Martin Gavin is back providing coverage for SA国际影视传媒 at the Montana's Brier in Kelowna, B.C. as the Hay River Curling Club takes on the best of Canada.

The 2025 Montana's Brier is off and running in Kelowna, B.C., and the NWT's representatives from the Hay River Curling Club are finding out just how tough the competition is.

The Canadian men's curling championship started on Friday, but skip Aaron Bartling and his rink of D'arcy Delorey, Norm Bassett, Eric Preston and Adam Naugler saw their first saw action on Sunday morning against Ontario's Sam Mooibroek. 

It was a debut that presented an eye-opener for Bartling and company.

"The rocks finish so hard (and) it was challenging and I struggled with the feel for speed," said Bartling after the 12-2 defeat. "Nerves were definitely a big factor.  Hopefully we will find that feel and use what we learn ongoing every game as the week goes on."

Game two later in the evening provided more lessons of how just deep the field is as the NWT foursome were on the wrong end of a one-sided 20-2 result courtesy of an Alberta rink skipped by 2014 Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs. 

"They just didn't seem to get into the ice and missed some shots they should make," said Jacobs in post-game media scrum. "They'll be better as the week goes on and they understand the ice."

The evening's contest did present some trivia for NWT curling enthusiasts as 20-year-old Adam Naugler of Yellowknife got a chance to play. He's the latest member of the Naugler family to play in the Brier. Fifteen years earlier, Tom Naugler, Adam's father, served as an alternate for territory at the Brier in 2009 when the championship was held in Calgary.

"I remember that first game even today," said the elder Naugler. "Adam has had a few more experiences in juniors than I did, but there is something special about that first Brier game that you never forget."

The Brier isn't the first national event D'arcy Delorey has ever played in - he represented the NWT at the Canadian Curling Club Championship in Kelowna in 2016 - but it's safe to say it's the biggest one he's ever entered.

SA国际影视传媒淚'm very excited and itSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit surreal," he said before hitting the ice. "It's been something I've always dreamt about but didnSA国际影视传媒檛 ever think it would happen. Now I'm here and I'm so very grateful. There are a few former Hay River residents and family friends living in the Kelowna area, so I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces."

The Hay River rink got to the Brier by beating none other than Jamie Koe in the NWT playdowns on home ice last month.

Bartling, who's a firefighter from Alberta, is playing on the team as the non-jurisdiction player; he's allowed to do so under Curling Canada's rule permitting each team to have no more than one player reside outside the province or territory.

He's played at the Brier before with Prince Edward Island in 2021 with Eddie McKenzie and gave all the credit to Delorey for putting the team together.

"I'm very thankful for Darcy reaching out to me," he said. "I keep joking there's probably a million better players they could have asked to join them but they asked me."

Delorey said the firefighting background had a lot to do with asking Bartling to join.

"There were a number of firefighters in our club who have curled against Aaron at the firefighters nationals over the years and had said he might have interest in being an import if the right opportunity presented itself," he said. "I personally didn't know Aaron at that time, but I obviously knew of him, so I reached out and asked whether he would be interested in forming a team to take a run at it. Thankfully he was interested and signed on."

The Hay River squad was back in action Monday against another rookie skip in Saskatchewan's Rylan Kleiter and had two games on Tuesday against Quebec and another Saskatchewan rink skipped by veteran Mark McEwen. 

"We are hoping to find the feel and put the pressure on," said Bartling.