It had been a decade since Team Croy last curled for provincial glory.
The Petersfield Curling Club foursome of Tyler Croy (Clandeboye Fire Department), Calvin Croy (Clandeboye Fire Department and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service) and Aaron Goertzen (Clandeboye Fire Department) had stepped away from the competitive game amid the demands of family life and work.
When the Manitoba Fire Fighters Curling Association announced Gimli as the host site for the 2026 provincials, Team Croy seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the close-to-home location to make their long-awaited return to the tournament.
With the addition of Stonewall-Rockwood Fire Department’s Paul Janssen at lead, Team Croy completed its four-man lineup for provincials. The rink threw rocks together for the first time just days before the tournament opened Jan. 9.
When play began, Team Croy gutted out a few early wins. Their momentum carried through the middle of the tournament, with victory margins steadily increasing. By the final on Jan. 11, Team Croy had reached a near-flawless level of play, defeating Team Krisko to claim the provincial title.
“We came together and kind of got on a roll there,” said skip Tyler Croy. “A couple of close games, but pretty much undefeated throughout the whole thing. The finals came around and we were firing on all cylinders, so we came out with a big win there.”
The championship game opened with Team Croy scoring four in the first end and later stealing in multiple ends to secure the victory.
It marked the first MFFCA provincial championship for Team Croy, earning the rink a berth at the 2026 Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association Championship, scheduled for March 19–28 in Truro, N.S.
The team plans to curl together once a week in preparation, balancing training with their work schedules.
“I’m very excited — it’s a great opportunity,” said Croy. “The three of us have curled together for quite a while and always talked about trying to be a little bit more competitive, and this opportunity came up and we definitely clicked at the right time.”
