MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Reigning Brier champion Matt Dunstone will be without second Mark Nichols for this week's GSOC P&H Masters tournament.
Colton Flasch will sub for Nichols, who is out with an upper-body injury.
"Obviously really disappointing," Dunstone said following Monday's pre-event practice. "Everyone wishes he was here, he wishes he was here, but it's sport. This is part of sport, as unfortunate as it is. At the end of the day we — us and himself — want to make sure that he's right and ready to go because we’ve still got a lot of season ahead of us."
Dunstone wasn't sure when Nichols would return to the lineup.
"I don't want to put any sort of timeline pressure on anybody to get back. Again, long season, eyes are on the Brier, obviously, right? I'd say we're just taking it day-by-day, week-by-week," Dunstone said.
"When he's ready to go, I know he's getting a lot of help back home, so these couple of weeks … it's going to be a good trend for where we want to get to. I mean, sooner obviously the better, but we want to make sure he's 100 per cent right for sure."
The 46-year-old Nichols, from St. John's, N.L., was the longtime third for legendary skip Brad Gushue. After Gushue retired from competitive curling last March, Nichols joined Team Dunstone as E.J. Harnden also stepped back from the sport at the end of the Olympic cycle.
The Winnipeg-based club also includes third Colton Lott and lead Ryan Harnden.
Flasch, from Saskatoon, throws third stones for Tyler Tardi on tour. He won the Brier and a world silver medal in 2019 while playing second for Kevin Koe.
"Awesome Flasch was able to come in last minute," Dunstone said. "I think he's on a really big stretch of curling here, playing like four or five events in a row, but it helped he just played in Swift (Current), so he's close by. Awesome to have him play with us."
Dunstone has captured two GSOC men's championships, both at the Masters, including last season's tournament in London, Ontario.
The world No. 2 Dunstone opens his title defence on Tuesday in Draw 2 against Edmonton's Team Peter Hlushak.
