YORKTON - The Rylan Kleiter rink curling out of Saskatoon can now boast being provincial champions.
Kleiter’s foursome curling out of the Nutana Curling Club defeated Steve Laycock – born at Saltcoats -- and his Swift Current rink 8-5 in Kindersley to claim the 2025 SaskTel Tankard. Laycock had won the round robin contest between the two teams but it took an extra end to do it.
The win came a year after the squad had lost in the provincial final in 2024 to the Mike McEwen rink.
The provincial title means the Kleiter rink -- -- third Joshua Mattern, second Matthew Hall and lead Trevor Johnson -- will represent Saskatchewan at the Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C. from Feb. 28 to March 9.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Kleiter told Yorkton This Week, adding his team played well throughout the week in Kindersley.
So what was the difference this year that allowed Kleiter to take the title?
“I just think that all of our experience on the season put us in a good spot,” said Kleiter. “. . . I think it’s important as it prepares you for anything you see at provincials.”
An example of gaining the experience Kleiter spoke of came earlier this curling season when the team earned the Tier 2 men’s title after edging Norway’s Team Magnus Ramsfjell 6-5 in an extra end at the HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 2 event held in Charlottetown.
The event saw Kleiter go through the A Event and finished with an unblemished 6-0 overall record.
“It was great. It gave us quite a few points,” Kleiter told Yorkton This Week at the time.
For Team Kleiter tour events held a dual importance, the world standings and getting to play in the big events, but also a way to sharpen skills in preparation for the Saskatchewan Tankard and the coveted green jackets as provincial champs.
“Obviously provincials are still a circled event on our calendars,” he said, after the Charlottetown performance.
One advantage Kleiter’s team has always enjoyed is familiarity, the core trio being teammates for 12 years, with Hall the newcomer joining in 2023.
The years together means a team very much in sync with one another on the ice, and a camaraderie off the sheets.
So now the focus is on preparation for the Montana’s Brier in Kelowna.
Kleiter said it is likely his team will have at least seen, or likely played, every team in the end, so that means some book study ahead of the event.
“You sort of build a book of what you want to implement (versus a particular team),” said Kleiter, adding that yes the book is a physical thing. “The team kind of keeps a book of various things. The sort of things to key on to be successful most of the time.”
Headed to Kelowna there is sort of a dark spectre over any team from Saskatchewan, the reminder there has not been a Canadian men’s champion out of this province since Rick Folk in 1980.
While Kleiter admitted they are of course aware of the long drought they just want to focus on their own upcoming effort.
“We’re just excited for our opportunity to possibly end the streak,” he said, adding he feels all the preparation has the team ready, they just need to do what they know they are able to “. . . and we’ll be in good shape.”
