Ben Hebert
Encyclopedia
Ben Hebert (born March 16, 1983 in Regina, Saskatchewan
) is a Canadian
curler, a Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medal
ist, 2008 World Champion and two time Brier Champion from Calgary, Alberta. He currently plays lead for Kevin Martin
.
Hebert, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, played lead for Pat Simmons
from 2004 to 2006, where he played in two Briers for Saskatchewan (2005 & 2006). The team finished 6-5 and 5-6 respectively. Hebert was also the 5th player on Team Saskatchewan, skipped by Steven Laycock, who went on to win the Canadian Junior Curling Championships and World Junior Curling Championships in 2003.
Hebert moved to Alberta, and joined up briefly with the John Morris
team. He then went with Morris later on in the year to play for Kevin Martin. With his new team, he won the Canada Cup
in 2007 and finished fourth place at the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier
. In 2008, Hebert was a part of the Alberta team that won the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier
, and a member of Team Canada that won the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship
. In 2009, Hebert was again the Lead for Team Alberta that repeated as 2009 Tim Hortons Brier Champions as they went 13-0 for the second consecutive Brier, and in the process set a new Brier record with most consecutive wins at 26.
Scandal broke out in their final round robin game at the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
against the Glenn Howard
rink. Howard's third, Richard Hart
, accused Hebert of an illegal brushing move in the 9th end. Replays show Hebert illegally lifting his broom off the ice in a vertical direction, instead of lifting it off to the side. This tactic is sometimes made to slow down a rock by dropping debris in front of the rock. Indeed, the rock he was sweeping was heavy, and Hebert's tactic may have caused the rock to veer off course slightly. Whether or not the tactic was intentional will be a mystery.
Hebert and the rest of Team Martin went on to defeat Glenn Howard in the Final of the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. Team Martin went on to represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games
in Vancouver
, winning the gold medal after their 6-3 defeat of Thomas Ulsrud
in the finals. Team Martin then capped an amazing 2009/2010 season
by winning The Players Championship
with an 8-7 extra end victory over Brad Gushue
. Martin's team finished 2010 at the top of the WCT Money List with $139,750 and at the top of the WCT Order of Merit. Martin and co. capped the season with a 32 game winning streak.
Hebert and Team Martin won The National in December 2010. In January 2011, Team Martin won the TSN Skins Game deafeating Scotland's David Murdoch in the Final and earning $57,000 in the process. They later defeated Kevin Koe in the Alberta Provincial Final and went on to finish 4th at the 2011 Tim Horton's Brier where Hebert was named a First Team All Star at Lead. They capped the season with a win at the Players Championship. With the win, Hebert and his team won the $25,000 first-place prize, plus took home a $50,000 bonus for winning the season-long Capital One Cup points race. The rink finished the season with $125,500 in prize money, second only to Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, who collected $127,490.
Hebert works as a Sales and Marketing Representative for Focus Corporation.
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
curler, a Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist, 2008 World Champion and two time Brier Champion from Calgary, Alberta. He currently plays lead for Kevin Martin
Kevin Martin (curler)
Kevin Martin , nicknamed "The Old Bear" and "K-Mart", is a Canadian curler from Edmonton. He is a four-time Brier champion, has been to three Winter Olympics and is the gold medal winner in the 2010 Winter Olympics...
.
Hebert, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, played lead for Pat Simmons
Pat Simmons (curler)
Pat Simmons is a Canadian curler. Simmons has skipped team Saskatchewan in four straight Briers from 2005 to 2008.Simmons made it to his first Brier in 2005 after winning his first provincial championship...
from 2004 to 2006, where he played in two Briers for Saskatchewan (2005 & 2006). The team finished 6-5 and 5-6 respectively. Hebert was also the 5th player on Team Saskatchewan, skipped by Steven Laycock, who went on to win the Canadian Junior Curling Championships and World Junior Curling Championships in 2003.
Hebert moved to Alberta, and joined up briefly with the John Morris
John Morris (curler)
John Morris is a Canadian curler, and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medalist from Chestermere, Alberta. Morris plays third for the Kevin Martin team. Morris, author of the book Fit to Curl, is the son of Maureen and Earle Morris, inventor of the "Stabilizer" curling broom...
team. He then went with Morris later on in the year to play for Kevin Martin. With his new team, he won the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (curling)
The Capital One Canada Cup of Curling is a major men's and women's curling championship in Canada. It is organized by the Canadian Curling Association and is one of its major events on its "Season of Champions"...
in 2007 and finished fourth place at the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier
2007 Tim Hortons Brier
The 2007 Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship was held at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario from March 3 to 11th. After losing in the final the previous season, Team Ontario skipped by Glenn Howard defeated 2006 Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue and his Newfoundland and Labrador...
. In 2008, Hebert was a part of the Alberta team that won the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier
2008 Tim Hortons Brier
The 2008 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's men's curling championship, was held from March 8 to 16, 2008 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Skipped by Kevin Martin, Alberta defeated the defending champion, and reigning World Champion Glenn Howard and Team Ontario. The final pitted arguably the top...
, and a member of Team Canada that won the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship
2008 World Men's Curling Championship
-Draw 2:April 5, 19:00-Draw 3:April 6, 09:00-Draw 4:April 6, 14:00-Draw 5:April 6, 19:00-Draw 6:April 7, 09:00-Draw 7:April 7, 14:00-Draw 8:April 7, 19:00-Draw 9:April 8, 09:00...
. In 2009, Hebert was again the Lead for Team Alberta that repeated as 2009 Tim Hortons Brier Champions as they went 13-0 for the second consecutive Brier, and in the process set a new Brier record with most consecutive wins at 26.
Scandal broke out in their final round robin game at the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
The 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held December 6-13, 2009 at Rexall Place in Edmonton. The event is also known and advertised as Roar of the Rings. The winner of the men's and women's events will represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics...
against the Glenn Howard
Glenn Howard
Glenn Howard is a Canadian curler from Penetanguishene, Ontario. He has won three Briers and three world championships in his career. He has also won six straight Ontario provincials.-1980s-2006:...
rink. Howard's third, Richard Hart
Richard Hart (curler)
Richard Hart is a retired Canadian curler from Pickering, Ontario. With skip Glenn Howard, Hart has played in 8 straight Ontario Finals....
, accused Hebert of an illegal brushing move in the 9th end. Replays show Hebert illegally lifting his broom off the ice in a vertical direction, instead of lifting it off to the side. This tactic is sometimes made to slow down a rock by dropping debris in front of the rock. Indeed, the rock he was sweeping was heavy, and Hebert's tactic may have caused the rock to veer off course slightly. Whether or not the tactic was intentional will be a mystery.
Hebert and the rest of Team Martin went on to defeat Glenn Howard in the Final of the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. Team Martin went on to represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, winning the gold medal after their 6-3 defeat of Thomas Ulsrud
Thomas Ulsrud
Thomas Ulsrud is a Norwegian curler.Ulsrud has curled professionally since 1983. In his second World Junior Curling Championship in 1988, Ulsrud skipped Norway to a bronze medal....
in the finals. Team Martin then capped an amazing 2009/2010 season
2009-10 curling season
The 2009–10 curling season began in September 2009 and ended in April 2010.-Season of Champions top three finishes:-Other events:-World Curling Tour events:-Women's World Curling Tour events:...
by winning The Players Championship
2010 Players' Championships
The 2010 Grey Power Players' Championship was the last Grand Slam event of both the World Curling Tour and Women's World Curling Tour for the 2009-10 season. This was the eighteenth time the event took place, and the fifth time since it was switched to joint men's/women's format. The event was held...
with an 8-7 extra end victory over Brad Gushue
Brad Gushue
Bradley Raymond "Brad" Gushue, ONL is a Canadian curler from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they won the gold medal by defeating Finland...
. Martin's team finished 2010 at the top of the WCT Money List with $139,750 and at the top of the WCT Order of Merit. Martin and co. capped the season with a 32 game winning streak.
Hebert and Team Martin won The National in December 2010. In January 2011, Team Martin won the TSN Skins Game deafeating Scotland's David Murdoch in the Final and earning $57,000 in the process. They later defeated Kevin Koe in the Alberta Provincial Final and went on to finish 4th at the 2011 Tim Horton's Brier where Hebert was named a First Team All Star at Lead. They capped the season with a win at the Players Championship. With the win, Hebert and his team won the $25,000 first-place prize, plus took home a $50,000 bonus for winning the season-long Capital One Cup points race. The rink finished the season with $125,500 in prize money, second only to Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, who collected $127,490.
Hebert works as a Sales and Marketing Representative for Focus Corporation.
External links
- "Regina-born curler Ben Hebert ready to make Olympic memories of his own", Leader-Post, Rob Vanstone, February 10, 2010
- "Interesting take on sweeping from Ben Hebert; and stop flopping, Andy Kapp!", Calgary Herald, Al Cameron, April 6, 2009
- "A Day in the Life with Canadian Olympian - Ben Hebert", Riley Moynes - Living Sky Media plus