Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials Profile: Team Gushue

With the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials quickly approaching, TSN.ca will profile one men’s team and one women’s team each day before the first rocks fly on Nov. 22 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

Team Brad Gushue

Lineup

Skip: Brad Gushue (Age 45)

Third: Mark Nichols (45)

Second/Vice-Skip: Brendan Bottcher (33)

Lead: Geoff Walker (39)

Alternate: Adam Casey (36)

Coach: Jeff Hoffart

Curling Club: St. John’s Curling Club

2025-26 Season

Events: 4 Record: 10-10 World Ranking: 19th

Highlights: Lost to Team Bruce Mouat in quarterfinal of the Tour Challenge on the Grand Slam circuit.

How They Qualified

Qualified after winning the 2024 Montana’s Brier in Regina, beating Team Mike McEwen in the final.

Trials Schedule

Nov. 22 – Ryan Kleiter

Nov. 23 – Kevin Koe

Nov. 24 – John Epping, Matt Dunstone

Nov. 25 – Jordon McDonald

Nov. 26 – Mike McEwen, Brad Jacobs

Expert Analysis from TSN’s Russ Howard

Team Gushue will have a successful week at the Canadian Curling Trials if...

“They stay well-rested, capture the Halifax crowd, and wear orange!”

Team Story

Twenty years ago, a 25-year-old Brad Gushue broke onto the curling scene in Canada with a surprise victory at the 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax.

Now the 45-year-old skip, alongside longtime teammate Mark Nichols, return to the city looking to punch their third career ticket to the Olympic Games in the twilight of Gushue’s career.

Yes, the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials will be Gushue’s last, as the Olympic gold and bronze medalist announced in September he’ll retire at the end of the season.

“Years ago, I created a list of goals I wanted to achieve, and I feel like I’m among the lucky few who can say they’ve achieved it. That’s given me the confidence to make this decision now,” Gushue said in his official retirement announcement. “To leave on a high note with no regrets, no challenge left unanswered and no expectation unmet.”

Despite being a few months away from hanging them up, Gushue remains one of the best skips in the game and will be a threat to make the three-team playoffs in Halifax.

Gushue is still viewed as a contender thanks to his past accomplishments, including winning a record six Brier Tankards. However, the returns over the past calendar year have not been as promising.

After winning his third straight Brier in 2024, Gushue made the surprise decision to part ways with power sweeper E.J. Harnden last October, replacing him with former skip Brendan Bottcher.

Gushue and company haven’t won an event since, missing the playoffs at multiple Grand Slams and coming up short in dramatic fashion against Team Brad Jacobs in last year’s Brier semifinal.

They’ve played a light four-event schedule during the fall and own a 3-4 record against Trials teams entering Halifax.

Gushue defeated Jacobs 4-3 in the 2021 Trials final in one of their more memorable Battle of the Brads clashes. Gushue and company won bronze at the Beijing Olympics with a win over Team John Shuster of the United States a few months later.

Gushue and Jacobs will play each other in the round-robin finale with playoff scenarios very likely in play.

Team Gushue will need to find another gear or two if the veteran skip is going to bookend his career with another appearance at the Olympics.

Regardless of happens in Halifax, Gushue will close out his legendary curling career in March at the 2026 Montana’s Brier in his hometown of St. John’s, Nfld., the location of his first Brier win in 2017.