Team Jacobs prepared and excited for big challenges in men’s curling at Milano Cortina 2026

If there is a pre-Games favourite in men’s curling heading into the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, most observers would say it is Team GB’s Bruce Mouat foursome.

The two-time, reigning world champions and 2022 Olympic silver medallists have been the No. 1-ranked men’s team in the world for more than a year. Fortunately for the other nine teams at the Games, being the favourite doesn’t guarantee anything.

In a statement that probably sums up how many teams heading into the Games feel, Team Canada skip Brad Jacobs told a recent online media conference: “Do you think we’re a team who cares about who the favourite is, or who people think the favourite is?”

Jacobs and teammates Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert—all Olympic veterans—are as confident heading into the Games as any team.

“This team is capable of stringing together all of the shots needed to win an Olympic gold medal.”

“This is a confident group of guys,” continued Jacobs, the 2014 Olympic gold medallist. “We work really, really hard. It’s the preparation and the things behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see that bring that confidence.

“I think it’s going to come down to who handles the pressure best. I know this team is capable of stringing together all of the shots needed to win an Olympic gold medal.”

If they succeed, it would be the first gold medal by a Canadian men’s team since 2014. The Canadian team in 2018, which included Kennedy and Hebert, lost in the bronze medal game, while Brad Gushue’s team—which included Gallant—settled for bronze in 2022.

Every member of the Jacobs team has won an Olympic medal: Kennedy gold in 2010, bronze in 2022; Hebert gold in 2010; Jacobs gold in 2014; and Gallant bronze in 2022. Between them they have 15 world championship medals, including five gold.

This is the second full season the team has been together and despite their widely different personalities they have meshed seamlessly.

“I think the biggest thing when you have these four adult males with the resumés that they came into this team with, it’s the ability to be honest with each other and be accountable to yourself and to your teammates,” said coach Paul Webster.

“We’ve created an atmosphere that we can have very difficult conversations, pointed questions … and we’re able to solve problems a lot of teams aren’t.

“For us to go into the Olympics and have an opportunity to get on the top of that podium, not only do we have to be the best curlers going into Italy, we have to be absolutely the best team.”

If they’re not, it won’t be from lack of talent or preparation, says Hebert.

“The preparation everybody’s been putting in, all the stuff coach Paul has us doing, the mindset of the guys, the leadership and our experience, if we play good we’re going to be there at the end of the week. I’m pretty confident of that.”

So what about that Mouat team?

“We’re not scared of them by any means,” said Jacobs. “I really look forward to playing them, actually, and the challenge of playing them.

“You’ve got to be really precise against those guys, but we’ve seen that they’re beatable. They’re not superhuman. Nobody is in this sport.”

Team Canada begins play Feb. 11 against Germany, skipped by Marc Muskatewitz. The 10-team round-robin concludes Feb.19 with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. The bronze medal game goes Feb. 20 and the gold medal will be determined Feb. 21

To get to that gold medal final will require the best of Team Canada. Jacobs said he expects this Olympics to be “probably the hardest event that we may ever play in our lives. And you know what? We wouldn’t want it any other way because the harder it is, if you can come through and if you win, the sweeter the victory feels. And I’m looking forward to hopefully having that feeling with my teammates when this Olympics is over.”