In living rooms from Victoria to St. John’s, hands paused over remote controls. A bartender in a Calgary pub turned up the volume. A father in a Halifax basement put down his soldering iron. On TSN’s 4K feed, the tracer line—a digital ghost—followed the stone’s predicted path: a gentle curl toward the button, a kiss on the guard, a violent collision.

The silence shattered. The crowd exploded. Mike Kan threw his broom into the air. Sarah Jenkins, face flushed, punched her fist once—a sharp, contained victory.

In the control room, Marco slumped in his chair, a grin splitting his face. The producer cued the victory montage: slow-motion replays, the sparkle of ice crystals in the lights, the embrace of the two athletes.

Clack.