Team Gushue claims Pool A’s top-spot with win over Team Jacobs at 2026 Montana’s Brier

Just like a proper fireworks show, it’s always best to end with your loudest and brightest bang.

And that’s exactly how Pool A concluded on Thursday afternoon at the 2026 Montana’s Brier, presented by AGI, with Newfoundland and Labrador’s Team Brad Gushue (8-0; St. John’s) winning the all-Brad battle 4-2 over Team Canada, skipped by Brad Jacobs,  to secure Pool A’s No. 1 seed.

And though both Brads had already secured playoff berths into respective Page 1-2 qualifiers, set for Friday at 1:30 p.m., (all times NT), there was plenty left to play for in the pool-play finale, with the winner earning both hammer and choice of stones in at least their playoff opener.

Also not mentioned in the spoils of victory is the adoration of the crowd, which Team Gushue, completed by third Mark Nichols, second/vice-skip Brendan Bottcher, lead Geoff Walker, alternate Adam Casey, and coach Jeff Hoffart, have had in a vice-grip all week long.

“You know, you had 6,000 people there,” said Gushue. “To put on a good show, it felt (like) the intensity of a playoff game, at least from our standpoint. I know Team Jacobs are probably pretty tired from the last number of weeks, but from our standpoint, it was a 100 per cent game. We wanted to show our best out there today.”

Both teams barely gave an inch in the closely contested match but seven ends of posturing, single-point tallies, and elite shot-making nearly went pear-shaped on Team Gushue in the eighth, who spent a vast quantity of time in the frame unsuccessfully chasing a double peel.

Despite the arduous end, Team Gushue mustered a run-back on Gushue’s last, earning important blank out of a situation stickier than a rack of Montana’s BBQ and Bar ribs.

“Eighth end was a really bad end,” said Gushue. “We didn’t make anything in that end until my last one. Fortunately, (Jacobs) left that (double). He could have come in the rings and forced us to take one and get the hammer back but he played for the steal. To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing. We executed, got the runback, but not only that, got the blank as well, so that was a big one.”

Team Canada finally blinked first in the ninth, giving way to the game’s first multiple-point end for the home team, who scored two via an open hit with hammer.

“We got a mistake from Ben (Hebert), which we don’t get often when we play Ben,” said Gushue. “He came a little deep on the first and allowed us to stack a second one in there. After the lead stones, we had all the angles. I knew it was going to be a tough blank for us unless they forced the issue and likely were going to have a shot for a two or three there — ended up having an open hit.”

It proved to be the game’s fatal blow as Team Jacobs did sit two with hammer in the 10th, but Team Gushue exacted a double take-out to run the 2026 Winter Olympic gold medallist out of rocks.

Team Jacobs is taking the loss in stride and knows that more important games await the Calgary-based team in the playoffs.

“Perfect game to lose,” laughed Jacobs. “We’re still in the bonspiel. No big deal, just got to play a little bit better than that. That’s all. Those guys played great too. We’ve had their number a lot in the last couple of years here and I think that’s the best we’ve seen them play. It’s good for their fans and it’s good for them.”

Before Thursday’s feature, Team Jacobs owned a 5-1 record head-to-head versus Team Gushue since 2025, including a split 1-1 record at the 2025 Montana’s Brier.

“There’s much more in terms of [higher] gears for this team,” said Jacobs. “I’d say that we’re preserving a bit for the weekend. It’s not now that we get the evening off and the morning off and we can come out hopefully refreshed and ready to go for tomorrow’s game.”

Ontario’s Team Jayden King (5-3; Tillsonburg) claimed the third available playoff spot at the 2026 Montana’s Brier with a 9-4 win over Saskatchewan’s Team Kelly Knapp (3-5; Regina), and will have a spot in the Page 3-4 qualifier Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The playoff format will see the first-place team from Pool A meeting second place from Pool B, and vice versa, in the first round of the playoffs at 1:30 p.m. (all times NT) on Friday, with the winners going directly to the Page playoff 1-2 game, while the losers meet the third-place finishers in the pools Friday at 7:30 p.m. The winners of those games will advance to the Page playoff 3-4 game.

The standard Page playoffs commence with the winner of the Page 1v2 game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., advancing directly to the final, and the loser plays the winner of the Page 3v4 game (scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday) in the semifinal. 

The semifinal (Sunday at 1:30 p.m.) winner takes on the winner of the Page 1v2 game in the gold-medal game at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The winner will represent Canada at the 2026 LGT World Men’s Curling Championship March 27-April 4 in Ogden, Utah.

In other action on Thursday afternoon, Nova Scotia’s Team Kendal Thompson (2-6; Halifax) downed Nunavut’s Team Derek Samagalski (0-8; Iqaluit) 12-2, and Québec’s Team Jean-Michel Ménard (5-3; Des Collines, Glenmore, Belvédère, Etchemin, Valleyfield) rode into the sunset a winner, ending his men’s career on an 8-3 win over Prince Edward Island’s Team Tyler Smith (3-5; Crapaud).

The 2026 Montana’s Brier continues Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2026 Montana’s Brier are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2026 Montana’s Brier. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2026 Montana’s Brier, go to www.curling.ca/2026brier/tickets/

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/fr/2026brier/nouvelles/