors who used to be automatic regional entries, and contenders at the provincial men’s. As a result, those teams are by-passing the men’s regionals.

So the conversation is one that CurlManitoba must begin – the issues are not so much the timing, the number of entries or possible formats. The issue will be the unintended consequences of change.

For instance, will it make sense to host a reduced size men’s championship in an arena? – or does the decision start a movement toward a club based provincial championship? For instance, what will the effect be on sponsorship? – will a smaller event be less attractive to a sponsor?

On the other side of the discussion – there is a pretty high percentage of relatively (to very) young teams competing in the regionals this weekend. For them, the incentive of competing at the provincial men’s is no doubt, for some, a stepping stone to the future, and for others an incentive to continue to compete while there is a still a small chance of winning that dreamed about trip to the Brier.

Maybe the discussion is not about size of provincial championship & number of berths. Maybe the discussion should be about inventing new ways of allocating the provincial berths.

Would we ever consider assigning provincial men’s berths to the final four in the provincial juniors? the final four in the provincial seniors? the final four in the provincial club championships? There’s 12 berths right there – reducing to 20 the number of berths to compete for into a 32 team men’s.

A crazy concept? I’ve been accused of having them before. It would add 12 quality teams with a strong following to help fill the stands and the hospitality room at the provincial championship

I’d bet it would also increase participation in those three other levels but what would be the unintended consequences – the thing about brain-storming new ways to do something is that it is easy to suggest change. The problem comes when you start to figure out how to do it – or more importantly, if you should.