“Best bud” couldn’t say yes fast enough

When Colin Hufman got the call, he hoped it was about Beijing.

It was.

Just two days after John Shuster won his fifth consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials title, the 37-year-old Hufman has rejoined the squad as alternate for February’s Olympic Winter Games in China.

Hufman recently served as team alternate for Shuster’s run at the 2021 world championships in Calgary. He also joined Shuster’s active lineup for the recent filming of Curling Night in America.

“John Shuster called me … and I hoped I knew what he was about to say,” said Hufman in a news release.

“He asked if I wanted to be a 2022 U.S. Olympian. I couldn’t say yes fast enough, and I was immediately overwhelmed with a combination of gratitude, pride, excitement, and validation of some 20 years of work paying off.”

Hufman was born in Fairbanks, AK but competes out of Chaska, MN, the same facility as Team Shuster. He’s been a recent fixture with skip Rich Ruohonen, finishing just out of last week’s Trials playoffs in third place (6-4).

Hufman has won two U.S. men’s team titles, in 2016 (when runner-up Shuster was appointed to the worlds) and in 2018 with Ruohonen (6-7), when the worlds were last held in Las Vegas.

“We’re so excited to bring Colin Hufman back onto Team Shuster for the upcoming Olympics,” said the skip.

“Colin has played a major role for this team in the past, including being on the ice for a key victory over Scotland at this past year’s World Championship and several wins at Curling Night in America.

“He has always done everything we have asked to help our team succeed and we look forward to his contributions in the upcoming months ahead,” added Shuster.

Hufman and Ruohonen also lost the 2020 U.S. Nationals final to Shuster. The squad played up their veteran status that season, using the hashtags #OldIsGold and #GetOffOurLawns on the team’s social media accounts.

The team even entered the arena for the final round robin match wearing robes and mock-struggling with walking devices.

Unsurprisingly, Hufman ranks as one of U.S. curling’s more engaging characters. The man Shuster third Chris Plys calls “one of my best buds” is known for his humour—and singing voice.

“I think we’re up to the task and I’m extra pumped to be able to experience this from the perspective of reigning and defending Olympic champs,” said Hufman.

“The team is different, but our opponents won’t care, they’ll want to take it from us, and we’ll be working our butts off these next few months to be ready. I cannot wait.”