Ben Hebert is the lead on Kevin Koe’s Calgary rink. He’s an Olympic gold medallist, a world champion and a three-time Brier winner. He also tells it like it is. Who better to give us a no-holds-barred scouting report on curling’s other top teams?
On Brad Gushue I used to think he was a bit of a dork—super-nerd, never came out for
a beer. Then I got to know him and he’s actually a really good guy. They’re one of the top four teams, I would say, flip a coin, but their record against us is terrible, so that’s nice. It’s a lot to a little. I don’t know exact numbers.
On Mike McEwen Mike’s super cocky. He’s probably my favourite to beat on the tour. It doesn’t get much better.
On Reid Carruthers Reid went from lead to skip, so I don’t think anybody expected his team to be as good as they are. If I did that, I’d be in a men’s league, not winning Slams like they are. I’d call them the overachievers.
On John Epping He’ll miss wide-open draws to the eight-foot and then make the best shot in curling history to win games.
On Brad Jacobs Where do I start? Obviously they have some freaky genetics. The Harnden boys [E.J. and Ryan, Jacobs’s second and lead] are two of the most jacked guys I’ve met, not just in curling. Their shirts are really tight. But if I was that jacked, I’d never even wear a shirt. They’re one of our big competitors. That’s all I’ve really got to say about those clowns.