Russ Howard
Russ Howard CM,ONL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | February 19, 1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Curling career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member Association | Ontario(1979–1998) New Brunswick(1998–2010) Saskatchewan(2020)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brierappearances | 14 (1980,1986,1987,1989,1991,1992,1993,1994,1999,2000,2002,2003,2004,2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TopCTRS ranking | 12th (2004–05) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grand Slamvictories | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Russell W. "Russ" Howard,CM,ONL(born February 19, 1956, inMidland,Ontario) is aCanadiancurlerandOlympic champion,based inRegina, Saskatchewan,but originally fromMidland, Ontario.He lived inMoncton, New Brunswick,from 2000 to 2019. Known for his gravelly voice, Howard has been to theBrier14 times (8 as Ontario, 6 asNew Brunswick), winning the title twice (both as Ontario). He is also a two-time world champion, winning in 1987 and 1993.[2][3]He has also won threeTSN Skins Gamesin 1991, 1992, and 1993, and participated in twoCanadian Mixed Curling Championshipsin 2000 and 2001. He won gold at the2006 Winter Olympics.He played in twoCanadian Senior Curling Championshipsin 2008 and 2009 finishing with a silver medal both of those years. Russ Howard was inducted into theOntario Sports Hall of Famein 2011.[4]He is currently a curling analyst and commentator forTSN’sSeason of Championscurling coverage.[5]
Career
[edit]In 2005, he joined team Gushue to call the shots forBrad Gushue's team at the Canadian Olympic Trials, while he played second. Howard, along with Gushue (who throws last rocks), leadJamie Koraband thirdMark Nichols,went on to win the trials, giving them the right to represent Canada at the2006 Winter Olympics,[6]where they won the gold medal, defeatingFinland10–4 in the final match.[7]It was the first time that a Canadian team had won the gold medal for men's curling.[3]Howard, who turned 50 during the Olympics, is also the oldest Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal.[2][7]The oldest person ever to win a gold medal wasRobin Welsh,aged 54, who won gold in curling at the1924 Winter Olympics.
As a skip (captain), Howard has been in three previous trials (in 1987, 1997, and 2001), but never went on to the Olympics. Howard is also the innovator of the "Moncton Rule", which evolved into the "free guard zone",part of international and Olympic rules.[2]This makes his 2006 medal particularly significant, as it is likely that without the excitement this rule adds to the sport it would not have become an Olympic event in the 1990s.[8]
In the2009-10 curling season,although he played in bonspiels throughout the year, Howard did not curl in theNew Brunswick Tankarddue to his broadcasting commitments withThe Sports Network(TSN). Howard has been commentating curling events for TSN since 2001.
In 2006, he was inducted into theNew Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.In 2013, he was inducted intoCanada's Sports Hall of Fame.[9]He was named aMember of the Order of Canadaand inducted into theWCF Hall of Famein 2015.[10]
Brier records
[edit]At the end of the 2009 Brier, Howard had appeared in more Briers than any other player (14), and played more games at the Brier than any other player (174).[11]The 2012 Brier saw his brotherGlenn Howardtying his record for Brier appearances and breaking his record for most career games played at the Brier.[12]As of 2017, Russ had appeared in the second most Brier games ever, behind his brother Glenn.
Broadcasting career
[edit]Howard stepped into the broadcast booth for the first time in 2001, serving as an analyst for TSN’s coverage ofthe Brier.[5]Since 2008, he has been a mainstay analyst on the network, also providing colour commentary for TSN’sSeason of Championscurling.[5]
Howard handled colour commentating duties for Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Howard's grand-aunt,Jean Thompson,was an Olympic runner. His brother,Glenn Howard,is also a well known curler. Howard's daughter,Ashley Howard,is a competitive curler and the executive director of CurlSask, the governing body of curling in Saskatchewan.[13]
Outside of curling, Howard worked as a real estate agent for Royal LePage Atlantic, in addition to his commentator work withTSN,and as a curling coach in Switzerland. He moved to Regina, Saskatchewan in 2019 to be closer to his children.[14]
Teams
[edit]Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979–80 | Russ Howard | Larry Merkley | Robert Rushton | Kent Carstairs |
1985–86 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Tim Belcourt | Kent Carstairs |
1986–87 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Tim Belcourt | Kent Carstairs |
1988–89 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Tim Belcourt | Kent Carstairs |
1989–90[15] | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Wayne Middaugh | Peter Corner |
1990–91 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Wayne Middaugh | Peter Corner |
1991–92 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Wayne Middaugh | Peter Corner |
1992–93 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Wayne Middaugh | Peter Corner |
1993–94 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Wayne Middaugh | Peter Corner |
1994–95 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Peter Corner | Ken McDermot |
1995–96[16] | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Peter Corner | Noel Herron |
1996–97 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Scott Patterson | Phil Loevenmark |
1997–98 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard | Noel Herron | Steve Small |
1998–99 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard Wayne Tallon |
Peter Corner Rick Perron |
Neil Harrison Grant Odishaw |
1999–00 | Russ Howard | Glenn Howard Wayne Tallon |
Peter Corner Rick Perron |
Neil Harrison Grant Odishaw |
2000–01 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Rick Perron | Grant Odishaw |
2001–02 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Marc LeCocq | Grant Odishaw |
2002–03 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Marc LeCocq | Grant Odishaw |
2003–04 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Marc LeCocq | Grant Odishaw |
2004–05 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Grant Odishaw | Marc LeCocq |
2005 | Russ Howard | Mark Dobson | Steven Howard | Grant Odishaw |
2005–06 | Brad Gushue(fourth) | Mark Nichols | Russ Howard (skip) | Jamie Korab |
2006–07 | Russ Howard | Grant Odishaw | Mark Dobson | Steven Howard |
2007–08 | Russ Howard | Grant Odishaw | Mark Dobson | Steven Howard |
2008–09 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Jason Vaughan | Peter Case |
2009–10 | Russ Howard | James Grattan | Jason Vaughan | Peter Case |
Publications
[edit]Howard has released two books:Hurry Hard: The Russ Howard Story(2007), an autobiography that vividly describes his journey to becoming an Olympic gold medallist, andCurl to Win(2008).[17]
References
[edit]- ^https://curlsask.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-SaskTel-Mens-Provincial-Team-List.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ^abcEvans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen;Mallon, Bill;et al."Russ Howard".Olympics at Sports-Reference.Sports Reference LLC.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-04-18.
- ^abJones, Terry (2006-02-25)."Rockin' the house".Slam! Sports. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^"Russ Howard".oshof.ca.Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2018.Retrieved25 September2014.
- ^abcd"Russ Howard".
- ^"Pressure On Canada's Curlers".The Sports Network. Canadian Press. 2005-12-12.Retrieved2010-02-21.
- ^ab"Canadian men claim gold in Olympic curling".CTV Television Network. 2006-02-24. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-04.Retrieved2010-02-21.
- ^"History of Curling".Curling Canada.Retrieved2017-01-27.
- ^"TSN's Howard inducted to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame".TSN Curling.11 April 2013.Retrieved15 April2013.
- ^"Four Nova Scotians among Order of Canada honourees".The Chronicle-Herald,July 1, 2015.
- ^TIM HORTONS, NOKIA AND LABATT BRIER TOP CAREER GAMES PLAYED 1980–2012.cassidys.ca
- ^"Howard sets record in Ontario's win over Saskatchewan".TSN Curling.6 March 2012.
- ^"Howard clan carries big name into Sask Scotties".
- ^"Curling legend Russ Howard feels at home in Regina".
- ^Windsor Star,February 7, 1990, pg D3, Werenich overcomes bad omens "
- ^National Post,December 14, 1995, pg 53, "Howard bolts Penetang in move of convenience"
- ^"Author".
External links
[edit]- Russ HowardatWorld Curling
- Russ HowardatOlympics
- Russ HowardatOlympedia
- Russ HowardatTeam Canada
- Russ HowardatCanada's Sports Hall of Fame
- 1956 births
- Curlers from Ontario
- Sportspeople from Moncton
- People from Midland, Ontario
- Curlers at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Curlers from New Brunswick
- New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame inductees
- Olympic gold medalists for Canada
- Living people
- Members of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Members of the Order of Canada
- World curling champions
- Curling broadcasters
- Brier champions
- Olympic curlers for Canada
- Olympic medalists in curling
- Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Canadian curling coaches
- Canadian male curlers
- Continental Cup of Curling participants
- Canada Cup (curling) participants
- Curlers from Regina, Saskatchewan