So far, so good.

George Hilderman and his Yukon men’s rink started the 2015 Canadian Masters Curling Championship with a bang yesterday, opening with a key 7-6 victory over Saskatchewan’s Bill Weppler.

Hilderman’s draw for four in the fourth end was a turning point in the contest, drawing applause from a small crowd of supporters on hand in the Whitehorse Curling Club’s viewing gallery.

“To start off a tournament of this calibre with a win, we’re very happy,” the 61-year-old skipper told the Star post-game.

“You take the W.”

Hilderman and his team of Gord Zealand (third), Clarence Jack (second) and Richard Trimble (lead) felt confident playing on their home ice.

“It’s all positive,” said Hilderman of the advantage to playing at home. “I see it in my team; they’re playing a lot more relaxed and that’s important. If you’re relaxed, you’re going to have fun and get some Ws.

“There’s nothing like a home environment. It’s nice to have that support.”

After Weppler opened with a single in the first end, Hilderman calmly drew for a deuce in the second end to go up 2-1.

After Saskatchewan drew even in the third, Hilderman sent a rock between two guards for his big score of four – and a 6-2 lead.

“Clarence made a nice come-around draw to set up that end,” said Hilderman. “That’s how we got our four. They started chasing us. It’s nice to have that four-point lead.”

Weppler settled for a score of two in the fifth when his hammer stone came up light, and Hilderman scored a key single point in the sixth on a double takeout for a 7-4 lead.

Saskatchewan would add a single in the seventh but their attempt at a steal of two in the eighth was for naught as Hilderman drew to the button against two opposing stones.

While Saskatchewan still scored a single on the play, it wasn’t enough to force an extra end.

Yukon second Clarence Jack made a pivotal double-raise takeout to clear the house of Saskatchewan stones to help preserve the victory.

Last year, Saskatchewan swept the podium at nationals in Coaldale, Alta., with Eugene Hritzuk and Merle Kopach claiming double gold for the prairie province.

Meanwhile, Hilderman said his rink finished ninth last year.

Weppler, a 61-year-old from Regina, said the Whitehorse ice was keen and had more swing than what his team was used to.

“I just found I was a little heavy on everything,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hilderman said he wasn’t nervous, despite the hoopla that comes with being a host team, as well as facing the defending champion province right out of the gate.

“We just played as simple as possible the first three or four ends,” he said.

“Overall, we played quite consistent, but we still have some work to do.”

The first draw was followed by an opening ceremony that saw each of the teams flood onto the ice behind the pompous sound of the Yukon’s Midnight Sun Pipe Band.

City officials and territorial delegates welcomed the curlers to the Yukon capital.

In lieu of the traditional opening draw to the button, the group – which included Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Ruth Massie, MLA Brad Cathers and Mayor Dan Curtis – downed shooters following the singing of the national anthem, before MC Craig Tuton declared the event officially open.

This morning, Hilderman scored another four-ender in the fifth end against Quebec (0-2) en route to an 8-6 win.

With Quebec up 4-1 at the time, Hilderman’s big score was followed by a steal in six.

Quebec skip Michel Lachance would score two in the seventh to tie the game up 6-6, but Hilderman came up with a clutch deuce of his own in the eighth end for the victory and an early record of 2-0.

Hilderman and company will be back on the ice tonight at 4 p.m. to face off with Manitoba (2-0).

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The territory’s women’s rinks didn’t fare as well in their opening draws last night.

Coming off their win at the International Bonspiel Sunday, Ellen Johnson’s team couldn’t keep up the momentum, dropping their opener 9-3 to Ontario’s Diana Favel.

After opening with a deuce, Ontario struck for three in the fourth and seventh ends, while limiting the Yukon to singles in the second, third and fifth.

Meanwhile, one sheet over, Pat Banks’s host rink lost to Alberta 8-3.

That game came down to a catastrophic fifth end, where Alberta’s Linda Wagner scored a whopping five points to go up 6-3.

After Alberta scored a single in the first, Banks tied the game in the second before stealing singles in the third and fourth ends for an early 3-1 lead.

Alberta stole singles in the sixth and seventh ends, leading to handshakes.

Johnson’s rink will face Quebec at noon today, followed by Northern Ontario at 7:30 tonight.

Banks will battle Manitoba and Saskatchewan today.

For full results and real-time scores, visit masters2015.wordpress.com/.