Remembering the Jack MacDuff Brier triumph, 40 years later

In a win that's not yet been repeated, Jack MacDuff and his St. John's rink 40 years ago this month became the only curlers from Newfoundland and Labrador to win the coveted Brier. 

Brad Gushue and the country's top men's curlers are in Ottawa for this year's Brier, but the 1976 bonspiel was held in Regina, where MacDuff and his team were the underdogs.

They set their sights low with a goal of achieving five wins, to beat the province's best record at the time, but they soon showed what they were made of.

"I haven't paid as much attention the last number of years but at one time it was like I'd look at my wife and say, 'do you really think we won that? Can you believe we really did?'" MacDuff told CBC News. 

"It was something you never really dreamt of …People win but we didn't think we could."

Curling wasn't a sport in the spotlight back then, but MacDuff and his teammates Toby McDonald, Doug Hudson and Ken Templeton, put the game front and centre, and created a curling frenzy.

Throughout the final, the team made a series of spectacular shots, bringing thousands of fans to their feet.

In the 12th end, second Doug Hudson threw the last rock, eliminating the powerhouse team from Ontario.

The team's odds of winning had been put at 1,000 to 1, making the victory extraordinary and putting the team in the history books.

"We were were ahead 9-4 and I said to Toby, 'Don't let them miss a hit ... and when Doug got in the hack ... I just yelled on the ice, 'Make sure of it Doug', and he did," MacDuff said. 

"It was quite emotional … it was a great feeling."

Back home

Back at home there was an enormous sense of pride as the MacDuff rink arrived at the St. John's airport.

Premier Frank Moores told a large crowd that he had never been so proud in his life and the young curlers were the epitome of cool on the ice.

"We figured we didn't have anything to lose because we had beaten Newfoundland's record early in the week, so we just went out there and went at them and it turned out OK," said Ken Templeton, after arriving home in 1976.

It was like a fairytale, complete with a motorcade in downtown St. John's.

"Forty years is a long time … I thought we were the best team to ever represent Newfoundland," said MacDuff.

'Happy to be here'

MacDuff's curling days are over, as multiple sclerosis has put an end to that.

From his home in Moncton, he keeps busy raising money for MS research, and has brought in more than $200,000 to date.

"It hasn't taken any of my spirit away. I still have a good time everyday — get up and say, 'I'm happy to be here.'"

"He's been an inspiration at the curling rink and he's been an inspiration in life as well," said Ken Templeton, who played lead for MacDuff at that Brier.

"It's very hard to believe that it's been 40 years — I guess we've all been busy with things going on to keep us occupied but even though it's been 40 years, it's like yesterday in many respects."

Feels like yesterday

The memories are still vivid for Hudson and McDonald as well.  

A shrine to their epic wins sits at the Remax Centre in St. John's and brings those moments back to life for the former teammates every time they see it.  

"When I come in here today, you know, boom — right back, I'm right back to Regina throwing the last rock," said Hudson.

"We were playing really well when it came to takeouts. We weren't missing much when it came to takeouts," said McDonald.

The two joked about MacDuff's uniqueness and the fact that he would wear golf shoes instead of curling shoes.

"When it came around to the summer again, he'd take the slider off, he'd put the cleats back in and they became his golf shoes again — that was definitely unique to Jack . I don't think I've ever heard of anybody else do that," said MacDonald.

They both agreed that MacDuff had a great delivery and no doubt the sturdiness of the golf shoes were part of it.

Unofficial coach

Four-time Brier and world champion Sam Richardson was a volunteer driver for the team and became the their unofficial coach.

The team said he had a wealth of experience that helped them secure the Brier title.

"He told us pretty early in the week not to be thinking about four wins and we could probably do better than that ... He was telling us that repeatedly and we started believing it ourselves," said Templeton.

"He was that good a coach that we didn't even realize we were being coached," he said. 

"He was a mentor right through it all and didn't let us get too high or too low. "He just sort of assisted us through it in a remarkable way ... one of the most important people of my life."

MacDuff echoed those sentiments.

"When we talk now,  we appreciate Sam so much and appreciate what we did and know how hard it was to do and it was really an incredible event when you think about it.

Decades later

It was a once in a lifetime shared experience and a thrill for all who were there and the bond between the MacDuff team endures despite different paths taken since that magical time.

"When you actually won, it was like a dream came true, beyond even the dream that you had," said MacDonald.

"You want to win the Brier obviously, but to actually do it out of Newfoundland in that time in history was absolutely a remarkable thing."

The question now, said MacDuff, is this: can history repeat itself with the Gushue rink?

"I can't think of anything better than this year to win on the 40th anniversary. It'd be great."