Manitoba's Matt Dunstone, at 30 the youngest winning skip in two decades, captured his first Canadian men's curling championship on March 10, 2026, defeating Alberta's Kevin Koe 6-3 in the Tim Hortons Brier final at Mary Brown's Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The victory ends Manitoba's 15-year title drought since 2011, marks Dunstone's third straight final appearance, and earns Team Manitoba a spot at the World Men’s Curling Championship in Ogden, Utah, from March 27 to April 6.
Born and raised in Winnipeg and a member of the Granite Curling Club, 30-year-old Matt Dunstone achieved a lifelong dream by skipping Team Manitoba to victory in his fifth Brier appearance. After runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2025, plus a loss in the 2025 Canadian Curling Trials final, Dunstone—now training at the Kamloops Curling Club in British Columbia since 2018 following stints in Saskatchewan (Brier semifinals in 2020-21)—led his rink past hometown favourite Brad Gushue in the first playoff round (7-5 Page 1-2 qualifier on March 6 with a three-point 10th-end double takeout), Brad Jacobs 7-3 in the semifinal (rallying from 3-2 with two in the eighth and three steals in the 10th), and an undefeated Koe in the final.
Facing Koe's four-time champion squad (51 years old), which had beaten Dunstone 7-6 in pool play and 9-7 in an extra-end Page 1-2 playoff on March 7, Manitoba overcame a 2-1 early deficit amid three blanks. Dunstone scored three in the seventh via a tap and roll after Koe's miss—prompting 'It's time to dance'—for a 4-2 lead, added two in the ninth with a double takeout for 6-3, and ran Koe out in the 10th. Shooting 94% efficiency (team 90%), Dunstone far outperformed Koe's 85%.
Overcome with emotion before his clinching shot, Dunstone reflected: "I pretty much told myself ... that the five or six-year-old me would be so proud." He fell to his knees post-win, joined by third Colton Lott (mixed doubles specialist who replaced B.J. Neufeld), second E.J. Harnden (tournament MVP for his fourth Brier title, retiring after the season but playing worlds: "I never imagined it was going to end this way"), and lead Ryan Harnden (Dunstone/Lott's first Brier).
"This moment feels way more incredible than I ever would have imagined," Dunstone said of past heartbreaks. "The heartbreak that this group has had... I played free and loose all week." Koe has not announced plans. Total attendance reached 143,100, highest since 2017. As defending champions, Team Manitoba secures the 2027 Brier berth in Saskatoon. A celebration is planned at Kamloops Curling Club, and Dunstone's 2013 alma mater, Linden Christian School in Winnipeg, congratulated him online. Dunstone is excited for worlds: "We are beyond pumped to put the Maple Leaf on and hopefully keep the winning going."
