Alex Robichaud (born April 7, 1995) is a Canadian curler from Fredericton, New Brunswick.[2] He currently plays third on Team Rene Comeau. He also plays mixed doubles with Melissa Adams.
| Alex Robichaud | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1995 |
| Team | |
| Curling club | Capital WC, Fredericton, NB[1] |
| Skip | Rene Comeau |
| Third | Alex Robichaud |
| Second | Trevor Crouse |
| Lead | Alex Kyle |
| Mixed doubles partner | Melissa Adams |
Curling career  | |
| Member Association |  New Brunswick |
| Top CTRS ranking | 77th (2019–20) |
Career
editJuniors
editRobichaud qualified for one Canadian Junior Curling Championship in 2016, skipping his own team of Ian McKinley, Donovan Lanteigne and Peter Robichaud. At the provincial championship, the team qualified through the B event before winning both the semifinal and championship games, defeating Layton MacCabe 6–5 in the final.[3] Representing New Brunswick in Stratford, Ontario, the team went through the round robin and championship pools with an 4–6 record, finishing eighth.[4] Also during juniors, Robichaud played second on the UNB Varsity Reds curling team that qualified for the 2015 CIS/CCA Curling Championships. There, the team, led by Josh Barry, finished in seventh with a 1–6 record.[5]
Men's
editOut of juniors, Robichaud continued skipping his own team. In both 2017 and 2018, his teams were unable to qualify for the New Brunswick Tankard, losing out in the preliminary rounds.[6] For the 2018–19 season, he joined the Ed Cyr rink which also included front end players Chris Wagner and Alex Kyle. This team was successful in qualifying for the 2019 NB Tankard. There, they finished 4–3 in the round robin before losing to Scott Jones in a tiebreaker, eliminating them from contention.[7] The 2019–20 season saw Robichaud reach his first World Curling Tour final, losing to Team Jones in the final of the Superstore Monctonian Challenge.[8] Team Cyr also qualified for the playoffs at the Dave Jones Mayflower Cashspiel, losing out to Stuart Thompson. After again advancing through the prelims of the 2020 New Brunswick Tankard, the team were unable to replicate their success from the previous year, finishing seventh with a 2–5 record.[9]
After the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the majority of the 2020–21 season, Robichaud returned to skipping for the 2021–22 season with teammates Rene Comeau, Chris Wagner and Alex Kyle. At the 2022 New Brunswick Tankard, the team finished 2–3 in the triple knockout bracket. The following season, they slightly bettered their record with a 3–4 performance at the 2023 New Brunswick Tankard, finishing fifth.[10] For the 2023–24 season, Comeau took over as skip with Robichaud moving to third. Trevor Crouse was also added to the team with Chris Wagner moving to alternate. This move paid off for the team as they found early success on tour, reaching the final of the PEI Brewing Company Cashspiel, the semifinals of the New Scotland Brewing Co. Cashspiel and the quarterfinals of the Jim Sullivan Curling Classic.[11] They carried this momentum into the 2024 New Brunswick Tankard where they managed to defeat every team in the field besides eventual champion James Grattan who beat them in all three qualifying events.[12]
Mixed doubles
editRobichaud began playing mixed doubles with partner Julia Hunter. This pair found early success together with trips to the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in both 2016 and 2018. After a 1–6 finish in 2016, the team went 3–4 in 2018.[2] Robichaud then began playing with Melissa Adams in 2018. This duo won their first World Curling Tour event in 2019 by winning the Goldline Clermont Mixed Doubles.[13] In 2021, Adams and Robichaud finished second at the New Brunswick Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, however, would go on to represent New Brunswick at the Canadian championship after the winners Leah Thompson and Charlie Sullivan forfeited their spot due to travel requirements.[14] At the 2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, the pair finished with a 1–5 record, defeating Nunavut in their sole victory.[15] Adams and Robichaud again won the New Brunswick championship the following year, however, did not get to go to the national championship as it was cancelled. They also won a second tour event at the Fredericton Mixed Doubles.[16]
Despite not repeating as provincial champions in 2023, Adams and Robichaud still qualified for the 2023 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship based on their points accumulated throughout the year. At the championship, the team placed fifth in their pool with a 3–4 record.[17] They also defended their title at the Fredericton Mixed Doubles that season and won the Goldline Mixed Doubles Rivière-du-Loup, picking up two more tour titles.[18] The following season, the pair won back their provincial title and represented New Brunswick on home ice at the 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship where they finished with a 2–5 record.[19]
To begin the 2024–25 season, Adams and Robichaud reached the final of the Goldline Omnium Services Financiers Richard April, losing to Marlee Powers and Luke Saunders. In December, the team competed in the Rocky Mountain Mixed Doubles Classic which doubled as the final Olympic Trials direct-entry qualifier.[20] There, the team had a strong run, qualifying for the playoffs through the B side before losing to Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing in the quarterfinals. Despite this, their finish gave them enough points to qualify for the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials, becoming the first mixed doubles team with both players from New Brunswick to do so.[21]
Personal life
editRobichaud is Acadian, and employed as a communications director at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.[14] He previously attended the University of New Brunswick.[2][22]
Teams
edit| Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14[23] | Daniel Prest | Will Lautenschlager | Alex Robichaud | Ian McKinley |
| 2014–15 | Andrew Smith | Scott Archibald | Alex Robichaud | Stephen Muzzerall |
| 2015–16 | Alex Robichaud | Ian McKinley | Donovan Lanteigne | Peter Robichaud |
| 2016–17 | Alex Robichaud | Jesse Arseneau | David Hunter | Alex Sutherland |
| 2017–18 | Alex Robichaud | Ian McKinley | David Hunter | Chris Jenkins |
| 2018–19 | Ed Cyr | Alex Robichaud | Chris Wagner | Alex Kyle |
| 2019–20 | Ed Cyr | Alex Robichaud | Chris Wagner | Alex Kyle |
| 2021–22 | Alex Robichaud | Rene Comeau | Chris Wagner | Alex Kyle |
| 2022–23 | Alex Robichaud | Rene Comeau | Chris Wagner | Alex Kyle |
| 2023–24 | Rene Comeau | Alex Robichaud | Trevor Crouse | Alex Kyle |
| 2024–25 | Rene Comeau | Alex Robichaud | Trevor Crouse | Alex Kyle |
References
edit- ^ "2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship Teams". Curling Canada. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2016 New Brunswick Junior Men". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nova Scotia women, Northern Ontario men headed to finals at 2016 Canadian Juniors". Curling Canada. January 29, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2015 CIS/CCA Curling Championships – Men's teams". Canadian Curling Association. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ^ "2017 New Brunswick Tankard Prelims". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2019 New Brunswick Tankard". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2019 Atlantic Superstore Monctonian Challenge". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2020 New Brunswick Tankard". Curling NB. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2023 New Brunswick Tankard". Curling NB. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Draw Set for PEI Brewing Company Cashspiel at the Silver Fox". PEI Curling. November 14, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2024 New Brunswick Tankard". Curling NB. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Adams/Robichaud win 2019 GOLDINE Clermont Mixed Doubles". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b François Le Blanc (March 18, 2021). "Un duo d'Acadiens au championnat national de curling double mixte" (in French). CBC New Brunswick. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Jackie Spiegel (March 26, 2021). "Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2021: Results, standings, schedule and TV channel". Sporting News. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2021 Fredericton Mixed Doubles". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Doubles Curling Mixer in Sudbury". The Curling News. March 24, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "2023 Goldline Mixed Doubles Rivière-du-Loup". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "No place like home!". Curling Canada. March 17, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Olympic trials berth on the line at Banff, Canmore curling mixed doubles". Rocky Mountain Outlook. December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "The Road to Italy!". Curling Canada. December 10, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Robichaud UNB Reds Profile". University of New Brunswick. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Robichaud Past Teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.