Team P.E.I. has been fined $2,000 for conceding a game too early at the Brier this week.

P.E.I. was down 11-1 to Glenn Howard's Ontario team on Wednesday when it quit after five ends of the 10-end match.

P.E.I. skip Eddie MacKenzie's rink finished at the bottom of standings with a 1-10 record at the competition in London, Ont.

"At the time, we were quite frustrated. We've had a rough week here, not playing up to our potential for sure," Mackenzie told CBC News Thursday.

"Ontario came over and said, 'You know, we feel your pain. If you don't want to keep going, we'll split any fines with you.'"

MacKenzie said his team was aware when it conceded it would be fined $2,000.

P.E.I. quit again after seven ends in its match against B.C. Thursday, but that is permissible under the rules. Team P.E.I. only played the full 10 ends in three of its 11 matches.

Bad for fans

Shirley Lank, the president of the P.E.I. Curling Association, said MacKenzie's rink made the wrong choice when it quit against Ontario.

"The rule's in place because people are buying tickets and they're going to watch these games. And they want to see a team play, and they're not happy when a team doesn't play any more than five ends," she said.

P.E.I. curlers had a mixed reaction to the provincial team's decision.

"I think they should've kept going and done the best they could just to show their supporters that they tried no matter what," said Maria Walsh.

Cassidy MacDonald said she understood. "You have to think about the emotional roller coaster they're going through when they're down 11-1. And why should they have to put themselves through that is the question. I don't think they should have to," the student said.

"I think for younger kids like me, it's kind of a bad message. Whenever you're losing in hockey, you don't say let's shake hands and go on," Melissa Ellis said.

The Canadian Curling Association said that in the history of the Brier, there have only been a few fines handed out for conceding too early.

It is considering making teams play to the end no matter what to avoid the problem happening again.