Saskatchewan's McEwen in Strong Position, Knapp Faces Elimination at 2026 Brier
The 2026 Montana's Brier, Canada's premier men's curling championship, is heating up in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with two Saskatchewan teams experiencing dramatically different fortunes as the playoff round approaches.
Mike McEwen's Team Surging Toward Playoffs
Mike McEwen's Saskatoon-based squad has positioned itself strongly for postseason contention with a 4-1 record through Tuesday morning's draws. The team secured their third consecutive victory with a decisive 10-4 win over New Brunswick's James Grattan, who fell to 2-3 in Pool B competition.
McEwen's lineup, featuring third Colton Flasch, second Kevin Marsh, lead Dan Marsh, and alternate Brent Laing, opened their Brier campaign with a victory over Northwest Territories on Saturday. After suffering their sole loss against Alberta's Kevin Koe on Sunday, the team rebounded with wins against Northern Ontario and Yukon before their latest triumph over New Brunswick.
The Saskatchewan skip currently holds the third playoff position in his pool, with crucial matchups remaining against British Columbia on Tuesday evening and Manitoba's Braden Calvert on Wednesday afternoon. McEwen will conclude round robin play with a highly anticipated showdown against Manitoba's Matt Dunstone on Wednesday evening.
Playoff Structure and Championship History
The tournament format sees the top three teams from each pool advancing to the playoff round beginning Friday, with the championship scheduled for Sunday. Pool A leaders Kevin Koe and Matt Dunstone maintain perfect 4-0 records through Tuesday morning's tenth draw.
McEwen brings considerable championship experience to this year's competition. In 2025, he finished the round robin with an impressive 7-1 record before suffering consecutive playoff losses to Manitoba teams skipped by Dunstone and Reid Carruthers. The 2024 Brier in Regina saw similar success, with McEwen posting another 7-1 round robin record before falling to Brad Gushue in the championship final.
Kelly Knapp's Team Faces Elimination Challenge
Meanwhile, Kelly Knapp's Regina Highland Curling Club squad finds itself in a precarious position with a 1-3 record that leaves them on the outside looking in for playoff contention. The team opened their tournament with a hard-fought 8-6 loss to Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs on Saturday before bouncing back with a victory over Nova Scotia on Sunday.
Monday proved particularly challenging for Knapp's lineup, which includes third Brennen Jones, second Dustin Kidby, and lead Mat Ring, as they suffered losses to both Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
The Regina-based team now faces a daunting path to potential playoff qualification, needing to win at least three of their final four games while likely requiring assistance from other results. Their remaining schedule includes matchups against Nunavut on Tuesday afternoon, followed by games against Newfoundland teams skipped by Nathan Young and Brad Gushue on Wednesday, before concluding round robin play against Ontario on Thursday.
Pool Standings and Tournament Outlook
In Pool A, Brad Jacobs and Brad Gushue lead with perfect 4-0 records through Tuesday morning, while Quebec and Ontario are tied for third place with three wins each. Knapp's squad maintains mathematical playoff possibilities but faces significant obstacles in their remaining matches.
This marks Knapp's second career Brier appearance, following his 2023 debut where he finished with a 4-4 round robin record. The contrasting fortunes of Saskatchewan's two representatives highlight the competitive intensity of Canada's national curling championship as teams battle for playoff positioning in the tournament's crucial final days.
