Less than a week after securing gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Canada's Brad Jacobs curling rink begins defending its Montana’s Brier title in St. John's, Newfoundland. The team, coached by Paul Webster, overcame a cheating controversy during the Games to claim victory over Great Britain. They face Prince Edward Island's Tyler Smith in their opening match on Friday evening.
Canada's men's curling team, skipped by Brad Jacobs with third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert, arrived in St. John's as fresh Olympic champions. On Saturday in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, they defeated Great Britain 9-6 in the gold-medal final, marking Canada's first men's curling Olympic triumph since 2010. Coach Paul Webster, who left his role at Curling Canada four years ago to guide the team full-time, described the moment: “I yelled, ‘We f***ing did it!’” He emphasized the humbling experience of supporting the athletes under pressure, noting, “Watching them perform, stay connected and trust the process under that level of pressure is the real reward for me.”
The path to gold included a controversy early in the tournament. Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson accused Kennedy of "double-touching" the rock after release, prompting a profanity-laced response from Kennedy that earned a warning from World Curling. Hebert, reflecting on the incident, said, “I'm glad that my mic was muted because I gave it to him just as good as Marc did. And that's what he deserved for trying to pull a stunt like that at the Olympic Games.” The team dismissed it as noise, with Hebert adding, “We knew it was all just noise,” and crediting the distraction for strengthening their unity. Hebert, 42 and from Regina, now holds two Olympic golds, having won in 2010 with Kevin Martin.
Webster highlighted the team's accountability: “We dealt with more noise and distraction than any team I’ve ever been part of in 20 years and the athletes never let it fracture the team dynamic. Actually, it did [strengthen us].” Despite the quick turnaround—Hebert noted jet lag and family illnesses—the group is focused forward. They plan to share their medals with Newfoundland fans, taking pictures and telling stories.
The Brier defence begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET against Tyler Smith at Mary Brown’s Centre, broadcast on TSN. Webster stated, “This group doesn’t spend much time looking backwards. The goal now is to recover, reconnect and be prepared to compete for another title.” Hebert echoed the excitement: “Life is crazy, busy schedule at the moment, but I wouldn't want it any other way.”
