Matt Dunstone Confident and Prepared for World Men's Curling Championship
For Matt Dunstone, the thrill of winning the 2026 Montana's Brier remains fresh and exhilarating. The Winnipeg curler is still riding high on the wave of his dream victory, especially after coming agonizingly close the previous year at the national men's finale. However, Dunstone knows it's time to shift focus, as his team prepares to represent Canada at the 2026 LGT World Men's Curling Championship, set to begin Friday in Ogden, Utah.
From Celebration to Preparation
"You know ... I think a lot of relief has kind of settled in," said Dunstone, who also faced heartbreak with a loss in the Canadian Olympic trials final in November. "It kind of feels like playing with house money now a little bit. I would say the three or four days after the Brier were fairly overwhelming—in a lot of great ways. But it was a lot more than I thought it was going to be."
Dunstone noted that within the last week, the initial excitement has subsided, and the team has fully transitioned to preparing for the world championships. "Sports is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately thing, and the Brier was over two weeks ago," he explained. "So we've moved on, and now, all the curling fans have moved on to the world championships."
Ready for the Challenge
The 30-year-old skip expressed strong confidence in his team's readiness for the international stage. "I'd say we're very ready," said Dunstone, who is supported by vice-skip/third Colton Lott, second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden, alternate Geoff Walker, and coaches Caleb Flaxey and Jeff Stoughton. "We've played a lot of big games this season. You know ... of the entire field at worlds, nobody's new to us. We've had a very good season, and we're just very, very prepared."
Dunstone appreciates the timing between the Brier and the worlds, finding it ideal for maintaining momentum. "I like the two weeks in between. I like that it's short and sweet and just gives us enough time to quickly get our feet back on the ground again and keep on going," he added. "Yup ... I like where we're at."
Fueled by Recent Success
The Brier victory was particularly meaningful for Dunstone, as it involved defeating two formidable opponents with legendary status in Canadian curling. First, the team avenged previous losses by overcoming Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert. Then, they triumphed over Kevin Koe, a four-time Brier champion and two-time world winner.
These hard-fought wins have provided the Granite Curling Club crew with additional motivation and confidence as they head to Utah. Dunstone emphasized that the experience of competing in high-stakes events has been invaluable preparation. "The beautiful part about Canada is it's hard to get out of the country, but having played in those events to do so, there's no better preparation for these types of events," he remarked.
Canadian curling fans are eagerly watching, hoping Dunstone can bring home a world title, something that has eluded the nation since Brad Gushue's victory in 2017. With a blend of recent success and focused preparation, Dunstone and his team are poised to make a strong run at the championship.
