Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador edged Nova Scotia’s Kendal Thompson 9-8 in an extra end on Tuesday at the 2026 Montana’s Brier in St. John’s, maintaining his undefeated 5-0 record. The hometown favourite admitted his team was not sharp, crediting luck for the win after a missed shot by Thompson in the ninth end. Meanwhile, Brad Jacobs and Kevin Koe also secured victories to join Gushue at the top of their pools.
The 2026 Montana’s Brier, the Canadian men’s curling championship, continued Tuesday in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, marking the third time the event has been hosted there. Attendance has been strong, with locals and visitors from afar, including a couple from near the Chicago Curling Club, enjoying the hospitality despite challenges like a minus-15 windchill.
In a tense Pool A matchup, six-time Brier champion Brad Gushue faced Kendal Thompson of Nova Scotia. Thompson controlled much of the game, shooting at 92 per cent and outcurling Gushue, but flashed his final stone in the ninth end, allowing Gushue a steal of two for an 8-6 lead. Nova Scotia responded with two in the tenth to force an extra end, where Thompson again failed to secure shot stone, handing Gushue the 9-8 victory. “Oh my god [laughs], yeah, it was always in doubt. That was a scary game. We weren't very sharp today,” Gushue said post-game. He attributed struggles to textured rocks introduced Monday, which sharpen stones for more curl but disrupt his team’s adaptation.
Brad Jacobs of Canada defeated Quebec’s Jean-Michel Ménard 8-4, improving to 5-0. Quebec led 4-3 at the break but faltered after the fifth end as Jacobs connected on key shots. In Pool B, Kevin Koe of Alberta topped Matt Dunstone of Manitoba 7-6 in the evening, both entering at 4-0; Koe shot 88 per cent for a 5-0 mark. Earlier, Dunstone beat Braden Calvert 6-3 in an all-Manitoba clash.
Other results included Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen edging British Columbia’s Cody Tanaka 11-10 in 11 ends for 5-1, Northern Ontario’s Sandy MacEwan routing Tanaka 11-3 (moving to 2-3), and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Nathan Young beating Ontario’s Jayden King 10-8, tying both at 3-3. Rookie skip King, the first Black skip at the Brier, has losses only to Gushue and Jacobs.
As Gushue nears retirement after 20 years since his 2006 Olympic gold, teammate Mark Nichols, 46, is reflecting on his future but remains focused on the tournament. The team, including Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker, has won six Briers since 2017. Koe, a four-time Brier winner, leads skips in shooting percentage at 89 per cent despite limited pre-event practice due to Olympic commitments.
Top three teams per pool advance to playoffs Friday; the winner represents Canada at the world championship in Ogden, Utah, from March 27 to April 4.
