Glenn Howard shakes up his team; Jon Mead and Craig Savill are out, son Scott and Wayne Middaugh are in

Father and son will try, together, to get to the top of the curling world.

Scott Howard is joining Team Glenn Howard next season as part of a team shake up announced by the skip, today. He'll be the team's new lead, replacing Craig Savill.

"Obviously, it's been a bit of a dream for myself and my son to play together and I've realized that that's my biggest priority," said Howard. "To finish my career with my son."

It's not the only move, either. Wayne Middaugh, who semi-retired from the game this season will be back as Howard's vice in 2015-16, while current vice Rich Hart steps into the second position.

They are moves that leave Howard with mixed emotions. The happiness of taking on the elite teams of the curling world along with his 24 year old son is tempered with the sadness of saying goodbye to friends Savill and Jon Mead. Mead had joined the team this season. Savill, of course, has been throwing lead stones for Howard since 2004, winning 8 provincial championships, two Briers and two World Championships along the way.

“Incredible sense of humour and a great friend," Howard said, when specifically asked about his decision to let Savill go. "A perfect teammate. I get upset thinking that I’m not playing with him. That’s really going to be tough.”

However, the lure of adding his son to the line-up was just too much to resist. The 52 year old skip has had that on his mind for a while, now, but didn't think it was going to come to pass.

“Obviously, super-excited to be playing with my son. I wondered if it was ever going to happen. Now, I’m going to have that opportunity to play with him for the remainder of my career, however long that’s going to be.”

It's a move that Howard insists is not all about the warm and fuzzies, either. He's proud of his son, it's true. As a skip, however, he sees Scott as a valuable addition who can help the rink step forward and make Howard's last few years of pro-level curling more successful.

“I believe he deserves to be on this team," said Howard, who watched his son book an 87% (tied for 8th among leads) at the 2015 Brier. "He’s a good player. I really am stoked to be playing with him. This is going to be fun.”

The wheels for these changes were set in motion last week when Scott Howard's team - which went 5 and 6 at The Brier - began to disintegrate.

First, the team - skipped by Mark Kean - lost second David Mathers. That was followed by third Mat Camm's departure shortly thereafter. It was then that father got to thinking that maybe things were aligning just right, in order for his vision to come true.

“The more I got thinking about it the more I thought this might be the perfect opportunity for father and son to join," Howard said. "Then it was a matter of how to fill in the spaces. I had a good conversation with Rich and happened to be talking to Wayne Middaugh and he got telling me that he’s still interested in curling.”

With a little more back and forth over the weekend and with Hart saying he'd be happy to play second ("Really excited about the new team," Hart wrote this morning), Howard had his new line-up in place.

Then came the difficult phone calls, to Savill and Mead, on Sunday night.

“It was a shock to me to hear the news,” said Savill, who will immediately become one of the most sought after free agents on the curling scene. "We didn’t have the greatest season but I didn’t see Glenn going in that direction,” he continued, obviously still trying to process the news on Monday morning.

While upset by it, Savill says he is moving forward with gratitude and great expectations.

“No ill will to Glenn. I had a great ten year run with Glenn. Couldn’t have played with a nicer guy. Very grateful for that and the years we spent together. Things don’t last forever and you have to move on.”

“I understand where Glenn’s coming from, wanting to play with his son, near the end of his career.”

The 36 year old Savill, of course, is far from done and has already put out some feelers. “I’m looking forward to finding a team that has the same goals, that wants to work as hard as I do and make a run at The Olympics,” he said.

Speaking of The Olympics, that's exactly what Glenn Howard says he has in mind. Realistically, this is his last shot at a berth and he was quick to answer the question as to whether his team is ready for the grind towards 2018.

“Yes we are,” he replied, then added that not all of the details have been worked out. “The question’s going to be how much curling we’re going to do leading up. I believe it’s going to be lots."

While playing with son was one of the motivating factors behind Howard's decision to change things up, it wasn't the only one. This season has been a struggle for his rink, even though it is ranked number 9 in the World Curling Tour's Order of Merit standings. They have not won an event. They were eliminated from a provincial crown early, failing to even make it to the Ontario Tankard.

“I thought we had a great team on paper. (But) I thought we were just off a little bit. We didn’t seem to have the mojo going."

Middaugh, who won a Brier and world championship with Howard in 2012, didn't fully retire this season. He served as an alternate for Peter Corner's team and saw a fair bit of action during the Ontario playdowns and late in The Tankard. He's 47. Hart, the Brier and world Champion (2007) who came out of retirement to rejoin Howard this season, is 46.

“Really, Rich and Wayne are like big brothers to Scott,” said Howard, adding that his son is "so pumped to be playing with the old man.”

“On the other side of it, I’m devastated not to be playing with Craig and John," Howard said, sadly. "I really struggled with that decision."

“I’m an emotional guy. I’m a loyal guy. I just hate that part of our game," Howard said of letting Mead and Savill go. "Unfortunately, I felt it was necessary at this time of my career. I wish them nothing but the best. We’re going to remain friends, I’m sure everything will be fine. But I really struggle with that. I don’t enjoy that part of our game. I don’t ever want to do it again."

"I just hate that.”

As of now, both Savill and Mead are scheduled to play with Hart and Howard at next week's Players' Championship, in Toronto.