Scoreboard

What's On TSN

TSN BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Feb 29, 2016

Tim Hortons Brier field is one for the ages

National champions, world champions, Olympic heroes and money winners highlight arguably the most talented Tim Hortons Brier field in its history. Check out TSN.ca's preview of the 2016 men's Canadian championship.

Pat Simmons

By Ryan Horne, TSN.ca Staff

The field for the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier is arguably the most decorated and talented in the history of the Canadian men's curling championship. 

Pat Simmons and his Calgary rink will return as Team Canada in search of their third straight (second with John Morris) national title but will be opposed by some of the world's best rinks.

Northern Ontario's Brad Jacobs (Brier, Olympic champion), Newfoundland and Labrador's Brad Gushue (Olympic champ, 2015-16 money leader), Kevin Koe of Alberta (2X Brier champion) and Ontario's Glenn Howard (4X Brier, 4X world champion) will all be at TD Place Arena from March 5-13. Not to mention the very talented Mike McEwen of Manitoba making his first Brier appearance with solid rinks led by Saskatchewan's Steve Laycock, British Columbia's Jim Cotter and Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec also playing for the right to represent Canada at the world championships.

There will be no "gimmies" in Ottawa for any of these foursomes with a plethora of storylines to keep the drama percolating throughout the week.

Will Gushue finally win his first Brier in his 13th attempt? How will McEwen fare in his first Canadian championship? Can the ageless wonder and curling legend in Howard work some magic and win his fifth Brier with his son, Scott? Will a dark horse like Laycock improve on his solid bronze medal performance from 2015?

Check out TSN.ca's Tim Hortons Brier preview.

 

Top Contenders

Brad Gushue
Brad Gushue (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Lead: Geoff Walker Second: Brett Gallant Third: Mark Nichols Skip: Brad Gushue

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $128,551 (1st)
  • CTRS Rankings
    468.463 (1st)
  • Events Won
    6
  • Brier
    13

Outlook

St. John’s Brad Gushue has played in a dozen Briers and every time (well maybe not the first couple) Gushue’s rink was one of the favourites in the field.  Yet, the 35-year-old skip has never won a Canadian championship. Will No. 13 be lucky for Gushue in Ottawa? Gushue won a silver medal at the 2007 Brier in Hamilton and a bronze in London in 2011. He seemed in good shape to finally get over that hump last year in Calgary when his foursome posted a solid 9-2 record in the round robin. Team Gushue would lose the 1 vs. 2 game, the semi-final and the bronze-medal game to go home empty handed.  In 2015-16, Gushue is having the best season of his curling career, winning six events on the World Curling Tour, including the Grand Slams’ The National in Oshawa. Gushue was unable to qualify for the playoff round at the Canada Cup and lost to Brad Jacobs in the Pinty’s Skins Game final. Gushue went a perfect 5-0 at the Newfoundland and Labrador Tankard as he coasted to his 10th consecutive provincial title. He missed the 2006 event as he was winning a gold medal at the Olympics in Italy.

 

Final Word: Team Gushue will be just one of the many talented rinks in this year’s Brier field. Despite winning six events, they haven’t won a tournament since mid-November and will look to find some of that early season success in Ottawa. It won’t be easy, but this might be his best shot yet at Brier glory. 

Mike McEwen
Mike McEwen (Manitoba)

Lead: Denni Neufeld Second: Matt Wozniak Third: B.J. Neufeld Skip: Mike McEwen

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money
    $86,613 (3rd)
  • CTRS Rankings
    402.570 (3rd)
  • Events Won
    3
  • Brier
    1

Outlook

The monkey is finally off Mike McEwen’s back. McEwen and his Winnipeg foursome finally punched their first ticket to the Brier by topping Canadian junior champion Matt Dunstone 4-2 in the Manitoba final. McEwen, 35, and his rink have been together for nearly a decade and had lost five of the last six provincial finals before finally finding a way to win this season, going undefeated at provincials. Interestingly, even if Team McEwen had lost to Dunstone, their rink would still be on their way to Ottawa. Team Dunstone was always committed to playing the world junior championship (the competition is the same week as the Brier) and would have given their entry to the national championship up if they had beaten McEwen. As for 2015-16, McEwen is having another very solid year on the WCT. The rink has won three events including the Grand Slams’ Masters of Curling and made the final of the Canada Cup where they lost to Kevin Koe.

 

Final Word: This may be McEwen’s first Canadian championship, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be one of the top favourites in the nation’s capital. The native of Brandon, MB is in the prime of his career with a great rink in front of them. It would be a surprise to no one if Team McEwen wins their first Brier on their first try.   

Pat Simmons
Pat Simmons (Team Canada)

Lead: Nolan Thiessen Second: Carter Rycroft Third: John Morris Skip: Pat Simmons

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $38,773 (12th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    154.806 (12th)
  • Events Won
    3
  • Brier
    9

Outlook

Pat Simmons will look to capture a third consecutive Brier, and for the third straight season his rink from Calgary will have a different skipper heading into the tournament. In 2014, third Simmons, second Carter Rycroft and lead Nolan Thiessen won it all in Kamloops, B.C., as Kevin Koe threw skip stones.  After Koe left, Morris joined the crew as the man in charge the following season.  The rink had an automatic entry to the national championship in Calgary as Team Canada and struggled mightily until Simmons took over skip duties in the round robin. Fast forward a few days later and the 41-year-old from Moose Jaw would celebrate another championship. Simmons will be the skip in Ottawa and will look to be the first curler since Randy Ferbey (2001-2003) to win three straight Brier titles. This squad has had a successful year, winning two events on the WCT and was part of North America’s Continental Cup victory in Las Vegas.

 

Final Word: Even though they’re going for a three-peat, Simmons and Team Canada won’t be big-time favourites once again this year, simply because the field is so strong. If they’re playing their best, they are one of the best foursomes in the game, but are also capable of missing the playoffs entirely if things aren’t working out.  

Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe (Alberta)

Lead: Ben Hebert Second: Brent Laing Third: Marc Kennedy Skip: Kevin Koe

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $112,856 (2nd)
  • CTRS Rankings
    452.488 (2nd)
  • Events Won
    5
  • Brier
    5

Outlook

The new-look Kevin Koe rink has seemed to find their groove in their second full season together. After winning the Brier in 2014, Koe left his team to join a new rink of third Marc Kennedy, second Brent Laing and lead Ben Hebert. After having a so-so year (for their standards) last season, which included missing the playoffs at nationals, Team Koe have really found their way in 2015-16. The squad from Calgary has won five events, including the Grand Slams’ Tour Challenge, Canada Cup and Continental Cup as part of Team North America. They also lost in the semis of the Canadian Open and Masters of Curling. The 41-year-old Koe beat Charley Thomas 8-4 in the Alberta championship after losing to him earlier in the week. Koe won the 2010 and 2014 Canadian championships and settled for silver in 2012. He won gold at the 2010 world championships.

 

Final Word: Team Koe has what it takes to win it all and seem more prepared to do so this year than last, but will have to play their absolute best to get it done. 

Brad Jacobs
Brad Jacobs (Northern Ontario)

Lead: Ryan Harnden Second: E.J. Harnden Third: Ryan Fry Skip: Brad Jacobs

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $51,400 (8th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    275.950 (7th)
  • Events Won
    1
  • Brier
    8

Outlook

Sault Ste. Marie’s Brad Jacobs will make his third consecutive appearance at the Brier in Ottawa after beating Jordan Chandler in the finals of the Northern Ontario playdowns. Team Jacobs made it to the championship game last year in Calgary, but thanks to Pat Simmons and his perfect draw to the button on the last shot, they had to settle for silver. Jacobs, 30, has had a somewhat frustrating year in 2015-16. The rink sits in the top 10 of the WCT money list and CTRS ranking system, but has not won an event on Tour. They’ve lost in four semi-finals and failed to make the playoffs at the Canada Cup and the Canadian Open. However, they were able to defend their Pinty’s Skins Game title in Banff, taking home $71,000 in January by beating Brad Gushue in the final. Jacobs won the 2013 national championship and, of course, the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

 

Final Word: Despite the lack of success this season, Jacobs and company have one of the best resumes in the game. It would be a disappointment if they didn’t make the playoff round.

Dark Horses

Glenn Howard
Glenn Howard (Ontario)

Lead: Scott Howard Second: Adam Spencer Third: Richard Hart Skip: Glenn Howard

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $39,500 (11th)
  • CRTS Rankings
    238.723 (8th)
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    16

Outlook

Glenn Howard is back. The 53-year-old Brier veteran will make a record 16th appearance at the Canadian championship in the nation’s capital, his first since 2013, after beating Toronto’s John Epping in Ontario Tankard final. Howard was forced to make a tough angle double-raise take-out with the last shot of the game to score a deuce and win the contest. This has been an interesting season for the four-time Brier and world champion as he brought on his son Scott to the rink. The foursome has not won an event on the World Curling Tour, but has picked up solid finishes, including a couple final losses to Brad Gushue and Mike McEwen. Team Howard will be without the services of vice Wayne Middaugh once again for the national championship as he broke his leg on a family skiing trip before provincials. Adam Spencer, who filled in earlier this season when Middaugh was unavailable, took over second duties at the Tankard and will be the man Howard calls upon once again.

 

Final Word: Howard will have a lot of supporters behind him in Ottawa and still has plenty of game left in the tank. The loss of Middaugh is definitely unfortunate, but Spencer has done an admirable job in relief. Don’t be surprised to see Howard near the top of the standings all week. A playoff berth is definitely in the cards.

Steve Laycock
Steve Laycock (Saskatchewan)

Lead: Dallan Muyres Second: Colton Flasch Third: Kirk Muyres Skip: Steve Laycock

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $54,085 (6th)
  • CTRS Ramkings
    303.603 (6th)
  • Events Won
    1
  • Brier
    5

Outlook

Yorkton, Sask.’s Steve Laycock is not far off from being included in the conversation of the top skips of the game, if he’s not already there. Team Laycock, out of Saskatoon, have been together for four years now and with their third, second and lead being 25, 24 and 28 years old respectively, this crew is set up to do a lot of damage for years to come. They won the bronze last year in Calgary (Laycock also won bronze in 2008 as a lead for Pat Simmons) and will look to improve on that mark in the nation’s capital. They beat Kevin Koe in the final of the Canad Inns Men’s Classic and have lost in four semis at WCT events this season. The 33-year-old skip beat Shaun Meachem in the Saskatchewan final to punch his ticket to a third straight national championship.

 

Final Word: Team Laycock should be in the mix all week long and are fully capable of getting to the final four just like last year. Keep an eye on the Laycock rink in Ottawa. 

Jim Cotter
Jim Cotter (British Columbia)

Lead: Rick Sawatsky Second: Tyrel Griffith Third: Ryan Kuhn Skip: Jim Cotter

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $41,631 (9th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    217.124 (11th)
  • Events Won
    1
  • Brier
    6

Outlook

Vernon’s Jim Cotter is headed to his third straight Canadian championship after going undefeated at the B.C. Tankard. He capped his solid week of by edging Sean Geall in the final, 7-6. The 41-year-old skip and his team are playing some good curling this season. They won the Grand Slams’ Tour Challenge Tier 2 and have made the finals or semi-finals in five of the six other events they’ve played in.  Team Cotter finished with a 5-6 record at the 2015 Brier.

 

Final Word: Cotter’s solid foursome has a good amount of Brier experience, but with the strength of their combatants, they’ll find it tough to finish in the top four in Ottawa. Expect this group to be in the middle of the pack at week’s end. 

Jean-Michel Menard
Jean-Michel Menard (Quebec)

Lead: Philippe Ménard Second: Eric Sylvain Third: Martin Crête Skip: Jean-Michel Ménard

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $12,250 (38th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    126.860 (15th)
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    10

Outlook

You don’t see a lot of Jean-Michel Menard on the World Curling Tour. But, when he qualifies for the Brier, which happens a lot, the 40 year old is usually in contention. Menard will appear in his fourth national championship in four years and will try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. His rink, which has been together for six seasons, finished with a 6-5 record at last year’s Brier, just missing the playoff round. Team Menard have played in four events this season on the WCT, getting as far as the championship game at the Challenge Casino de Charlevoix where they lost to Greg Balsdon of Kingston. He beat Robert Desjardins in the Quebec Tankard final 6-4. Menard has one national title in his back pocket, the 2006 Brier in Regina, and would go on to claim silver at the world championships in the United States that same year.

 

Final Word: Menard and company are veteran curlers with plenty of Brier experience. Expect them to be in the middle of the pack at the end of the round robin or even the playoffs if everything comes together (and they get a little luck) for the natives of Quebec.

The Field

Adam Casey
Adam Casey (Prince Edward Island)

Lead: Robbie Doherty Second: Anson Carmody Third: David Mathers Skip: Adam Casey

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $13,355 (36th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    87.452 (27th)
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    5

Outlook

Adam Casey will make his second appearance at the Brier as a skipper in the nation’s capital. The 26-year-old from Seven Mile Bay, P.E.I leads a young rink with no member over the age of 27. Casey, who played for Brad Gushue for three years before making his own squad, has had a busy time on the World Curling Tour in 2015-16. They’ve played in 11 events, placing as high as fourth. Team Casey coasted to their Tankard victory in P.E.I, capping it with an 8-1 blasting of Jamie Newson in final.

 

Final Word: Casey posted a record of 5-6 at last year’s Canadian championship and will do his best to get that many wins again this time around. 

Team Mike Kennedy
Mike Kennedy (New Brunswick)

Lead: Jamie Brannen Second: Marc LeCocq Third: Scott Jones Skip: Mike Kennedy

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $2,000 (117th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    27.807 (82nd)
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    5

Outlook

Moncton’s Mike Kennedy downed Terry Odishaw in the New Brunswick final, 9-2, to secure his fifth trip to the big dance. The foursome has played in four events this season on the WCT. Kennedy was a part of Wayne Tallon’s 2013 rink that won the Canadian Senior title and the 2014 World Seniors.

 

Final Word: Team Kennedy will be in tough in Ottawa.

Team Jamie Koe
Team Jamie Koe (Northwest Territories)

Skip: Jamie Koe Third: Chris Schille Second: Brad Chorostkowski Lead: Robert Borden

2016-17 Stats

  • Brier #
    11
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    32.849 (73rd)
  • WCT
    $5,000 (71st)

Need To Know

- This will be the ninth straight year Team Koe has represented the Northwest Territories at the Brier. The rink from Yellowknife finished with a 3-8 record at last year's events. 

 

- Team Koe have played in two WCT events this season, making the quarter-final stage each time. 

 

Final Word: Team Koe has become a regular at the Canadian championship over the years and his clash against this brother, Kevin Koe, of Team Canada will be one to look forward to. 

Team Jamie Murphy
Jamie Murphy (Nova Scotia)

Lead: Philip Crowell Second: Scott Saccary Third: Jordan Pinder Skip: Jamie Murphy

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $14,715 (31st)
  • CTRS Rankings
    109.393 (17th)
  • Events Won
    2
  • Brier
    3

Outlook

Jamie Murphy and his foursome from Halifax won the Sobeys Classic and the WFG Jim Sullivan Curling Classic earlier this season on the WCT. The 34-year-old finished with a 4-7 record at the 2012 Brier and a 0-11 record in 2014.

 

Final Word: Team Murphy’s goal will be to get their province back in the main draw of the Canadian championship for the first time since 2014. Nova Scotia failed to make it out of the qualification round in Calgary last year. It should come down to a matchup between Murphy and Koe for the right to play with the big boys in Ottawa. It will be a tossup.

Team Bob Smallwood
Bob Smallwood (Yukon)

Lead: Scott Odian Second: Clinton Abel Third: Jon Solberg Skip: Player Photo SKIP Bob Smallwood

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    $50 (200th)
  • CTRS Rankings
    N/A
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    4

Outlook

Whitehorse’s Bob Smallwood will make his second straight appearance at the national championship. He fell to PEI’s Adam Casey in the pre-qualifying final last year, 7-6.

 

Final Word: Team Smallwood won’t be the favourites in the pre-qualifier, but should give their combatants a good effort.  

Team Wade Kingdon
Wade Kingdon (Nunavut)

Lead: Bruce Morgan Second: Aaron Fraser Third: Dennis Masson Skip: Wade Kingdon

2015-16 Stats

  • WCT Money List
    NA
  • CTRS Rankings
    NA
  • Events Won
    0
  • Brier
    0

Outlook

Nunavut will make their first appearance at the Brier this year in Ottawa.

 

Final Word: After the Nunavut men's and women's rinks broke their respective losing streaks at the Canadian juniors, and the women’s team winning a game in their debut at the Scotties, the territory is starting to get some attention in the curling world. It will be interesting to see how they fare on the big stage.

Brier Glory

poll image

Who will win the 2016 Brier?