Jamie Koe apologizes for team's drunken antics at Alberta bonspiel

N.W.T. curling star Jamie Koe is apologizing for his team's drunken behaviour in an Alberta bonspeil that led to them being disqualified and kicked out of a curling club.

• Olympic champ among curling foursome booted from bonspiel for being 'extremely drunk'

Koe and teammates Ryan Fry, Chris Schille and DJ Kidby were kicked out and disqualified from the Red Deer Curling Classic for getting too drunk during the event.

On Monday, Koeand Schillebothissued public apologieson Twitter to fans and event staff.

During the team's match in the 'B' draw a consolation round Fry broke three brooms.

Koe said that he removed himself from the match because he was too drunk to play, leaving his team shorthanded.

After the match, Fry put a hole in the wall of one of the locker rooms at thePidherneyCurling Club in Red Deer, Alta.

Team Koe was then kicked out of the arena and forfeited their next match, said Wade Thurber, the manager of the curling club.

Thurber said that Fry has offered to pay for the damages to the locker room.

"They made a decision and we respected it, we didn't argue it one bit and here we are today," said Koe. "We've spoken to the club, we've made it right."

Koe said this incident will be a tough one to rebound from for all members of the team.

"It's difficult with our all of our names getting tossed in the mud right now," he said. "In my mind the only way we can make it right is to go out there and curl prove what kind of curlers and people we are."

Koehas competed in 12 TimHortonsBrier championships. Fry, his teammate during the Red Deer Classic, is a former Olympic gold medallist.

Koe's sister, Kerry Galushajumped to her brother's defence, late Monday morning.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. MT Ryan Fry issued a public apology on social media. Fry's apology included a quote : "the best version of yourself comes after the worst journey you could take yourself on."

Club undecided on punishment

Thurber, the curling club's manager, said the team has sent in letters expressing how much they regret the drunken incident. He says the club is not pressing charges, but the drunken mishap will not go unpunished.

"Their behaviour on the ice was unacceptable," said Thurber. "We had a lot of teams and spectators complaining.

"We just don't know what we're going to do going forward, whether it's banning the whole team or a couple of them, or one of them."

Thurber said the tournament is continuing Monday. The committee will meet after the competition to decide what will happen next.

"It's just an unfortunate event that happened and it's unusual it's not reflective on the game of curling or these world curling tour events," said Thurber.

"Players show some emotion on occasion and have banged a broom or broken a broom now and then, but this was above and beyond that."