Pat Simmons enjoying new supporting role with Team Bottcher
Nolan Thiessen was quick to offer some advice to Team Bottcher lead Karrick Martin about playing with Pat Simmons: Don’t forget to tip-toe over his broom.
When the two-time Brier champion Simmons slides out of the hack to deliver a stone his broom extends dangerously close to the feet of his sweepers, something former teammate Carter Rycroft had to avoid many times during the previous five seasons.
Thiessen made the comment on an Instagram picture of the new-look Team Bottcher, although it didn’t take long for Simmons’ new teammates to adjust.
“Yeah they figured that out pretty quick, for sure,” Simmons said with a laugh. “So far no problems.”
Despite his veteran experience skipping his own squad in the past, Simmons is happy to play a supporting role in the third spot alongside Bottcher, Martin and second Bradley Thiessen as they aim to qualify for next year’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.
“They don’t need me telling them what to do. They’re very confident and experienced enough as it is,” Simmons said. “I’m really enjoying it. They’re young and gung-ho, great guys and great players already. I’m just trying to fill my role and if I can help out along the way then great.”
Tough loss in semis against Morris in Oakville. Great first week with the 2016/17 line up though. pic.twitter.com/YqaVTIoyxe
— Team Bottcher (@TeamBottcher) September 11, 2016
The 41-year-old from Moose Jaw, Sask., joined the Edmonton team this season after his own Alberta-based squad parted ways. Third John Morris re-joined Team Cotter’s crew in B.C. while both Rycroft and Thiessen decided to step back from competitive curling.
Simmons’ shining moment with his old team came during the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier. Morris originally joined them that season as the skip, taking over for Kevin Koe, however a slow start resulted in a switch in the back end midway through the national championship with Simmons taking over the reins. Simmons sparked the team’s remarkable turnaround and powered them into the final where he delivered the clutch winning shot in an extra end over Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs.
Their final game together took place in the quarterfinals of the Humpty’s Champions Cup at the end of April, however, Simmons didn’t remain on the free-agent market for too long. Simmons announced his decision less than 24 hours later during the broadcast of the finals on Sportsnet as the camera panned back to reveal Brendan Bottcher.
“Obviously I needed a team if I wanted to continue curling and I knew that they needed a guy too,” Simmons said. “We just started talking and it kind of happened.”
Simmons seems to have the kind of resume the 24-year-old Bottcher would covet. Bottcher has yet to play in the Brier while Simmons has made nine appearances at the national championship. Simmons has also won a bronze medal at the world championship plus a pair of Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles.
Switching from skip to third full-time has required Simmons to do a little bit more sweeping again, but he actually enjoys the extra workout.
“I’m certainly not going to sweep as well as the two front-enders, but I’ll throw in my two cents and if I can help out a little bit with the judging, great,” Simmons said. “It keeps me active too, so I like that.”
Team Bottcher has earned back-to-back semifinal finishes to start the season at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard and College Clean Restoration Curling Classic events to vault into the top 10 on the World Curling Tour’s Order of Merit. The main goal is to qualify for next year’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials with Simmons looking to help the team accomplish that by accumulating enough points to qualify.
“It’s a big year, important year for that and obviously everyone is working towards that,” Simmons said, “so that’s extremely important.”