Brad Gushue Aims for Fourth Consecutive Brier Title in Kelowna

Image credits: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

The 2025 Montana's Brier is underway in Kelowna, British Columbia, with defending champion Brad Gushue looking to make history by becoming the first skip to win four consecutive Brier titles. Gushue, who is currently ranked fourth in Canada, opened his campaign with a convincing 9-2 win over Newfoundland and Labrador's Ty Dilello on Friday night. The St. John's skip is tied with Randy Ferbey for the most all-time Brier titles with six and is seeking to secure an automatic berth in the 2026 playdowns.

Gushue's team, which includes vice Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker, got off to a strong start, scoring two in the first end and stealing one in the third and two more in the fourth to build a 5-0 lead. A steal of three more in the seventh end essentially iced the game, giving Gushue a comfortable 9-2 win. The team's performance was described as "firing on all cylinders" by Gushue, who noted that they had "really good control over the ice" and placed a lot of draws well. Gushue is looking to become the first skip to win four straight Brier titles, which would be a historic achievement.

In other games, Manitoba's Matt Dunstone, who is currently ranked number one in Canada, got off to a good start, beating Alberta's Kevin Koe 6-2 in a game that featured a dominant performance from Dunstone's team. The game was punctuated by a game-ending double kill for three in the ninth end, which sealed the win for Dunstone. Northern Ontario's John Epping also won his opening game, beating New Brunswick's James Grattan 7-6 in an extra end. The Brier continues through Thursday night, with the final set for March 9, and Gushue will be looking to maintain his momentum throughout the tournament.

The tournament features a strong field, with several top-ranked teams competing for the title. Manitoba's Reid Carruthers, who won his opening game 6-5 over British Columbia's Cameron de Jong, is one of the contenders, along with Alberta's Brad Jacobs, who is competing in his 15th Brier. The tournament schedule is as follows:

• Round-robin play continues through Thursday night
• The final is set for March 9
• The B Pool takes to the ice on Saturday afternoon at 1:30
• The A Pool gets back at it on Saturday at 6:30

The Brier is one of the most prestigious events in Canadian curling, and the competition is expected to be fierce. Gushue and his team will need to be at the top of their game if they are to succeed in their bid for a fourth consecutive title.

The season-ending Players' Championship in April will be the final event before the rankings are locked in, and Gushue will be looking to finish the season strong to secure his spot in the 2026 playdowns. With a win at the Brier, Gushue would seal his spot in the 2026 playdowns, but if he doesn't win, he will have to hope that one of the teams ahead of him wins. The pressure is on, but Gushue is confident in his team's abilities and is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

brier montana gushue curl brad dunstone koe fourth matt 2025