Team Mouat will make their first appearance on ice since contesting the Olympic final when they defend their title at the Princess Auto Players’ Championship at Toronto’s Mattamy Centre this week (April 12-17).
Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan dominated the Grand Slams, curling’s most lucrative events, last season, winning three of the four available titles and reaching the final of the fourth, but this event was one of two played under special conditions as a result of COVID restrictions and having also contested the Olympics in Beijing in front of heavily restricted audiences, they are relishing the prospect of a return to playing in front of packed arenas.
“It’s great to be back in Toronto to play at the Players’ it was always one of my favourite events to play in and it is really lovely to be back,” said skip Bruce Mouat. 
“Last time we were here was in 2019 so it has been a while. Obviously we managed to compete at the Players’ last year but it was in the Calgary bubble which didn’t have the same feel to it because the spectators were not there, so I am excited about the prospect of spectators being in the stands again.
“We have some family coming out too so we are really excited to have them out with us to spend the week with them.”
Five years have passed since Mouat’s men made the curling world sit up and take notice as they became the first Scots to win a Grand Slam event at the first they played in together at the Boost National in 2017.
They then became the first Scots to win back-to-back Grand Slams last season and have claimed more Grand Slam titles than any non-Canadian team in making constant progress which ultimately saw them reach the top of the world rankings heading into the Olympics in February.
“We have had an incredible run over this last four year cycle,” Mouat acknowledged.
“The Slams were where it all started for us and we really proved ourselves and we are excited to continue to play in them and have such great opportunities on the back of all of the success that has come our way over the last four years.
“The Olympics were a great way to finish off that run and we are excited to finish off this Olympic season with a really good event in Toronto.”
There is additional incentive to perform well since they currently lead the standings in the race to win the Pinty’s Cup, which is awarded to the team that puts in the best performance in Grand Slams across the season and they know they will be heading into the final event, next month’s Kioti Tractor Champions Cup, without vice skip Grant Hardie who is taking time off to attend a wedding.
“This is Grant’s last one with us this season, so we’re really looking forward to getting back on the ice with the guys and really try and prove ourselves,” said Mouat. 
“We have put ourselves in a really good position to win the Pinty’s Cup, we really want to try and secure that spot and hopefully be the first Scottish team ever to win that.”
Hardie’s place will be taken at the Champions Cup by Ross Whyte, who was the fifth member of their silver medal winning team in Beijing, however he will lead his own regular line-up of Robin Brydone, Duncan McFadzen and Euan Kyle at this week’s event having earned their invitation on the basis of consistent performances that have taken them into the top 10 in the world rankings this season.
Link to Schedule
Images: Team GB / David Pearce
