When Tyler Tardi announced the breakup of his namesake team back in February, the skip of the foursome, who played out of the Langley Curling Centre, said he was leaving because of an “unexpected” opportunity without giving details.
On Friday, April 22, four-time Brier champion Kevin Koe filled everyone in, revealing Tardi, along with Brad Thiessen and Karrick Martin would be playing on the newly reconstituted Team Koe, out of the Glencoe Curling Club in Calgary.
Koe will skip, Tardi will be throwing third, Thiessen will play second and Martin will throw lead.
Streaming this fall...
— TeamKevinKoe (@TeamKevinKoe) April 22, 2022
🔥The NEW Team Koe 🔥
Kevin Koe@TardiParty@BradCurler@KarrickMartin
Team Koe is thrilled to feature a new look for next season playing out of @GlencoeCurling. pic.twitter.com/1eXPqhx7Dr
“I’m pretty excited to step on the ice with a group of players who I’ve watched really come into their own over the last several years,” the veteran Koe said.
Tardi posted an enthusiastic confirmation.
“Is it September yet?” he asked.
“Can’t wait to start this journey!”
Tardi, Thiessen and Martin will be replacing B.J. Neufeld, John Morris and Ben Hebert on Team Koe, who announced they would be splitting up a few weeks after the Team Tardi statement was released.
At the time, Koe said “the four of us came into this as friends, and we’re leaving as friends, and that’s all you can ask.”
READ ALSO: Team Tardi disbands after skip has ‘unexpected’ opportunity
As a junior playing for Canada, Tardi won back-to-back world junior gold medals in 2018 and 2019.
Thiessen and Martin previously played for Edmonton’s Team Bottcher, winning three consecutive silver medals before they captured the Brier in 2021.
Koe has won the Canadian men’s curling championship four times, in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2019, tying the all-time record.
READ ALSO: Langley’s Team Tardi wins Calgary’s Original 16 bonspiel
Tardi made the announcement after the team clinched a berth at the 2022 B.C. BC Men’s championships in Kamloops and made it all the way to the playoffs to determine the final four, only be defeated 9-3 by rival Team Cotter.
“I’m sad because I’m leaving my team, my brother, my friends, they are all family to me. I’m looking forward to facing a new challenge, a new opportunity.” Tardi said.
Team Tardi’s final outing was this weekend, playing at the Best Of The West in Saskatoon, a new Western Canadian competition for U30 curlers.
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