He is the Viking
A few more words about the retirement of Niklas Edin.
It’s amazing that Brad Gushue and Edin retired about a month apart, although the gap feels longer because Gushue took us on a seven-month farewell tour.
Gushue was the best curler in the Canadian game, and Edin was clearly the best in the world on the international stage. Edin’s numbers are indisputable. He has won everything there is to win, and multiple times over.
Heck, I might have one of the better records against him – 2-2 in four games.
Edin and Gushue • Michael Burns-Curling CanadaNiklas Edin also had a brand. He is the Viking. He made countless brilliant shots when he needed them. In his prime (and he is not that far removed from his prime), he could make every runback, every touch shot under any amount of pressure.
He did this through hard work. Like Gushue, the dedication to practice and improvement came at the price of his health. Hips and knees are just not designed to throw the number of rocks he threw.
Surgeries and surely a lot of pain followed. His body is no doubt the happiest at his announcement.
And like Gushue, the game will miss him dearly.