Calgary skip Brad Jacobs has punched his ticket to the championship final at the 2025 Montana's Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, positioning himself one step closer to representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Games.
Dominant Performance Secures Top Spot
The 2014 Olympic gold medallist and his Glencoe Curling Club team clinched first place in the men's pool Wednesday morning with a decisive 6-2 victory over Winnipeg's Matt Dunstone in Draw 12 action at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre. This crucial win caps an impressive turnaround for the Calgary foursome, who dropped their opening game of the trials to fellow Calgarian Kevin Koe before roaring back with five consecutive victories.
The team, consisting of skip Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert, has secured a direct path to the best-of-three championship final series beginning Friday. Their 5-1 record guarantees they'll bypass Thursday's semifinal entirely.
Road to the Championship Final
Jacobs' victory over Dunstone marked his first win in four head-to-head meetings against the Winnipeg rink, but it came at the most critical moment. The morning triumph in Halifax ensures the Calgary squad will enjoy a valuable rest day while their potential opponents battle through additional games.
Three teams - Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador, Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg, and Mike McEwen of Saskatoon - entered Wednesday's evening draw tied with identical 4-2 records. Only two of these rinks will advance from the round robin wrap-up to compete in Thursday's semifinal, with the winner earning the right to challenge Jacobs in the championship series.
Olympic Dreams Within Reach
The stakes couldn't be higher for the remaining teams. The winner of the best-of-three men's championship will earn the privilege of representing Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 6-22 in Italy.
Jacobs brings valuable Olympic experience to the competition, having captured gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games with a different lineup from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. That championship team included third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden and alternate Caleb Flaxey.
The Calgary skip has demonstrated particular prowess against Dunstone in high-pressure situations, having previously defeated the Winnipeg team in the 2025 Brier finale before Wednesday's critical trials victory.
