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 Jordon McDonald
Lineup
Skip: Jordon McDonald (Age 22)
Third/Vice-Skip: Jacques Gauthier (27)
Second: Elias Huminicki (21)
Lead: Cameron Olafson (22)
Coach: Bryan Miki
Curling Club: Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg
2025-26 Season
Events: 7 Record: 25-14 World Ranking: 20th
Highlights: Team McDonald won the Home Hardware Canadian Pre-Trials in late October, posting an overall record of 8-3 at the event. Their next best showing was a finals appearance at the U25 NextGen Classic in August, losing to Team Sam Mooibroek.
How They Qualified
Qualified via the Home Hardware Canadian Pre-Trials by beating Team Braden Calvert 2-1 in a best-of-three final.
Trials Schedule
Nov. 22 – Mike McEwen
Nov. 23 – Matt Dunstone
Nov. 24 – Kevin Koe, Brad Jacobs
Nov. 25 – Brad Gushue
Nov. 26 – Rylan Kleiter, John Epping
Expert Analysis from TSN’s Russ Howard
Team McDonald will have a successful week at the Canadian Curling Trials if...
“Jordan plays his game and finds the four-foot consistently. They must believe!”
Team Story
Jordon McDonald and his youthful rink from the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club were the last team to qualify for the Canadian Curling Trials after beating Manitoba rival Team Braden Calvert in a best-of-three final at the Pre-Trials in Wolfville, N.S.
At 22-years-old, McDonald will be the youngest skip in Trials history when he hits the ice at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
“I really wanted to win this event,” said McDonald after the Pre-Trials triumph. “It just feels like this is such a big win early in my career, and I hope that I can build off this win and continue to do some good things in this sport.”
Jordon McDonald will be youngest skip to compete at the Montana’s Trials next month. He’s excited to show what U-25 curling teams are capable of. #PreTrials2025 pic.twitter.com/jZdIwHrjdq
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) October 26, 2025
Team McDonald added third Jacques Gauthier, formerly of Team Kevin Koe, to the fold this season following an impressive 63-27 campaign in 2024-25.
They’ve put up some nice results with the tweaked lineup, including a 3-1 performance at the PointsBet Invitational, highlighted by a dominating victory over No. 1-ranked Team Matt Dunstone.
At the recent Grand Slam in Lake Tahoe, Team McDonald missed the playoffs with a 1-3 record, dropping round-robin games against Team Dunstone and Team John Epping.
This foursome enters the Halifax Trials with house money and shouldn’t feel too much pressure to perform as the youngest team in the field by a wide margin.
A few upset wins could be in store as a result.
McDonald leads the next generation of men’s curling in Canada and there’s a good chance a few more people know his name by the end of the Trials.
