Team Gushue Defeats Team Simmons at the PINTY’S ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME to Advance to Tomorrow’s Final

BANFF, ALTA. – Two 2015 TIM HORTONS BRIER semifinalists squared off once again today in a dramatic PINTY’S ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Men’s Semifinal – and this time, skip Brad Gushue came away with the win. Joined by his Newfoundland and Labrador team of Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, and Geoff Walker, Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue defeated two-time BRIER winner Pat Simmons and his team of John Morris, Carter Rycroft, and Nolan Thiessen, winning a whopping $19,000 in front of a packed house earlier today at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff, Alta.  

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM TEAM GUSHUE VS. TEAM SIMMONS HERE: http://bit.ly/1OTW0NQ

Team Simmons did not go home empty handed, winning a total of $2,000. Simmons is competing in his first TSN skins game as a skip, but was part of the same team that picked up $23,000 in last year’s PINTY’S ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME. Over two TSN skins game appearances, Simmons, Morris, Rycroft and Thiessen have pocketed a total of $25,000.   Draw Summary Holding final stone in the first end, Gushue had the chance to hit for two and the skin but rolled out leading to a carry-over. With $2,000 at stake in the second end, Gushue was looking to steal but Simmons forced a carry-over with final stone, putting $3,500 on the line in the third end.  It was Gushue who picked up the first skin of the game, adding $3,500 to the board in the third end.  He continued his roll in the fourth end, stealing the skin and adding $1,500 to his tally. With the game one-sided at $5,000 for Gushue, Simmons got on the board in the fifth end, picking up the $2,000 skin. After a perfect sixth end set up, Gushue stole the $3,000 skin to boost his tally to $8,000. Holding final stone in the seventh, Simmons needed to draw the eight-foot and he did – successfully forcing the carry-over. It all came down to a dramatic eighth end with a whopping $11,000 skin on the line, which saw Gushue pick up the big skin to win the game and advance to tomorrow’s final. Broadcast Schedule Saturday, Jan. 9 4 p.m. ET on TSN – Team Jones vs. Team Rocque 9 p.m. ET on TSN – Team Jacobs vs. Team McEwen Sunday, Jan. 10 1 p.m. ET on TSN1, TSN4, and TSN5 – Women’s Final 8 p.m. ET on TSN – Men’s Final Record Ratings Last year TSN introduced an expanded curling skins game format that generated record ratings:

• TSN’s annual curling skins game earned an average audience of 461,000 – the highest ever for the event
• Audiences were up 40% compared to the previous year
• The Team Jones vs. Team Carey semifinal and the women’s and men’s finals became the only TSN skins game telecasts to ever achieve average audiences of more than 500,000 viewers

Curling on TSN As the official broadcaster of Curling Canada, TSN broadcasts close to 300 hours of live Season of Champions curling each year, including the TIM HORTONS BRIER and SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS, along with the WORLD MEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP, FORD WORLD WOMEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP, HOME HARDWARE CANADA CUP, WFG CONTINENTAL CUP, and CANADIAN JUNIORS. Source: Numeris (formerly BBM Canada) *Schedule subject to change