Sometimes, for a team to find success, individual members must make sacrifices.
Brad Gushue and his rink didn't let ego or pride be an obstacle when they invited veteran Russ Howard to join them prior to the Canadian Olympic curling trials last December.
Brad Gushue and his rink won gold at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.
(Adrian Wyld/Associated Press)
Howard's experience combined with the talent of Gushue's young crew to help the Newfoundland and Labrador rink win gold at the Torino Winter Olympics.
That accomplishment has earned them Canadian team of the year honours for 2006 from the Canadian Press and Broadcast News.
"The last year has been so crazy and it went by so quick," said Gushue.
"There are times you wake up and you still want to pinch yourself," he added.
The rink of Gushue, Mark Nichols, Howard, Jamie Korab and alternate Mike Adam earned 173 points in balloting by sports editors and broadcasters.
It was a tight race.
Canada's junior hockey team, which won gold for a second consecutive year, finished second in the balloting with 160 points, ahead of the women's Olympic champion hockey team at 159.
Gushue's rink received 39 first-place votes, 21 seconds and 14 thirds.
A first-place is worth three points, second two and third one.
The world junior team received 32 first-place votes, 27 second and 10 third.
The breakdown for the women's Olympic hockey team was 35-17-20.
The Edmonton Oilers, who lost Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final, were fourth with 10 first-place votes and 84 points.
Gushue's rink is the first curling team to be named team of the year since Sandra Schmirler won in 1998, the year she captured Olympic gold in Nagano.
'Quite an honour for us'
"Sandra and her team are legends in the curling world and really idols of mine," said Gushue. "I grew up watching them on television.
"To be put in a category with them is quite an honour for us and something we're going to cherish for a long time."
Gushue used a 10-4 win over Finland's Markku Uusipaavalniemi to become the first Canadian men's team to win Olympic gold since curling became a full medal sport in 1998.
Gushue also became the first Newfoundlander to win an Olympic gold medal.
It was a victory celebrated by the whole province and sometimes still seems like a dream to the 26-year-old resident of St. John's.
As they prepared for the Olympic trials, Gushue's rink realized it lacked consistency and experience.
The decision was made to add Howard, a two-time Brier champion.
The move was a gamble and could have soured the chemistry on the team.
Gushue gave the shot-calling duties to Howard but continued to throw fourth stones. Adam, who was part of Gushue's rink that won the world junior championship in 2001, stepped aside to be an alternate.
Hero's welcome
Howard, who spent most of his career throwing last rocks as skip, found himself throwing second stones. Nichols and Korab had to adjust to a new man calling the shots.
"Every member of the team sacrificed something, including Russ," said Gushue. "That really showed the commitment that all five players had to winning and to making the team as good as it could be."
Gushue's rink returned home to a hero's welcome.
They have since been inducted into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
"Seeing the way we've been honoured since we've been home, it makes you feel what we did was important," said Gushue. "It was important to other people, important to your province and your country."
The rink is already thinking ahead to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
"Right now I don't see any reason why we're not going towards it," said Gushue. "It's a tough task and there are so many good teams in Canada, it's going to be a real challenge.
"We did it once before, so I guess we can do it again."
