By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
From 1925 to 1964, the Granite and Strathcona Clubs were Manitoba’s dominant curling clubs, between them winning 24 Manitoba championships in those first 40 years,
In 1965, Strathcona’s Bruce Hudson and Granite’s Terry Braunstein teams met in the best-of-three final. Hudson was the defending champion. The Braunsteins were trying to fulfill the promise of 1958 when Terry & Ron Braunstein and Ray Turnbull (with Jack Van Hellemond) had won Manitoba and lost the Brier final.
Terry & Ray returned to the Manitoba championship in 1962 and Terry, Ron & Ray made it back in 1963 – but with only modest results both years.
In 1965 Don Duguid, who had won Manitoba with Howie Wood Jr in 1957, joined the team at third. The team’s early successes combined with a main event win in the MCA Bonspiel to make them top seed in the Manitoba championship. They shared the top ranking with 1963 champion Hersh Lerner.
The Braunstein four played well enough to win two games but they weren’t sharp. They lost their third game to Harold Painter (Portage) who, in those days of 12-end games, stole singles on the 12th and 13th ends for victory. Facing ‘sudden-death’, they won two more but still weren’t playing well. A team meeting sorted the problems and they went on to beat Lerner on an extra end and then Painter to reach the final series.
The newspapers report the Braunstein team saved their best curling for the final day. They posted 7-5 and 9-7 wins over Hudson to win the Championship.
At the Macdonald Brier in Saskatoon – the Braunstein team was highly regarded but Saskatchewan’s Harold Worth was the favorite. A 9W-1L win-loss mark was expected to be good enough to win the 11 team round robin (no playoff, unless there was a tie at the end). That was the Manitoba record at the end of the week.
Manitoba beat Saskatchewan early in the week. Still unbeaten, they had to play three games 12-end games on Thursday, but lost the third to have an 8W-1L record with a game to play. It was an exciting final day as the Worth team’s only loss was that early one to Manitoba. The Braunstein team won to finish at 9W-1L while Worth lost for an 8W-2L final record.
Terry Braunstein was the first Jewish skip and, to that time, the youngest-ever skip to win the Brier. Don Duguid and Ray Turnbull were named Brier all-stars.
At the time, the world championship was in its very early years and was anti-climactic following a Brier championship. With Gord McTavish replacing Ron Braunstein, who had stepped aside due to his medical studies, the Canadians had a 4W-1L round robin record, a semifinal win over Scotland. However, Bud Somerville’s United States team had beaten the Braunstein team in the round robin and did so again in the final, giving Canada its first finalist finish.
Join Us at the Annual Induction Ceremony
Want to be there for the 1965 Terry Braunstein Team induction, along with the rest of the class of 2023? Hear their stories and relive the defining moments that have shaped the sport community over the past five decades. Plus, enjoy cocktails and small bites in an intimate celebration with our honoured guests.
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Thursday, November 2, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Victoria Inn, Winnipeg MB
