MOOSE JAW — Three fights in nine seconds? Now that would be a story.
Elbows up? Only if you count the arm motion from heavy sweeping.
The latest on-ice battle between Canada and the United States is set for Friday night in the round-robin finale at the BKT World Men's Curling Championship.
But unlike the fiery showdowns between the longtime rivals at the recent 4 Nations Face-Off, the Roaring Game's version will be much different. One thing that remains the same, though, is the off-ice tension in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs and suggestions Canada should join the country as its 51st state.
Like it did for hockey a few weeks ago, it should make for a charged atmosphere at a sold-out Temple Gardens Centre.
"A USA-Canada game is always the dream game to play in," said American skip Korey Dropkin. "No matter what soil you're on, but especially in Canada when they're going to have a fiery home crowd on a Friday night, a jam-packed (arena), they're all going to be against us.
"It's going to be an awesome experience and we're planning on bringing our A game."
Canada's Brad Jacobs posted two wins on Thursday to lead the standings at 9-1 while Dropkin was 4-6 after a pair of losses.
"We're expecting a really great game and I think that you can expect a little bit of the same sort of thing as the 4 Nations (Face-Off) here in Moose Jaw," Jacobs said. "And I think that'll be a lot of fun for the fans. We know they'll be pulling for us and rooting for us and we do hope that they're sportsmen-like about it.
"We don't need to be booing the Americans or anything like that. Our fans don't need to be doing that, I don't think. But hopefully they're really cheering hard for us. We know they will be."
Over the course of the nine-day competition, the 13 teams in the field are each honoured with a pre-game ceremony that includes the playing of the national anthem.
Organizers originally planned to honour the U.S. team on Friday afternoon, but opted to move the ceremony to last Sunday morning. Attendance at the 4,200-seat rink was much lighter at that time and "The Star-Spangled Banner" was not booed like it has been at other Canadian sporting venues over the last two months.
"It's not our job to solve political concerns or arguments in a sporting situation," said Canada coach Paul Webster. "So making those guys feel at home, giving them the opportunity to perform at a world championship (is important).
"I'm super proud to be Canadian in this building listening to those fans and how they're supporting that team as well."
Curling audiences are the polar opposite of the boisterous fans who often attend NHL, NBA, MLS and MLB games. Booing is a rarity and the atmosphere can be quite sedate.
A quality shot will generate polite cheers and the ringing of a cowbell occasionally permeates the serene setting. It's not uncommon to see the odd spectator working on their knitting.
A much more expressive crowd can be expected on Friday night.
"We'll be smiling," Dropkin said. "We hope they're vocal, we hope it's loud, we hope it's a great atmosphere here.
"We know it will be and we're going to enjoy it."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
