Team Dunstone's Brier Motivation: A Final Push for Veteran E.J. Harnden

At the 2026 Montana's Brier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Team Dunstone is fueled by a powerful dual purpose: honoring the impending retirement of veteran second E.J. Harnden and finally capturing the national men's curling title that has eluded them in recent years. The Winnipeg-based squad, led by skip Matt Dunstone, is determined to transform past disappointments into a triumphant send-off for their teammate.

The Emotional Stakes of a Final Brier Appearance

For 42-year-old E.J. Harnden, this Brier represents his last competitive appearance in the prestigious tournament before retiring at season's end. This reality adds significant emotional weight to the team's campaign at Mary Brown's Centre. Harnden acknowledged the challenge of treating this event like any other, given the circumstances. "I'd be lying to say it wasn't in the back of my mind," Harnden admitted. "But at the same time, too, I'm really trying to treat this no differently than any other Brier. It's going to come to an end at some point. I just want to prolong that as much as possible with a win here."

Overcoming the Bridesmaid Status

Team Dunstone enters this competition with recent history as both motivation and burden. The team finished as runners-up in both last year's Brier and the Olympic trials, losing both finals to Brad Jacobs. This pattern has created what third Colton Lott described as "super big" motivation for the current tournament. "Do it for E.J. — do it for us," Lott emphasized. "Like it'd be a nice one in the history books, for sure."

Skip Matt Dunstone, still only 30, and third Colton Lott have yet to secure a national championship despite several close calls in recent seasons. This Brier represents perhaps their best opportunity to create winning memories and shed their bridesmaid reputation.

Strong Start to the Tournament

Team Dunstone has positioned themselves well in the early stages of competition, entering Tuesday night's crucial match against Alberta's Kevin Koe with a perfect 4-0 record. Their victories include:

A 5-3 win over New Brunswick's James Grattan
A 9-4 victory against B.C.'s Cody Tanaka
An 8-3 triumph over Northwest Territories' Jamie Koe
A 6-3 decision against Manitoba's Braden Calvert

This strong start has the team feeling confident about their chances to finally break through. "This team's right where it needs to be right now," Dunstone asserted. "Just how the vibe is. We've had a formula that worked awfully well between September through to December, and that's what the feel was out there today."

Recovery and Reset After Past Disappointments

The emotional toll of their recent near-misses required deliberate recovery time. Dunstone acknowledged the difficulty of the weeks following their Olympic trials loss. "Obviously, the six weeks or so after the trials were awfully tough," he recalled. "But having the seven weeks we've had off here before the Brier, it was pretty easy to reset and get up for one of the best curling events — if not the best — that exists. So we took some time off and recovered, and we're back here, and we're feeling good."

As Team Dunstone continues their quest at the 2026 Montana's Brier, they carry not only their competitive ambitions but also the emotional weight of sending a respected veteran out as a champion. Their perfect start suggests they have the skill and determination to turn this dual motivation into championship reality.