Canadian Men's Curling Championship: Montana's Brier Kicks Off in Kelowna
Image credits: Darryl Dyck/CP
The 2025 Montana's Brier is set to kick off tonight at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., featuring a strong field of 18 teams, including nine of the top-10 teams in the Canadian rankings. Defending champion Brad Gushue, who is aiming for a record seventh national title, will begin his quest against Ty Dilello of Newfoundland and Labrador in the opening draw. Gushue's team has been working hard to get back on track after a rare winless performance at the Grand Slam of Curling's WFG Masters in Guelph, Ont.
Other notable teams competing in the tournament include Manitoba's Matt Dunstone, Alberta's Brad Jacobs, Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen, and Northern Ontario's John Epping. The top five teams in the rankings are tightly packed, with Dunstone leading the way, followed closely by Jacobs, McEwen, Gushue, and Epping. The field also features rising stars such as Sam Mooibroek of Ontario, Nova Scotia's Owen Purcell, and Rylan Kleiter of Saskatchewan. The competition is expected to be fierce, with the top three teams in each pool advancing to the qualifying games and the Page playoffs.
The Harnden brothers, E.J. and Ryan, are also competing in the tournament, with E.J. joining Matt Dunstone's Manitoba-based team earlier this season and Ryan having curled with the team since 2023. Brad Jacobs, who is skipping an Alberta-based team, will open the tournament on Saturday afternoon against Team Yukon, skipped by Thomas Scoffin. The 2025 tournament is Jacobs' 15th appearance in the annual event, and he is looking to add to his impressive resume, which includes a championship win in 2013 with Team Northern Ontario.
The schedule for the tournament is as follows:
- Draw 1: Friday, Feb. 28, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 2: Saturday, March 1, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 3: Saturday, March 1, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 4: Sunday, March 2, 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
- Draw 5: Sunday, March 2, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 6: Sunday, March 2, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 7: Monday, March 3, 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
- Draw 8: Monday, March 3, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 9: Monday, March 3, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 10: Tuesday, March 4, 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
- Draw 11: Tuesday, March 4, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 12: Tuesday, March 4, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 13: Wednesday, March 5, 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
- Draw 14: Wednesday, March 5, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 15: Wednesday, March 5, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 16: Thursday, March 6, 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
- Draw 17: Thursday, March 6, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
- Draw 18: Thursday, March 6, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
The current standings are as follows:
- Pool A:
- Alberta (Kevin Koe) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- British Columbia (Cameron de Jong) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Canada (Brad Gushue) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Manitoba (Reid Carruthers) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Manitoba (Matt Dunstone) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- New Brunswick (James Grattan) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Newfoundland and Labrador (Ty Dilello) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Northern Ontario (John Epping) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Nunavut (Shane Latimer) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Pool B:
- Alberta (Brad Jacobs) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Northwest Territories (Aaron Bartling) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Nova Scotia (Owen Purcell) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Ontario (Sam Mooibroek) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Prince Edward Island (Tyler Smith) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Quebec (Felix Asselin) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Saskatchewan (Rylan Kleiter) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Saskatchewan (Mike McEwen) - 0 wins, 0 losses
- Yukon (Thomas Scoffin) - 0 wins, 0 losses
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