1999 Brier
SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Curling
1999 BRIER
ON THE ROCKS
INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
Shot to the heart!
Hemmings hits button that puts Quebec in final against Stoughton rink
Guy Hemmings of Quebec had to make a cold draw to the pimple in an extra end to beat Saskatchewan's Gerald Shymko 6-5.
The impeccable draw advances Hemmings to meet Jeff Stoughton of Manitoba in today's high-noon final of the Last Shootout of the Century.
It's also the first time in Brier history a Quebec team has advanced to the Labatt Brier final in back-to-back years.
It seemed like an eternity as the rock hung and hung while the sweepers agonizingly waited for it to crank. It finally did. The crowd went wild. Veteran observers went into wow-mode.
"Great shot to the pin,'' said Quebec third Pierre Charette. "I'm glad I yelled 'no line' all the way down. If we sweep that at all, it's gone. When it did make its move, it took a long time. It was past the hog-line. It looked like it was really out there and the weight was just perfect.''
Hemmings decided to throw the out-turn draw instead of attempting the in-turn double off Shymko's shot rock that was inches from the pimple.
"We were talking about it, but the takeout didn't finish too hard when my third threw one earlier in the end,'' said Hemmings.
"I don't think it was there. We had to go to our strength and that's the draw. Usually, we win more when we draw.''
When he stepped in the hack, Hemmings knew he had his draw weight in his pocket.
"I just tried to throw it with the same weight I'd thrown all week,'' said Hemmings.
"When I see my second (Guy Thibaudeau) lift his arms in the air, my heart started pumping really hard. It's a great moment. It was fun to do it in front of such a good crowd (13,272).
"It's the second semi-final in two years we had to make a super shot to win it. I guess that's what it takes to go to the Brier final.''
After a lengthy pre-shot discussion, Charette was unaware Hemmings would change his mind as he stepped into the hack.
"When I left, we were playing hack-weight,'' said Charette.
"They yelled at me 'Pierre, Pierre, we're going to play the draw. I asked the guys in our time-out three times 'do you think we can draw the pin?' We weren't sure we had the hole. We had probably about two inches to play with.
"At the provincial, it was the same thing. We had an easy hit and I said 'Guy, draw.' If we lose on a draw, I would say we lost on his best shot. The draw is his best shot.''
Stoughton has already beaten Hemmings twice this week and is looking to walk the same path he took when he beat Alberta's Kevin Martin three times to win the 1996 Brier.
History is on Stoughton's side. He was the first of the three-in-a-row 1-2 Page Playoff game winners that won the Brier after advancing straight to the final.
It's a trend Hemmings is looking forward to breaking.
Quebec has won just one Brier, when transplanted Manitoban Jim Ursel did the trick in 1977. Stoughton will be gunning for Manitoba's record 26th title.
Yesterday's result dashed Saskatchewan's hopes once again.
"We've got nothing to be ashamed of,'' said Shymko.
"We tried really hard to represent the province. We got beat by a great shot. We got beat by two inches.
"In a game like that, you'd hate for it to end up on a bad shot. It's good that it ended on a great shot.
''In the extra-end, we played really well. He had his draw weight all week.
''When you give somebody a chance to win to the pin, usually you get beaten.''
Well, not usually. But with an unusually great shot that will go in Brier history, even Shymko had to cheer.