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Team Yukon may have finished the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships with a 3-6 record, but they finished strongly in 4th place in the seeding round for next year鈥檚 event.

The championships took place in Canmore, Alberta from Nov. 7-14.

The team from Whitehorse was skipped by Terry Miller. Laini Klassen was the third, her son Brayden Klassen was shooting second stones, and Laini鈥檚 sister Shani rounded out the team as the lead.

鈥淚t was a great experience,鈥� enthused Miller. 鈥淔irst of all, Canmore, where they had it, is an amazing area of the country.

鈥淏ut when it comes to the competition, there was a lot of really good teams. The four best teams in the competition definitely ended up where they deserved to be. Laini, Shani and Brayden, they all curled amazing ... I know they don鈥檛 feel this way, but I feel like, myself, that I somewhat let the team down and didn鈥檛 play all that well. I had my moments, but I just did not pick up on the ice as early as I would have liked. To me, missing shots is not in my repertoire, but that happens. It鈥檚 just like in any sport whether you鈥檙e curling, golfing, anything, you have those weeks.

鈥淭he rest of the team played well. I look back at it and there was no time when they left me in big trouble I didn鈥檛 think I could get them out of ... I just didn鈥檛 play well. I think I should be curling 80 to 90 per cent, and I probably curled like 60 to 70 per cent. You can get away with missing maybe one shot a game, but missing two to three shots per game 鈥� it鈥檚 just not helping the team.

鈥淲e probably could have reversed our record quite easily,鈥� stated Miller. 鈥淭here were a couple of teams that we would have to all be standing on our heads to beat, but we could have definitely made that championship pool, but it just didn鈥檛 happen.

Miller had a little bit of trouble reading the ice.

鈥淲e have an amazing ice facility up here and it was just curling way more there than what we were expecting, and I just didn鈥檛 pick up on it as early as some of the teams did.

鈥淓arly on 鈥� obviously you start picking up on it, but the early few games ... it was a struggle. You鈥檙e taking ice and over-curling 鈥� you just can鈥檛 be doing that. You got to be makin鈥� the shots ... I feel like I let them down, but I鈥檓 sure if you talked to them, they wouldn鈥檛 say that, but in my own heart, I gotta make more shots than what I made.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a team sport and everybody counts on everybody. I was proud of the way the team played, for sure.鈥�

Team Miller bounced back in the seeding round after a tough round-robin (one win, five losses).

鈥淲e came back, we beat Alberta ... (and Nunavut) ... and then we played Nova Scotia,鈥� recalled Miller. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e definitely a top team. Two ladies on there are defending World Senior champions and the two men are amazing curlers ... we had a great game against them. It just came down to one little shot and that was it. At the end of the week, we were playing very well.鈥�

In the seeding round, Team Yukon beat Alberta 7-5 in a tight game by scoring two in the final end. It wasn鈥檛 that close against Nunavut, as they triumphed 11-3 over Peter Van Strien鈥檚 foursome. Miller鈥檚 team finished up the tourney with a 9-5 setback to Nova Scotia, on the strength of the Bluenoser鈥檚 four-score in the 5th end.

鈥淭he teams we played against, they all complimented 鈥� 鈥榯he Yukon sent a good team鈥�, and 鈥� (we were) just one or two shots away ... you even talk to the teams that were in the final. One or two shots here and there and they wouldn鈥檛 have been in the final ... (Quebec skip Jean-Michel) Menard that won, he said 鈥� I think they played 11 games, and 10 of them came down to the final shot of the game. So you could easily turn that around.鈥�

Was the competition what you expected it to be?

鈥淥h, yeah. Definitely,鈥� stated Milller. 鈥淚 looked at the lineups before and there鈥檚 definitely a lot of top-notch curlers there that have a lot of experience. There鈥檚 no soft teams. You鈥檝e got to go there and you鈥檝e got to plan on makin鈥� your shots to win games. No one鈥檚 just gonna hand you a win.

Miller says the mixed championships are a little different from men鈥檚 events鈥� to a point.

鈥淐omparing a mixed to a men鈥檚 鈥� it鈥檚 a different atmosphere ... it鈥檚 a little less intense ... the men are obviously a little more intense than the ladies ... it is a bit of a social. Everybody鈥檚 socializing ... but once you鈥檙e on the ice, it鈥檚 definitely a mini-war I guess you鈥檇 say.鈥�

Miller may also have a future career in broadcasting.

鈥淚 was fortunate enough to have Curl Canada ask me to commentate a couple of games because it was live-streamed ... that was something I never thought I could do, but some of the messages ... and some of the compliments I got from Curl Canada 鈥� they asked me to do one game and then they said 鈥榠f you鈥檙e available for any more games we鈥檇 be happy to have you鈥�, so I came out and did another game. That was a blast. It was lots of fun.鈥�

However, Miller doesn鈥檛 think a career in broadcasting is in the cards.

鈥淚鈥檓 a little too old for that. I鈥檓 looking to retire here soon, but if Curl Canada ever asked me, believe me, I would come and help them out for sure.鈥�

This event will be memorable for Miller for another reason.

鈥淚 was fortunate enough to win the Most Sportsmanlike Award for the skip position, which was amazing. That鈥檚 voted on by the players and that was fantastic. It鈥檚 nice to be recognized by ... all the other players ... that was definitely a surprise.

鈥淚 think part of it was because I was so positive with the team, even though I was missing shots and ... 鈥榶ou miss that one, let鈥檚 make the next one鈥�. I wish I could have told myself that, but it鈥檚 all about keeping everybody happy around you.鈥�

Needless to say, Miller didn鈥檛 break any brooms during the competition.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 been about 25 years since I鈥檝e done that. In the back of your head, you want to, but you can鈥檛 be doin鈥� that in front of 鈥� at a national event. That would not go over too well.鈥�

Miller was happy his friends and family were able to watch him curl thanks to the live streaming on Curling Canada鈥檚 YouTube page.

鈥淲hen they did livestream a couple of our games, lots of friends and family and people I haven鈥檛 seen for years sent messages saying 鈥榠t was great to watch you guys鈥� and it was a great experience for all of us.鈥�

When asked what he learned from this tournament, Miller responded, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I learned. That鈥檚 a tough question. I鈥檝e been around so long ... there鈥檚 always something. I think the reason why I still curl is because I learn something new every year. There鈥檚 always like interesting strategies that people do ... it鈥檚 nice to trick guys into different things, or you look back at a game and say 鈥榳hy did he call that?鈥� and then you think 鈥榦k, now I see why he did that.鈥� But I鈥檝e played a lot of games.鈥�

鈥淚 learned that definitely Canmore鈥檚 a beautiful spot. We鈥檙e in the stretching room and it鈥檚 a big huge open glass room and there鈥檚 about 30 elk outside the room. We鈥檙e all standing there taking pictures.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really learn this, but I would say, 鈥榡ust keep your head up and just ... make the next shot.鈥� I鈥檝e always known that but it鈥檚 tough to instil in yourself sometimes. I know I鈥檓 good at motivating my own team, but sometimes I鈥檓 not good at motivating myself.鈥�

Miller is planning on returning to the mixed championships next year, as he wants to take care of some unfinished business.

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e definitely going to give it a go. I鈥檒 love to go back again. Not only to play, but to play a bit better. Just make those extra few shots ... it鈥檚 nice to see everybody and it鈥檚 nice to represent the Yukon at any national championship.

鈥淣ow ... the focus for me is on the Seniors. There was a couple gentlemen there that will be in the senior men鈥檚 also. It was good to talk to them. They hadn鈥檛 been to the Seniors before, so we sat and had a conversation and I told them what to expect and it was good. It鈥檚 nice to go to something like the nationals and meet new friends.鈥�

The 2021 Everest Senior Curling Championships take place Dec. 6-11 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

鈥淚 talked to the Northern Ontario team ... they said they鈥檝e curled there a number of times. 鈥業t鈥檚 a great facility鈥� they said, and it鈥檚 a great area of the country and they said 鈥榶ou will enjoy yourself there鈥�, so that鈥檚 good. I mean, what part of the country isn鈥檛 good? It鈥檚 Canada.鈥�

Miller added that overall, the mixed championships were a good experience for Team Yukon.

鈥淭he team curled well. Laini and Shani and Brayden, they were great and we all had a ton of fun and we definitely enjoyed representing the Yukon ... it was a blast.鈥�