There are many family ties at this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, including a husband and wife duo who are co-coaching Team Nova Scotia.
Stuart and Carole MacLean hail from Halifax, N.S. This is the first time they have co-coached a team together, but Carole noted it has been a wonderful experience. They both have different strengths, and while they have enjoyed bringing out the best in the team, it has also brought out the best in them.
Stuart — in his first year as coach — looks after the on-ice coaching, while Carole — now in her fifth year with the team — is the off-ice coach who handles the statistics. She also watches the players’ body language for morale issues and to ensure the systems that have been put in place are working. She will also look for ways to help the team improve its game.
“I know what they should be doing when, so I’m watching to make sure all the little things we do to make our team better, that it’s happening,” she added.
Carole competed competitively for many years, but does not any longer, she said. With a laugh, she noted she is almost old enough to be the mother of most of the girls on Team Nova Scotia. However, the great thing about curling is older players can still remain connected to the sport at a high level. This has helped the MacLeans develop friendships with younger people.
The MacLeans were at the Scotties in Moose Jaw in 2015 but in a different capacity; Carole competed with the team as the fifth player, or spare. With a laugh, she said she likes Moose Jaw very much.
“It’s amazing how many people remembered us … ,” she said. “It’s like old home week this week. It’s wonderful.”
Carole is slightly more visible sitting in the stands since she has been wearing a yellow fishing hat one might see on fisherman in the Atlantic. The yellow headwear has the Scotties logo stitched into it, while it also has many pins she has acquired from attending curling tournaments over the years.
She began collecting pins in 1981 at age 20 after attending her first men’s Briar tournament. She has acquired more than 1,000 pins since then, but since the hat became too heavy, she has only a handful of her favourites attached.
“Now I’m starting to collect more Scotties pins as opposed to Briar pins,” she said.
The couple will head home for two weeks after the Scotties, but then travel back west to Portage la Prairie, Man., so Stuart can participate in a senior men’s tournament. They start attending bonspiels in September before preparing for provincials and Scotties qualifies in December.
The MacLeans will be somewhat melancholy after this Scotties ends since skip Mary-Anne Arsenault will move to British Columbia later this year. Carole noted this will be their “last dance” with the skip unless the team can win the tournament and compete at world’s in Prince George in March.
“We’re really happy to be here. It’s (also) a dream come true,” she added. “Mary-Anne’s niece, Emma Logan, is on the team. This is her first year playing with us and it (was) her very first provincials … . This was (Mary-Anne’s) only opportunity to play with her niece. It’s pretty cool.
“It feels like a family affair, really. Everybody is working together to have success.”
Team Nova Scotia eventually lost out in a tiebreaker game to Team B.C. A TSN camera focused on Arsenault afterward and she could be seen wiping away tears.
