Brad Gushue's Team Newfoundland and Labrador defeated Brad Jacobs' Team Canada 4-2 on March 5, 2026, to finish undefeated at 8-0 and claim the top spot in Pool A at the Montana's Brier in St. John's, N.L. The victory, amid a raucous crowd of over 6,000, sets up Gushue for a playoff opener against Manitoba's Matt Dunstone. Alberta's Kevin Koe also went unbeaten at 8-0 to top Pool B.
The Montana's Brier reached the end of its round-robin stage on March 5, 2026, at the Mary Brown's Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with playoff spots confirmed after intense final draws. In the marquee Pool A matchup, hometown favourite Brad Gushue skipped his rink of Mark Nichols, Brendan Bottcher, and Geoff Walker to a 4-2 win over Olympic gold medallists Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert of Team Canada. Gushue curled at a game-high 95 per cent, scoring the game's only multiple points with a deuce in the ninth end via a double takeout, then sealing the victory with another double in the 10th.
The atmosphere electrified the sold-out arena, with fans cheering, ringing cowbells, and singing Newfoundland classics like 'Heave Away' and 'Islander.' Gushue, a six-time Brier champion seeking a record seventh in his final tournament before retirement, remarked, 'This Thursday afternoon in St. John’s is better than a lot of Brier finals.' Teammate Nichols added, 'The atmosphere was playoff-like. It was so much fun.' Jacobs, whose team had won four straight against Gushue prior to this, praised the opponents: 'That’s the best we’ve seen them play.'
In Pool A, Ontario's rookie skip Jayden King earned the third playoff spot at 5-3 with a 9-4 win over Saskatchewan's Kelly Knapp, edging Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard on a head-to-head tiebreaker. Pool B saw Alberta's Kevin Koe finish 8-0 atop the standings, followed by Manitoba's Matt Dunstone at 7-1 after a 6-3 victory over Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen, who was eliminated at 5-3. Fellow Manitoban Braden Calvert secured third at 5-3 with an 8-4 win over Northern Ontario.
Playoffs begin March 6 with 1/2 qualifiers: Gushue vs. Dunstone at 12 p.m. ET and Koe vs. Jacobs at 6 p.m. ET. The winner on Sunday represents Canada at the world championships in Ogden, Utah, from March 27 to April 4. Gushue's team benefited from a warmer arena due to enthusiastic crowds, as noted by ice technician Greg Ewasko, with temperatures rising seven to nine degrees during their games.