Dave Johnston's last rock rubbed on a guard in the Kelly Cup semifinal.
His opponent, Bill Lim, won the game and went on to defeat Scott Horvath in the final to claim the storied trophy and championship.
That was 2013.
On Thursday, Johnston and his same rink return to the ice at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club to take a shot at the 88th edition of the Kelly Cup.
"It's all about playing with four friends for the fun of it," said Johnston, the third on the crew that's skipped by Garnet Boese. "We hope to be competitive. We'll go out and have a good time and put our best out there and see what happens."
Boese's team also includes Dave's son Darrell Johnston and long-time lead Bob Kapphahan. Boese and Dave Johnston have played together for more than 20 years while Kapphahan joined the team 10 years ago when they convinced him to come out of curling retirement. Kapphahan and Dave Johnston have known each other since Grade 8 and played on and off together over the years.
The rink competes in the Monday night men's league and while fun is the name of the game for the team, they also take it quite seriously.
"When the guys get in the hack, they're very competitive and go out and make their shot," said Kapphahan, who at 59 is six months older than Dave Johnston, who just turned 59. "You know everyone is going to do it (play their best)."
While Boese, Kapphahan and Darrell Johnston are seeking their first Kelly Cup title, Dave Johnston has won three times - in 1984, 1988 and 1998. In 1994, 2008 and 2009, he lost the final.
In 1984, Dave Johnston, with John Rustad at lead, beat Boese in the final.
"The first time, you're just happy to win it. It usually comes down to last rock," said Dave Johnston.
For the team, the road to the Kelly Cup can be traced back a generation.
Kapphahan's father Bob, a founding member of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, competed in the bonspiel for years and finally won it.
"I remember when he won it and I was too young to get in," said Kapphahan. "I had to babysit so I listened to it on the radio."
Dave Johnston's dad, Keith, also played in the Kelly Cup for many years.
"I think our dads would be smiling right now," Dave Johnston said.
And for 25-year-old Darrell Johnston, he's been around the game for years.
"It was pretty interesting watching it in my childhood over the years," he said. "It almost seems less stressful now playing in it. It was pretty cool as a kid with so many people. It doesn't happen very often that you get to participate with your dad. You want to do well and I really enjoy it. I don't know of many other sports where you can play (on the same team) as your dad."
And on Sunday if the team does happen to win the cup, they'll follow a long-time tradition.
At 42 inches tall, the cup is too heavy to hoist. Instead, a Kelly Cup punch is made and served.
The first men's bonspiel was in 1921 and the Kelly Cup wasn't donated until December of 1926 by local jeweller John Kelly, who made the cup. It was awarded for the first time to the champion in 1927.
In the bonspiel's glory days, 128 teams used to play around the clock. Those were in the days of the corn brooms that caused massive blisters on players' hands. The Kelly was also broadcast on the radio on CKPG.
For the first time ever, the Kelly Cup is being run simultaneously with the PGGCC ladies bonspiel.
If there's one thing that binds the Boese team together it's the friendship and camaraderie between the players.
"It doesn't matter if we go down four-straight or win, with the women's (bonspiel), it will be a really good time," said Kapphahan.
