Reid Carruthers and his team have been voted the top seed for the 2026 Bunge Championship, Manitoba's provincial men's curling event. As two-time defending champions, they enter as favorites in a stacked field without pre-qualified Team Matt Dunstone. The tournament introduces a new triple-knockout format with 24 teams.
The 2026 Bunge Championship, Manitoba's provincial men's curling championship, is set to begin on Tuesday in Selkirk, Manitoba. Team Reid Carruthers from the Granite Curling Club earned the top seed through a vote by fellow competitors, stepping in as favorites with Team Matt Dunstone absent due to pre-qualification for the national Brier.
Carruthers, a nine-time provincial champion, has won the title in three of the last four years, though with varying lineups. This year, he returns with the same squad that defeated Braden Calvert in last year's final: BJ Neufeld at third, Catlin Schneider at second, and Connor Njegovan at lead. Carruthers' fifth, Kyle Doering, highlighted the event's intensity: “It’s always a loaded lineup in Manitoba. This is one of, if not the hardest province to win. And so, I think whoever does win this championship will have an excellent chance at the Brier.”
The top five seeds include Team Jordon McDonald of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in second, followed by Braden Calvert of the Heather Curling Club, Brett Walter of Assiniboine in fourth, and Tanner Lott of the Fort Rouge Curling Club rounding out the group. Even without Dunstone, the field remains highly competitive. Brett Walter noted, “It’s tough. It’s one of the toughest provincials for a reason. And with how many teams there always is in this provincials, you got to be on your A-game at all times. And the competition is tough and you can’t take anybody for granted at any point.”
This year marks the first for a revised format, reducing the field from 32 to 24 teams and switching to a triple-knockout from the traditional double-knockout. Walter expressed support: “I think I’ll be in favour of it. Cause you never know, there’s always the top teams, or even some of the teams that aren’t at the top that have a bad first game, right? And then you’re already down to your last life. So, now it kind of gives you a chance to get maybe that one bad game early out of the way and deal with the struggles that you may have had on ice reading or just how you’re throwing it.”
The changes aim to provide more resilience in a province known for its deep curling talent.
