Beating the legends

You might think that a guy like Mike McEwen would be happy if the likes of Howard, Stoughton and Martin were already out in the pasture, retired and just sitting back counting their Purple Hearts. That might be especially so as the rinks head into the Roar of the Rings. 

But not so. The talented Manitoba skip told Jim Bender that he'd prefer to win the right to wear Canadian colours at Sochi by beating the best. 

"I'd like to win right now while the legends are arguably still in the game," McEwen said during a practice at the Fort Rouge Curling Club on Monday. "Who knows how long Stoughton, Martin, Howard are going to be here? Maybe not that much longer, so I'd like to win while they're still kickin' it at the top of their game. So, we're going to work our butts off next week."

Meanwhile, Bender has a story on one of those legends, Stoughton who knows that this is likely his last hurrah, a final attempt to go to the Olympics after being oh-so-close before.

Stoughton, 50, will be making his fifth consecutive trials appearance at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings that start at the MTS Centre on Sunday. And, barring some unforeseen circumstances, this will be his last shot at earning a trip to the Winter Olympics — the only thing missing on his glorious hall-of-fame resume. 

"It's do-or-die," Stoughton declared Tuesday. "I mean, this is it. The team has put in the effort and the commitment — as have I — knowing that this is my last chance to get there — unless something happens in four years. But I can't see it right now. So, it's exciting and lots of pressure, and we're looking forward to it."