I am not sure if the finish of the first ever match of Rock League could have gone much better with two games coming down to the final stone. All the players gathered around the sheet of the men's game for the final shot. Really cool.

This initial Rock League broadcast is the first time for a new thing, so certainly some growing pains and technical things to work through which I expect we will see this week or for next season. But biggest positive for me is the pace. I can't look away.

Curling is NOT OVER This week begins a very interesting project, Rock League, done by the Grand Slam of Curling. They have created six professional teams that will play mens, womens, mixed, and mixed doubles games with some experimental rules (7 ends, expanded no-tick, 2-point pinhole, etc)

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The context here is that Gruyère cheese sponsors the World Curling championships and you get a huge brick of cheese for medaling

"When something isn’t working, we fix it.” That was the mantra for Niklas Edin and Sweden en route to winning an unbelievable eighth world title. Ben Hoppe (@hoppecurls) has more from on-site in Ogden, Utah: https://bit.ly/4to4BwV

Bummed I wasn't able to get a beer with anyone last night or tonight in Ogden, but as I wrap up after a long event, I can't help but reflect on what turned out to be such a fun week.

My recap of the culmination of the week in Ogden as Niklas Edin wins an incredible 8th world championship 👇

Edin told me after the game he still has 4 wedges of Le Gruyère cheese in his freezer at home. Talk about a flex.

Team Edin hasn't discussed their plans for the future yet. Edin has Rock League this week. They're then getting medals from the King of Sweden in recognition of their long streak of success. After that is complete, they'll sit down and have a long discussion about their future.

Sweden is golden once again! Niklas Edin wins his 8th world championship. What a clinical performance in the gold medal game.

Dunstone heavy on his draw. Might be inching close to #8 for Nik Edin.

The teams have been trading scores of two all game with two major exceptions: Canada forced in the second end and Canada blanking the 4th end. The result: Canada down by 3 with hammer in the 9th end. Current win probability: 1.7%

Excellent timeout from Canada. Put the rock in a great position to help generate a two. Getting two in the 7th keeps them alive.

Deuce - force - deuce for Sweden. Hard to draw it up much better than that.

Canada isn't really making much for mistakes so far, but Sweden is looking incredibly sharp to start this game.

Niklas Edin goes aggressive in the first end and forces Dunstone to make a chase. Edin follows with a wonderful double back. Gold medal match is off to a heck of a start.

Sweden throwing red. Canada throwing yellow. All is right with the world.

World Men's Curling Championship gold medal game is here!

How did Ross Whyte's team reset after last night's game to get themselves refocused on today's bronze medal game? They kicked a soccer ball really hard at a goal in the fieldhouse attached to the Weber County Ice Sheet. I'd say it worked.

Colin just told us after the game that Matt was nervous about Switzerland's final shot, and he told Colin, "I need my emotional support second!"

Bronze for Scotland! They were excellent all week and the bronze medal game was no exception. Excellent debut at world men's!

My goodness Ross Whyte. He rolled 10 feet to a nearly perfect spot and generated a force. Incredible shotmaking.

Robin Brydone with a fantastic precise run and then another great hit on his last. It's just so hard to come back against this Scotland team.

I'm not sure if you all know this, but it's always faster after the break.

Shuster was looking at a bunch of ways he could be giving up three but made a perfect roll to the only spot on the sheet to prevent it. That shot got him the steal, and we have a 5-5 tie going into the 6th end.

4 ends complete, at least two points in every end. Two teams not afraid to have rocks in play.

I talked with Shuster earlier this week about the corner guard tick shot. He really dislikes how boring it can make an end and how difficult it is to generate offense. Whyte's team is one of the best in the world at it. Shuster will love the rules of Rock League.

Doesn't appear that Shuster saw the split for 3 when he decided to play a light hit with his last. Ross Whyte made a perfect roll on his first and a perfect split on his last to start the bronze medal game strong.

30 minutes away from the World Men's bronze medal game. Will Ross Whyte win a medal in his first world championship? Or will John Shuster's team win a medal in their last game together? This will be the last game of competitive international play for at least Plys and Hufman.

Niklas Edin will be playing for his 8th world championship! Sweden downs the USA and will be playing Canada for gold. USA vs Scotland for bronze.

Dunstone steals for the win! Scotland has been a freight train and Canada stopped them in their tracks in that second half.

Shuster steals one. We will play an extra end!

Ross Whyte has had two ends stolen on him all event. Once in their first game against Sweden. Once in their second game against Japan. Both were losses. It has been a week since he last surrendered a steal. He is in tough shape to score 1 right now.

Shuster almost had the wildest miss to find a way to score two I had ever seen, but the ricochet rock doesn't spin Sweden's second counter quite far enough. USA will need to steal if they want to go to the gold medal game. Sweden has allowed 5 stolen ends all week.

After Scotland gives up their first three of the entire event, Ross Whyte makes a light tap to come back and score two.

Edin given the opportunity for a blank attempt in the 8th after a precise draw to a slice of the paint by Shuster, but he elects to draw for a single instead to retain hammer in the even ends. This 9th end is going to be fascinating.

Matt Dunstone just needed to hit paint for three and now takes a 1 point lead going into the 8th. That was the first score of more than two points Scotland has given up for the entire event.

A lot of symmetry between the two semifinals. One blank in the first three ends, with two hammer conversions, followed by two forces. Each higher seeded team gets a score of two with hammer in the 6th.

The air in the building is tense right now. It feels like so much is riding on every shot, and the fans know it.

Loud "Let's Go Scotland, Let's Go!" chant after the score of two for Whyte. The Canadian fans responded with a "Let's Go Canada, Let's Go!" response.

Rocks in the house made for an up-and-down 1st end in Sweden-USA matchup. 2nd end will get a bit spicier, no doubt. Canada put up double center guards in the first end, Scotland made two draws around, and the hammer conversion was on from there. Big cheer as Whyte makes his shot for 2.

We've got Lose Yourself playing in the arena. Mom's spaghetti. Let's get this thing going.

Scotland and Sweden will be throwing the red rocks in the semifinal. USA and Canada with yellow.

Just under 30 minutes away from semifinals start. The quarterfinals winners are switching sheets from this morning. USA goes to sheet D next to the stands, playing against Sweden. Canada-Scotland play on B. Sheet D has been good but the most different of the 4 sheets.

I wasn't able to get a photo of it but Hufman and Hamilton had their arms on each other's shoulders as Hösli delivered his last stone in the extra. They're embracing these last moments and games together.

Shuster asked if he thought about that possibly being the last game for Plys and Hufman. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about that in the last few ends." Said he was thinking of it for himself too since he hasn't made a decision on his future yet.

USA steals in the extra for the win! They move on to play Sweden this afternoon.

Shuster always plays aggressive, and he stayed aggressive there making a fantastic double to sit 3. Switzerland trying to see if they have any way to score 1.

Matt Dunstone on playing Scotland in the semifinal in a few hours: "We owe them one." Scotland defeated Canada 8-3 early in the round robin