With veteran skip nursing knee injury, Camm to join Howard's Ontario team at Brier

With their skip still nursing a knee injury, the members of Team Glenn Howard are adding a player to their squad for the upcoming Montana’s Brier.

Mat Camm, who normally throws third stones on John Epping’s team, will wear Ontario colours with the Penetanguishene, Ont.,-based side for the March 1-10 national men’s curling championship at Regina’s Brandt Centre.

The team made it official Saturday afternoon with a post on social media.

Howard’s surgically repaired knee has kept him out of competitive play for over two months. His son, Scott Howard, has moved from vice to skip when needed this season.

The younger Howard, with lead Tim March and second David Mathers, ran the table as a three-player side at the Ontario championship last month. They beat Epping’s team in the Page 1-2 game en route to the title while the elder Howard served in a coaching role.

The team did not provide specifics on the veteran skip’s status for the Brier or provide details on Camm’s position. Curling Canada’s Brier webpage lists the team members in their usual positions with Camm as an alternate.

Curling Canada rules say that a team has to register with a minimum of four players for a national championship but there’s nothing stopping a team from playing with three, an organization spokesperson said via email.

Camm is able to join the team since he played in the Ontario playdowns. A player who competed in another provincial or territorial championship this season would not have been eligible.

Scott was an alternate in 2012 when his father won the Brier and the world men’s curling championship for a fourth time. He later joined his father’s team and eventually moved up to the third position.

Camm, Howard and Mathers played together at the junior level. Their Ontario team, with Camm at skip, reached the final of the 2011 Canadian junior championship but dropped an 8-7 decision to Saskatchewan’s Braeden Moskowy.

They also played the 2014-15 season together with skip Mark Kean.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2024.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press