Middaugh Takes over from Hart

As expected.

“I was stunned when Richard told me he was retiring,” said Howard. “Richard and I had spent 11 years curling together, and I consider him one of my best friends.”

Howard asked Middaugh if he would be interested in joining the Coldwater foursome. Reached in Florida, where he was vacationing with his family, it didn’t take Middaugh more than a millisecond to say yes.

Despite filling in for Hart periodically last season, Middaugh had no sense he was about to retire.