Dunstone reunites with his junior teammate after a late lineup change before testing | The Canadian News

It was like old times for Colton Lott on Friday, even if the setting was a bit surreal and completely unexpected.

With a curling broom in hand and sporting a borrowed uniform, Lott and Matt Dunstone donned it to photographers shortly after completing their pre-competition practice session Friday at the SaskTel Center.

The former junior champions have reunited at the Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials after a surprise announcement from the team the day before. Lott will replace Team Dunstone with third regular Braeden Moskowy, who is unable to compete for personal reasons.

Lott was playing in a mixed doubles league with his fiancee Kadriana Sahaidak on Wednesday night in Winnipeg Beach, Man., When Dunstone walked over to see if he could join them in the Olympic qualification.

“I was amazed,” Lott said. “It’s a bit overwhelming. But it’s overwhelming in a way that I’m fully prepared for this and can’t wait for what’s to come. “

Dunstone and Lott, both 26, won Canadian youth titles together in 2013 and 2016 and have stayed in touch since moving in with new teams at the men’s level. Lott has recently played in third place for veteran jumper Pat Simmons, but they did not come out of pretests.

Lott has played against Team Dunstone on occasion over the years, but is still getting to know the front end of Kirk Muyres and Dustin Kidby. Wearing Lott’s team uniform, in Saskatchewan green, of course still on the way, Muyres gave him his jersey for the training session.

Coach Adam Kingsbury said Lott has been a “perfect” fit for Regina’s team vibe.

“You can prepare as much as you can and things change in an instant,” Kingsbury said. “That’s sport, that’s life, that’s all. Being able to adapt is how I want these guys to define themselves.

“That has always been a theme, so I think this is just another example of that.”

The Dunstone team announced the roster change in a social media post without providing further details about Moskowy’s absence. The post was accompanied by a photo of Lott and Dunstone from their youth.

“He’s one of the best shooters in the world,” Dunstone said. “That’s what you need at these events.”

As the only Saskatchewan-based team on the field, Dunstone will be a crowd favorite all week at the 14,000-seat venue. He is scheduled to open the game on Saturday night against Mike McEwen’s team.

Calgary’s Kevin Koe and Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, who were victorious in the 2017 Ottawa Trials, returned for the competition from November 20-28. Neither team reached the podium at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The women’s field also includes skipped teams by Kerri Einarson, Tracy Fleury, Jacqueline Harrison, Jennifer Jones, Krista McCarville, Kelsey Rocque, Casey Scheidegger, and Laura Walker.

“You get this different intensity when you come to an event like this,” McCarville said. “With the lights, the fans and all these great teams, it’s a really exciting feeling.”

Other jumps on the men’s field include Brendan Bottcher, Jason Gunnlaugson, John Epping, Brad Gushue, Tanner Horgan, and Brad Jacobs.

Trials are considered the deepest domestic curling event on the quadrennial calendar.

“Against the field that we are going to play this week, you can’t let go one iota,” Bottcher said.

The winning teams will represent Canada at the Beijing 2022 Games in February.

Dunstone’s big title came two years ago when he won the Masters on the Grand Slam circuit. Muyres joined the team last season and the quartet scored third in the 2021 men’s national championship.

Dunstone held back tears when asked if the unexpected lineup change was difficult for him personally.

“It was difficult,” he said after a long pause. “This is (Moskowy’s) moment as much as ours. He has worked hard so that we are all here. “

The team did not say whether Moskowy would miss additional events this season.

Meanwhile, Lott did his best to get into action on short notice.

After leaving the curling rink on Wednesday night, she did a quick load of laundry and her mother, who is a hairdresser, cut her hair.

Lott took a morning flight from Winnipeg and is ready to rekindle his Olympic dream.

“I am so happy to be here,” he said. “This is a great opportunity”.